Avant Tot

Written by

MaryClare Brzytwa Illustrated by

Joey Mansfield

Š MaryClare Brzytwa 2010

Introduction

Confidence: A feeling or consciousness of one’s powers.

Avant-garde: Of or pertaining to the experimental treatment of artistic, musical, or literary material.

Musical Graphic Notation: A form of music notation which refers to the use of nontraditional symbols and text to convey information about the performance of a piece of music.

Musical Improvisation : The creative activity of immediate (“in the moment”) musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians.

This book is designed as a tool for teaching musical confidence and fundamentals.

The aim of this book is to use the student’s innate impulse for self-expression as a catalyst for self-directed learning. This book is intended to teach the student a routine for learning music and parents how to practice music with their children. By following the grown-up instructions together, the parent and student are forming a dialogue that can be applied to a regular piano practice routine. This book teaches students the basic building blocks they will need for learning and executing more complex pieces of music.

Instructions that relate to specific graphics should be treated as a musical performance. The student will be asked to manipulate basic sound materials such as amplitude (volume), range (high/low) and others. The student’s first attempts at musical expression with these most basic parameters should be treated by the teacher and parent as “songs” with an attitude of respect and encouragement. The goal is to use the act of improvisation as a tool to foster musical curiosity and develop a basic sense of musical confidence. The improvisational graphics will gradually be substituted with traditional notation and gentle explanations. The student will develop a practice for breaking down symbols and applying their meanings. They will have a sense of ownership, pride and confidence in pursuing increasingly complex musical structures. Once the book is completed, the student will be ready to read and play traditionally-notated pieces of music.

1

Can you make these faces?

Grown-up: Point to each numbered icon from left to right. Count aloud and move at a medium speed.

ONE

2

Two

Student: Imitate each face as the grown-up points.

Three

Four

3

Sound and Silence Grown-up: Point to each numbered icon from left to right. Count aloud and move at a medium speed.

ONE

4

Two

Student: Make sound on the keys for the colored shapes. Leave silence for the blank shapes.

Three

Four

5

Low and High Grown-up: Point to each icon from left to right. Chant “PA-PA MON-KEY” in a low voice and “ba-by mon-key” in a high voice.

PA-PA MON-KEY

6

ba-by MON-KEY

d

Soun

Student: Play the keys that sound low (left hand side of the keyboard) for Papa Monkey. Play the keys that sound high (right hand side of the keyboard) for Baby Monkey.

PA-PA MON-KEY

Silence

ba-by MON-KEY

7

Loud and Soft Grown-up: Point to each numbered icon from left to right. Imitate the relevant sound function of each icon.

Example: Say “Loud” loudly and “Papa Monkey ” in a low voice.

ONE

8

Two

Three

Four

Student: Play LOUDLY on any keys for the thunder cloud. Play softly on any keys for the feather.

ONE

Two

Three

Four

9

Follow the Line Grown-up & Student: Follow the line with your finger on the page. Practice singing with your voice from low to high while tracing your finger along the line.

Repeat and point to each circle and say its name.

SOL FA MI RE DOE

10

SOL FA MI RE DOE

11

White Keys and Black Keys Grown-up: Point to each icon from left to right. Say “black keys” for the black icon and “white keys” for the white icon.

BLACK KEYS

12

White KEYS

Student: Play on the black keys when the grown-up points to the black keys. Play on the white keys when the grownup points to the white keys

BLACK KEYS

White KEYS

13

Left Hand and Right Hand

Grown-up: Instruct the student to match their left and right hand to the corresponding icons by touching them to the paper. Practice left and right hands on the piano by guiding the student through the exercise below.

(LH)

Exercise: Instruct the child to play the keys using the left hand when you say “left hand” and right hand when you say “right hand”. Alternate between these two instructions until the student is familiar with the concept.

14

Student: Put your left hand (LH) inside the left hand and your right hand (RH) inside the right hand.

(RH)

15

Groups of Two and Three

Can you find the groups of two ants. Point to them on the paper using your right hand.

