Exploring
Effective Keyboard Performance Technique |
Keyboard Skills - Cover
and Homework Activities |
Keyboard Skills - Music
Theory |
Keyboard Skills Music Theory 1 - Staves, Clefs
and Notes A 3-page worksheet introducing pupils to the lines and spaces of the
Treble Clef in terms of staff notation to encourage pupils to learn the
correct pitch note names. |
Keyboard Skills Music Theory 2 - Sharps and
Flats A 2-page worksheet introducing or revising pupils to the names of
black keys on a piano/keyboard and the symbols for sharps and flats. |
Keyboard Skills - Keyboard
Rounds Activities |
AS & A-Level Music Resources Shop |
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This unit is all
about effective keyboard performance technique including basic treble clef
staff notation. The unit begins
with a general introduction and “Keyboard Treasure Hunt” around a standard
classroom keyboard which is a good chance to navigate basic keyboard
functions, establish good playing routines and rectify and troubleshoot any
potential technical problems. Pupils learn
about other keyboard instruments such as the Harpsichord, Celesta, Accordion,
Organ, Clavichord, Piano (upright and grand) and Synthesisers before
establishing the importance of correct playing position and posture and the
importance of keyboard warm-ups. Pupils move on
to learn about using keyboard fingering for better playing skills, built
through a range of exercises such as scales and simple right-hand melodies in
the key of C Major. Pupils explore
the layout of the keyboard in terms of white and black keys and their note
names; sharps and flats as enharmonic equivalents and explore how to “read
music” in the form of simple melodies and melodies from popular songs from
treble clef staff notation. They then
move on to add a second part of basic chords with the left hand. Since this unit
is primarily performance based, there are optional pathways to perform and
compose either a round for keyboard ensemble or to explore short musical
clichés. The final
lesson(s) have been left as “Independent Practice” where, it is hopes, that
through the skills, knowledge and understanding of ‘good keyboard practice
and playing technique’, pupils will take responsibility for their own
learning of either a solo, paired or small ensemble keyboard piece which can
be performed at the end of the unit.
If the unit is being delivered prior to Christmas, then the final
“Independent Practice” lesson(s) could be spent rehearsing and performing a
keyboard arrangement of a Christmas song or arrangement. |
Keyboard Skills -
Performing Resources |
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free to copy, modify, customise, personalise and use Musical Contexts resources for your own use, with your students and pupils, within your
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(VLEs). Please
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access them meaning a loss of earnings for authors and publishers,
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Contexts is unitedly working with a range of
publishers together to monitor Facebook groups for such “free sharing” and
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PDFs using automated code (scrapers). Any subscriber found freely
sharing Musical Contexts resources online will have their log-in cancelled with immediate
effect and no refund given in respect of this. |
Keyboard Skills - Scheme
of Work and Lesson Pathways |
Keyboard Skills - Scheme
of Work and Lesson Pathways Includes Scheme of Work Overview,
Unit Learning Objectives, Learning Outcomes and Lesson Pathways. |
Keyboard Skills - DOITNOW
(Starters) and Plenary Activities |
Keyboard Skills -
“DOITNOW” Presentation Cutting down on printables, file
storage and media files, the “new look” Musical Contexts “DOITNOW” Keyboard Skills lesson openers Presentation
contains a wealth (only two samples
shown here), of effective “DOITNOW’s” when delivering the Keyboard Skills unit in just one place - all audio
and video files are embedded and there’s accompanying Teacher’s Notes in the
“slide comments” section. |
Keyboard Skills - Plenary
Review Activities A series of lesson reviews where
pupils review their learning and understanding. |
Keyboard Skills - General
Keyboard Skills Resources |
Keyboard Skills - 5
Minutes Silent Reading For teachers who prefer to begin
their lessons with quiet, focused openers.
All contain “Questions to Think About” which can also be used as Cover
or Homework tasks. |
1. Early
Keyboard Instruments 2. The Piano
Part 1 3. The Piano
Part 2 4. The Organ 5. The
Accordion 6.
Keyboards |
Keyboard Skills Music Theory 3 - Treble Clef
Staff Notation Naming notes in the Treble Clef.
Contains Answers |
Key Words,
Concepts and Musical Knowledge |
Layout of
Piano/Keyboard, Treble Clef, Treble Clef Staff Notation, Stave, Staff,
Lines, Spaces, Black Keys, Sharps (#), Flats (b), Scale, Left Hand (LH),
Right Hand (RH), Melody, Keyboard Functions, Fingering (1-5), Keyboard
Chords, Octave, Warm-Up, “Middle C” |
Music Theory |
Staves, Clefs and Notes Sharps and Flats |
Links to GCSE
Music |
My Music |
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Pupils revise the lines and spaces of the
treble clef, create their own rhyme for “EGBDF” and design a poster to
illustrate treble clef staff notation Can be done without using ICT. |
A fun story with some words missing and given
in treble clef staff notation for pupils to work out. Can be done without using ICT. |
Another fun poem with some words missing and
given in treble clef staff notation for pupils to work out. Can be done without using ICT. |
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A simple 4-part Round in the Dorian Mode which
for keyboard ensemble. Given in treble clef staff notation with and
without note names.
Rounds MIDI 1 - Round in the Dorian Mode
(Melody Example then as a 4-part Round) |
A more complex 3-part Round in C Major for
keyboard ensemble. |
Pupils compose a simple musical Round using
the Dorian Mode for keyboard ensemble. |
Can be used for pupils to evaluate and assess
“Roundabout” compositions using the Dorian Mode for keyboard ensemble |
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Musical Contexts
Keyboard Skills Keyboard Warm-Ups
Presentations Contains a range of essential keyboard
warm-ups that can be used at the start of lessons. |
Musical
Contexts Keyboard Skills Vol.1 Right
Hand Keyboard Melodies in C Major Selection of easy Right-Hand Keyboard Pieces
in C Major given with fingering and with and without note names Contents Cookie Jar Lightly Row London Bridge Oh When the Saints go Marching In Finger Twister Skye Boat Song Swing Lo, Sweet Chariot Amazing Grace Auld Lang Syne “Staying Alive” - The Bee Gees Hallelujah In the Night Garden “Lego House” - Ed Sheeran |
Musical
Contexts Keyboard Skills Vol.2 Right Hand Keyboard
Melodies with Sharps and Flats Selection of Right-Hand Keyboard Pieces with
occasional sharp and flat accidentals with fingering with and without note
names Contents “My Heart Will Go On” from ‘Titanic’ Ali A Intro Theme “Dance with Me” - Dizzee Rascal “Bohemian Rhapsody” - Queen Für Elise - Beethoven “Dancing on My Own” - Robyn “Paradise” - Coldplay Thomas the Tank Engine Theme Theme from “Pirates of the Caribbean” “River” - Eminem & Ed Sheeran |
Musical
Contexts Keyboard Skills Vol.3 Keyboard
Melodies in C Major with Left Hand Chord (Triad) Accompaniment Selection of Keyboard Pieces with a RH melody
with fingering and LH Chord (Triad) accompaniment (C, F, G & Am chords)
given with and without note names. Contents “Bad Romance” - Lady Gaga, “My Trumpet” Jason Mraz - “I’m Yours” Iyaz - “Replay” Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen - “Good Time” One Direction - “One Thing” Rihanna—”We Found Love” |
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Image matching, questions and audio extract
matching on keyboard instruments |
Basics
of playing the piano: hand shape and hand position Useful video to introduce or reinforce correct
piano and keyboard playing technique |
4 short musical
clichés to perform on keyboards (with and without note names) followed by a
short composition task on creating their own musical cliché to perform on
keyboards. |