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Piano Lesson Plan

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Illinois State Standards

Anchor Standard 7 (Responding)

Perceive and analyze artistic work.

Enduring Understanding: Individuals choose music based on their interests, experiences, musical understanding, and each musical work’s purpose.

Essential Question: How do individuals choose music to experience?

Anchor Standard 8 (Responding)

Construct meaningful interpretations of artistic work.

Enduring Understanding: Through their use of elements and structures of music, creators and performers provide clues to their expressive intent.

Essential Question: How do we discern the musical performers’ emotions, thoughts, and ideas?

Anchor Standard 9 (Responding)

Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.

Enduring Understanding: The personal evaluation of musical work(s) and performance(s) is informed by analysis, interpretation, and teacher- or student-established criteria.

Essential Question: How do we judge the quality of musical work(s) and performance(s)?

Anchor Standard 10 (Connecting)

Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.

Enduring Understanding: Musicians connect their personal interests, experiences, ideas, and knowledge to creating, performing, and responding.

Essential Question: How do musicians make meaningful connections to creating, performing, and responding?

Objectives

Student(s) will:

  • Explore the sounds of the piano
  • Learn basic hand positions and techniques for piano
  • Engage with the piano, playing melodies using both hands at once
  • Begin to learn sharps and flats

Materials

  • Computer
  • Speakers
  • Smartboard
  • Keyboards

Procedure

Introduction to Piano

  1. Listen and Watch

    5 minutes

    Piano Music

  2. First Steps

    10 minutes
    • Number fingers 1-5 (See worksheet)
    • Locate Middle C
    • Showcase the difference between white keys and black keys

  3. First Position

    15 minutes
    • One student per keyboard
    • Students will work through the pieces in first position (See worksheet)

  4. Play Together

    5 minutes
    • Allow students to share what they have learned
    • Let students play through pieces solo and in ensemble

  5. Listen and Watch

    5 minutes

    Piano Music (No black keys)

Moving to a New Position

  1. First Steps

    10 minutes
    • Number fingers 1-5 (See worksheet)
    • Locate Middle C
    • Showcase the differences between first and second position

  2. Second Position

    15 minutes
    • One student per keyboard
    • Students will work through the pieces in second position (See worksheet)

  3. Play Together

    5 minutes
    • Allow students to share what they have learned
    • Let students play through pieces solo and in ensemble

  4. Listen and Watch

    5 minutes

    Piano Music (All notes the same)

Introducing Flats

  1. First Steps

    10 minutes
    • Number fingers 1-5 (See worksheet)
    • Locate Middle C
    • Find B

  2. First Flat

    15 minutes
    • One student per keyboard
    • Students will work through the pieces utilizing one flat (See worksheet)

  3. Play Together

    5 minutes
    • Allow students to share what they have learned
    • Let students play through pieces solo and in ensemble

Introducing Sharps

  1. First Steps

    10 minutes
    • Number fingers 1-5 (See worksheet)
    • Locate Middle C
    • Find F#
    • Prepare to move between positions

  2. First Sharp

    15 minutes
    • One student per keyboard
    • Students will work through the pieces utilizing one sharp (See worksheet)

  3. Play Together

    5 minutes
    • Allow students to share what they have learned
    • Let students play through pieces solo and in ensemble