16

17

Play on Two Black Keys Grown-up: Find groups of two black keys on the paper and in the book. Point it out to the student.

18

Student: “Make bunny fingers with your Right Hand and touch the groups of two black keys on the paper. Next, try to play all the groups of two black keys on the piano”

19

DOE: Grown-up: Find the two black keys with your bunny fin-

gers on your Right Hand. Play them and then put your thumb down on the white key just to the left of them; this is called DOE. Repeat this process chanting “TWO BLACK KEYS AND DOE.� Have the student immitate you. Do this process first touching the paper and then on the piano.

20

Student: Using the groups of two black keys as a guide, try to find all the Doe’s on the piano. (Be sure to play them with your thumb!)

21

Play This Song Grown-up: Point to each numbered icon from left to right. Count aloud and move at a medium speed. *Here you should have the student push down the two black keys on “one” then release them and press DOE on “two.”

Two Black Keys

(HOLD)

(HOLD)

( (( ( ONE

22

Two

Three Four

Student: Hold down the the keys while grown up counts the numbers in the paranthesis. (ie: press down and hold down the baby monkey keys for counts “one and two” Press down and hold “the two black keys” for counts three and four).

Two Black Keys

DOE

(HOLD)

*ONE

*Two

( ( Three

Four

23

DOE, RE, MI, FA, SOL Grown-up: “Put your hand on the right hand icon on the page. Say the word in each circle and tap the corresponding finger on the page.�

24

Student: Touch each of the keys on the page matching the fingers from the hand exercise. Next find DOE, RE, MI, FA, and SOL on your keyboard. Try to use the corresponding fingers.

DOE RE

MI

FA

SOL

25

RE: DOE:

26

Grown-up: ”RE lives one space up from DOE. Can you find RE on your paper using your right hand pointer finger? Can you find RE on you keyboard?”

Student: Locate the icon representing RE. Play RE on the keyboard using your Right Hand pointer finger.

DOE

MI

FA SOL

RE 27

Play This Song Grown-up: Point to each numbered icon from left to right. Count aloud and move at a medium speed.

Two Black Keys

DOE (HOLD)

(HOLD)

( (( ( ONE

28

Two

Three Four

Student: Try to count out loud with the grown-up as you play.

RE

RE DOE

DOE

ONE

Two

Three

Four

29

MI: RE: DOE: The STAFF is the series of lines where the music notes are written!

30

Grown-up: ”MI lives one line up from RE. It sits on the bottom LINE of the STAFF. Can you find MI on the paper with your RH middle finger? Can you find MI on the keyboard with your RH middle finger?”

Student: Locate the icon representing MI.

DOE RE

FA SOL

MI 31

Play This Song Grown-up: Point to each numbered icon from left to right. Count aloud and move at a medium speed.

RE DOE

ONE

32

DOE

Two

Three

Student: Try to count out loud with the grown-up as you play.

MI RE DOE

ONE

Two

Three

33

FA: MI: RE: DOE:

34

Grown-up: ”FA lives one space up from MI. It sits on the bottom Space of the STAFF. Can you find FA on the paper with your RH ring finger? Can you find FA on the keyboard with your RH ring finger?”

Student: Locate the icon representing FA.

DOE RE

MI

SOL

FA 35

Play This Song Grown-up: Point to each numbered icon from left to right. Count aloud and move at a medium speed.

RE DOE

ONE

36

DOE

Two

Three

Student: Try to count out loud with the grown-up as you play.

Fa MI

DOE

ONE

Two

Three

37

SOL: FA: MI: RE: DOE:

38

Grown-up: ”SOL lives one line up from MI. It sits on the second line up on the STAFF. Can you find SOL on the paper using your RH pinky finger? Can you find SOL on the keyboard with your RH pinky finger?”

Student: Locate the icon representing FA.

DOE RE

MI

FA

SOL 39

Play This Song Grown-up: Point to each numbered icon from left to right. Count aloud and move at a medium speed.

Fa MI RE DOE

ONE

40

Two

Three Four

Student: Try to count out loud with the grown-up as you play.

