piano magic - my fun piano studio€¦ · arpeggios. piano magic progress chart when your child or...

Piano Magic

Level 1b

By Kristin Jensen

© 2012 EarTrainingandImprov.com

All Rights Reserved

This lesson is owned exclusively by EarTrainingandImprov.com and may not be shared,

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Copyright 2012 EartrainingandImprov.com. May not be copied or distributed without permission.

How to use this book

Piano Magic

Kids love creating their own music. I tell my students that the more “tricks”

they have in their magic bag, the more music they’ll be able to create.

When you include improv activities alongside the Piano Magic Skills, kids

will soon realize how much fun they can have when they know how to play

scales and chords.

My students are actually excited about learning their scales because they

love improvising. They know that with each new scale and technical skill

comes greater ability to create new sounds and beautiful music that is

completely their own.

Arpeggios

This book introduces arpeggios. Even small hands can learn to play

arpeggios and kids love the beautiful sounds. Look for the finger numbers

beneath the arpeggios.

Proper fingering may not seem important when these little arpeggios are so

easy, but later when we get more advanced and play longer arpeggios and

runs, the foundation you’ve built by using the correct fingering will be the

key to playing quickly and sounding incredibly impressive.

Half and Whole Steps

This book shows you how to teach half steps and whole steps to kids.

You’ll also have the opportunity to help kids apply this knowledge to

analyze the chromatic and whole tone scales.

Teaching this concept thoroughly will help kids immensely later on when

they learn major and minor scales and how to create chords.

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Progress Charts

Help kids stay motivated by tracking their progress and praising them each

time they accomplish a technique.

Major Arpeggios Progress Chart

Each time she passes off an arpeggio, the child gets to color in the

corresponding part of the butterfly. There is also a progress chart for minor

arpeggios.

Piano Magic Progress Chart

When your child or student has passed off all the major arpeggios, he gets

to color in the star in the Piano Magic Progress Chart which is found in the

back of the book.

When the child has completed all the skills in Piano Magic Level 1b, it’s

time to celebrate! The Piano Magic Progress Chart becomes a certificate of

achievement with a place for you to sign.

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Arpeggios

Play one key at a time. Start with the left hand finger 5 and play each key in

order. Cross your left hand over to continue playing. Play up, then down the

keyboard.

Unless noted otherwise, all arpeggios will use the same fingering as C Major.

C Major

G Major

Cross over

LH 5 3 1 RH 1 3 5 LH 5 3 1 RH 1

5


D Major

A Major

F Major

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4 2 1 4 1 2 4 2 1 2

Eb Major

2 1 4 4 1 2 2 1 4 2

Bb Major

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Major Butterfly

Color part of the butterfly each time you pass off an arpeggio.

C

D

F

Bb

A

Eb

G

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Scale from Under the Sea

This scale is really easy and sounds really cool. To play the scale, place

your middle three left hand fingers on the white keys as shown in the

diagram. Place your middle three right hand fingers on the three black

keys, as shown.

Start with left hand finger 4 and play each key one at a time. After your right

hand finishes, cross your left hand over and play the same thing on the

higher white keys. Cross your right hand over too and play the three

marked black keys. Then cross your left hand over one last time and play

just the high C key.

Now try playing in reverse to come back down. What does the scale sound

like to you?

Some people think this scale sounds like a song from outer space or under

sea. Some even think it sounds magical.

You can use this scale to make up a song for a creature from space or an

animal that lives in the ocean.

3 4 2

3 4 2 3 4 2

3 4 2

2

Cross over

Cross over

Cross over

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Half Steps and Whole Steps

You will use both the white and black keys to play half steps. Choose a

starting key and then play the very next key.

If I choose middle C and want to play a half step up, I play the black key

right next to middle C.

If I start on E and want to play a half step up, I play the very next key, which

is a white key.

Practice half steps with the examples below. Look at the starting note and

figure out which key is one half step up. Draw a circle on the key that is one

half step up. Check your answers on the next page.

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Half Steps

Check Your Answers

If you think you understand half steps, try playing half steps on your piano.

Are the sounds familiar? The spider scale that we learned in Piano Magic

1a uses all half steps.

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A whole step is what you would get if you took two half steps. You just pick

a starting key and then skip a key.

To play a whole step up from C, you skip the black key and play the next

key.

To play a whole step up from E, you skip a key and play the next key,

which is a black key.

Practice whole steps with the examples below. Look at the starting note

and figure out which key is one whole step up. Draw a circle on the key that

is one whole step up. Check your answers on the next page.

Skip a key

Skip a key

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Whole Steps

Check Your Answers

Now try playing whole steps on your piano and listen to how they sound.

Take a good look at the Scale from Under the Sea. Does this scale use half

steps, whole steps, or a combination of the two?

This scale is made up entirely of whole steps, so it’s known as the whole

tone scale.

You can start on any key and play a whole tone scale if you apply the

formula. Give it a try now, using F as your starting key. If the scale you play

sounds like it’s from under the sea, you played it right!

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Minor Arpeggios

Play one key at a time. Start with the left hand finger 5 and play each key in

order. Cross your left hand over to continue playing. Play up, then down the

keyboard.

Unless noted otherwise, all arpeggios will use the same fingering as A Minor.

A Minor

E Minor

Cross over

LH 5 3 1 RH 1 3 5 LH 5 3 1 RH 1

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B Minor

F# Minor

D Minor

LH 5 4 2 RH 1 2 3 LH 5 4 2 RH 1

2 1 4 4 1 2 2 1 4 2

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5 4 2 1 2 3 5 4 2 1

C Minor

G Minor

5 4 2 1 2 3 5 4 2 1

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Spider Scale

Play the Spider Scale with hands together now! First practice creeping

along the floor. Stick both thumbs into the carpet, then finger 3 from both

hands. Practice making both hands creep at the same time. Your thumbs

should always be together and so should your middle fingers. Practice

creeping to the right and to the left.

Look at the diagrams to creep up the keys and play the spider scale. Play

both hands at the same time. Go up and then back down.

The spider scale is also called the chromatic scale. It is made up of all half

steps.

1

3

1 1

3

1

3

1

3

1

RH

LH

Start on middle C

Start on the C below middle C

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Minor Butterfly

Color part of the butterfly each time you pass off an arpeggio.

Gm

F#m Bm

Am

Cm

Em

Dm

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Color a star each time you complete a skill. You’re adding more and more

to your bag of magic tricks. Soon you’ll sound amazing on the piano!

Your parent or teacher will sign you off when you’re finished.

Congratulations! You just completed Piano Magic Level 1b.

Level 1b Piano Magic

Name

Complete _______________________ ___________ Signature Date

Whole Tone Scale Spider

Hands Together

Major Arpeggios

Minor Arpeggios

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Review of Finger Numbers

Piano players have given each finger a number. Use this chart to learn

which finger to use when you see a number.

Left Right

5 5

4 4 3 3

2 2

1 1

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