Teachers - Please use the following resources for your first few lessons with your beginner students.
Student Binders
Please watch this brief explanation of student binders and how to use them!
Create all students’ binders before their first lesson with you.
Student Binders Should Include:
Before Section 1 - Beginner Handout for their instrument/voice (below).
1 - Technique - give your students a daily warmup assignment that allows them to focus solely on how they play, not what they are playing.
2 - Music Theory
4-8 Basic flashcards. (Blank index cards are in the studio closet.)
A blank sheet of paper for when you tell them the history of the Grand Staff. Don’t remember the story? Check it out here!
3 - Short Term Piece - an easy-to-learn piece that you feel they will master in 1-3 weeks.
4 - Long Term Piece - a little more challenging piece that may take 3-5 weeks.
Section 5 - Review. As your student achieves mastery of each piece, move it to this section. This allows them to end with a ‘win!”
Get your students used to working through their binders each lesson and explain that this is how they are to practice also - starting with the first tab, ending at tab 5.
Beginner Handouts
Instrument-specific handouts
These go before Section 1 in the student binder.
During first lesson, put beginner songs in Section 2 and/or 3 for student's homework.
Books
By their second lesson, you will know which books they need to purchase. Please ask them to purchase their own books as soon as possible, this way they can work ahead when they wish! Direct them to our Instrument/Accessory/Book Recommendations HERE.
MUSIC THEORY HANDOUTS
Please start using these as soon as possible in lessons - depending on the age of the student. Younger students may not need this until they 1. start asking music theory questions or 2. are 8 years old or so.
Major Scale Creation - Treble Clef - Sharp Keys
Major Scale Creation - Treble Clef - Flat Keys
Major Scale Creation - Bass Clef - Sharp Keys
Major Scale Creation - Bass Clef - Flat Keys
Once you have taught your student how to create major scales, print a blank fingerboard.
Fill in all the half steps while sitting at the piano.
Copy the finished product for teaching them how to play scales later.
Circle of Fifths
Once your student has created all of the major scales, have them put this information on the Circle of Fifths so they can see how it all relates!