SOl MI RE DOE

ONE

Two

Three Four

41

Name the Notes

Grown-up: “Point to each note and say its name”

42

Student: Find each note on the keyboard.

43

DOE, TI, LA, SOL, FA Grown-up: “Put your hand on the left hand icon on the page. Say the word in each circle and tap the corresponding finger on the page.�

44

Student: Touch each of the keys on the page matching the fingers from the hand exercise. Next find DOE, TI, LA, SOL, and FA on your keyboard. Try to use the corresponding fingers.

FA

SOL LA

TI

DOE

45

Play This Song Grown-up: “When you play DOE with your left hand DOE sits at the top of the staff!

Notes with a stem facing down are played with the left hand.

Notes with stems facing up are played with the right hand.

Notes that are filled in and have a stem are worth one count.

Notes that are empty with a stem are worth two counts.”

I’m a

I’m a

Quarter Note

46

Half Note

DOE

DOE

ONE

Two

DOE

(

Three

(

FOUR

Student: • Practice clapping the rhythm of the notes while counting out loud.

• Practice playing DOE with your right hand thumb when the stem is up and your left hand thumb when the stem is down. Be sure to count!

DOE

DOE

( ( ONE

Two

Three

DOE

FOUR

47

DOE: TI:

48

Grown-up: ”TI lives one space down from DOE. Can you find TI on your paper using your left hand pointer finger? Can you find TI on you keyboard?”

Student: Locate the note representing TI.

FA

SOL LA

DOE

TI 49

Play This Song Grown-up: Point to each numbered icon from left to right. Count aloud and move at a medium speed.

DOE

DOE TI

TI

ONE

50

Two

Three

FOUR

Student: Try to count out loud with the grown-up as you play.

RE DOE

ONE

DOE

Two

( ( Three

FOUR

51

DOE: TI: LA:

52

Grown-up: ”LA lives one space down from TI. Can you find LA on your paper using your left hand middle finger? Can you find LA on you keyboard using your left hand middle finger?”

Student: Locate the note representing LA.

FA

SOL

TI DOE

LA 53

Play This Song Grown-up: Point to each numbered icon from left to right. Count aloud and move at a medium speed.

DOE TI

TI LA

ONE

54

Two

Three

FOUR

Student: Try to count out loud with the grown-up as you play.

Try to clap the rhythm and count aloud.

DOE

DOE TI

ONE

Two

( ( Three

FOUR

55

DOE: TI: LA: SOL:

56

Grown-up: ”SOL lives one space down from LA. Can you find SOL on your paper using your left hand ring finger? Can you find SOL on you keyboard using your left hand ring finger?”

Student: Locate the note representing SOL.

FA

LA

TI DOE

SOL 57

Play This Song Grown-up: Point to each numbered icon from left to right. Count aloud and move at a medium speed.

DOE TI LA sol

ONE

58

Two

Three

FOUR

Student: Try to count out loud with the grown-up as you play.

LA sol

ONE

Two

LA

Three

sol

FOUR

59

DOE: TI: LA: SOL: FA:

60

Grown-up: �FA lives one line down from SOL. Can you find FA on your paper using your left hand pinky finger? Can you find FA on you keyboard using your left hand pinky finger?�

Student: Locate the note representing FA.

SOL LA

TI DOE

FA 61

Play This Song Grown-up: Point to each numbered icon from left to right. Count aloud and move at a medium speed.

DOE TI LA sol

ONE

62

Two

Three

FOUR

Student: Try to count out loud with the grown-up as you play.

Try to clap the rhythm and count aloud.

FA

ONE

sol FA

Two

( ( Three

FOUR

63

Name the Notes

Grown-up: “Point to each note and say its name”

64

Student: Find each note on the keyboard.

65

Name the Notes

Grown-up: “Point to each note and say its name”

66

Student: Find each note on the keyboard.

67

Write Your Own Song!

Make four counts per page.

ONE

68

Two

Three

FOUR

ONE

Two

Three

FOUR

69