[pdf-embedder url=”https://www.brainbasedpianomethod.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Initiation-Sample-Chapter-1.pdf”]
Please watch the video here.
In this chapter:
- Song: Do-Re-Mi the Bunny Hop
- Song: Hot Cross Buns
- Mindful Time: Let’s create a peaceful place for learning
- Activity: Move with the Song
- Musical Elements: Toad & Frog (Downbeat & Rhythm)
- Piano Technique: Just like a baby learns to walk, the hand learns to move on the piano
- Game: Learn songs with the Gather the Balls Game
- Piano Technique: The Good Posture Game
- Piano Technique: The Bird Beak Game (First Hand Position)
- The Black Keys Pattern
- Learning my First Notes with Do-Re-Mi the Bunny
- Game: The Hare and the Hound
- Musical Elements: The Story of the House of Two (2/4 measure)
- The Rhythm Game
- Creativity Bonus: Play the two songs on other black and white keys, make them sound sad and middle eastern
Do-Re-Mi the Bunny Hop
Activities Away from the Piano:
- Sway, SAY the Lyrics and CLAP the RHTYHM
- Sway, SING with Lyrics and CLAP the RHTYHM
- Sing with Do-Re-Mi and TAP the RHYTHM
- Sing with Do-Re-Mi and TAP the DOWNBEAT
- Sing with Do-Re-Mi using HAND SIGNS
- Sing with Do-Re-Mi and CONDUCT in 2
- Sing with Ti-Ti-Ta and Point to the Notes
At the Piano
8. Sing and Play the Melody with RH
9. Sing and Play Accompaniment with LH
10. Play HT
Hot Cross Buns
Activities Away from the Piano:
- Sway, SAY the Lyrics and CLAP the RHTYHM
- Sway, SING with Lyrics and CLAP the RHTYHM
- Sing with Do-Re-Mi and TAP the RHYTHM
- Sing with Do-Re-Mi and TAP the DOWNBEAT
- Sing with Do-Re-Mi using HAND SIGNS
- Sing with Do-Re-Mi and CONDUCT in 2
- Sing with Ti-Ti-Ta and Point to the Notes
At the Piano
8. Sing and Play the Melody with RH
9. Sing and Play Accompaniment with LH
10. Play HT
Mindful Time
Important Note: Practice at the beginning of every class to help students focus, identify pitches, set the intention of the class, practice visualizations and set a positive attitude toward leaning using affirmations.
Environment: Let’s create a peaceful place for learning. Put all the toys and food away. Turn off the TV, radio, computer, etc. Now we can focus. Our practice time is very important. Everybody in the house knows that this is our time for learning.
Mindful Listening Exercise: Hit a singing bowl; listen, breathe in and out slowly and deeply. Listen to the sound carefully. Raise your hand when you cannot hear the sound any longer. Pass the bowl around and repeat.
Name the Note: Same exercise as above, but using a piano and naming the note.
Intention of the Class: Let’s now set the intention for today’s class: Ex: “I will learn how to sing and play Hot Cross Buns”
Visualization: “I imagine myself playing the piano beautifully”
Positive affirmations: “I open myself to learning. I learn easily and with joy.”
Move with the Song
Objective: To help children internalize the beat and the rhythm of a song.
Materials: Initiation CD. To add variety, use percussion instruments.
This activity can be used with all the songs in this book.
Procedure: Play Do-Re-Mi the Bunny Hop track. Have the children walk and clap with the rhythm of the song. Sing the song. Change the words. Example: “Now we jump, now we run, now we march the Bunny Hop”. Sing and act it out.
Variation #1: Instead of stepping with the rhythm of the song, step on every beat. Ask the students to imitate you. When the children can step with the beat with confidence, clap the rhythm of the song.
Variation #2: Instead of clapping the rhythm, express the rhythm by moving some other body part (the head, the hands, the arms, the shoulders etc.) Ask the children to suggest another motion.
Toad & Frog
Objective: To help students understand the difference between the rhythm and the downbeat. To prepare them to coordinate the hands in playing rhythm (right hand) and downbeat (left hand). Use this story for the activities #3 and #4 from every song.
Toad and Frog are best friends. They like to jump everywhere making music together. Toad is big and heavy and jumps slowly. Frog is small and light and loves to jump often.
Toad always jumps on the downbeat (first beat of every measure). Toad plays the Accompaniment in the Left Hand.
Can you sing a song and tap the Downbeat in the LH?
Variation: Use resonator bars to play the Downbeat with the Toad.
Frog always jumps with the rhythm of the melody. Frog plays the Melody in the Right Hand.
Can you tap the rhythm of the Melody in the RH?
Can you tap the Rhythm in the RH and the Downbeat in the LH?
Piano Technique
Just like a baby learns how to walk, the hand learns how to move on the piano.
- First, the baby moves on the floor on her belly
- next the baby crawls
- then, the baby stands up on all four
- then the baby walks.
Likewise,
- the hand feels the keys and moves on the keys
- next, the hand crawls on the keys
- then, the hand stands on all five fingers
- then, the hand walks on the keys.
Gather the Balls
Objective: To help children learn the songs that they will later play at the piano.
Materials: The BBPM Bag of Balls for Musical Games and BBPM Initiation Musical Games CD. This game is ideally played in a spacious room.
This game can be played to familiarize the students with the songs they are about to learn, and to add movement and energy to any class.
Procedure: Play the song, throw the balls on the floor, ask the children to gather all the balls and place them back in the basket before the song ends. Repeat with another song. Take turns throwing the balls.
Variation #1: Tell the students to listen carefully to the music, and only move while the music is playing, and to freeze when the music stops. Then play the song and pause it unexpectedly. Start the music again and watch the children spring back into motion.
Variation #2: Make a circle holding hands and go around with the beat of the music switching directions at every repetition of the song. Go down to the floor when the song ends (as in the game “Ring Around the Rosie”.)
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