A little info about theory and technique……

This next year, I plan to focus on technique and music theory during the fall semester, so we are adding some new books and resources for everyone.

THEORY - I will spend at least the first third of the lesson on technique and theory, so all students need to complete their theory assignments during the week, so that we don’t have to spend the lesson time on doing theory. I hope that this new theory program will be a little more fun to do, and therefore a little easier to have the students complete at home!

MUSICTHEORY.NET - During the summer would be a great time for students to get back into doing lessons and exercises on musictheory.net. Most students have completed exercises on this site, but the lessons are also very good, and can give them a head start for the theory we will be doing during group lessons. Combined with the exercises, this website is an invaluable tool for learning music theory. There are Identification exercises as well as Construction exercises to work on for many concepts. Settings for the exercises are very important, so make sure to adjust them. If you need my help, please reach out. I can always share with you what I think your student’s settings should be.

TECHNIQUE - Along with music theory, there is nothing more important to learning the piano than technique exercises. I start all my students out with 5-Finger Patterns, which you can find in the Technique Folder in the Resources section of the website. Even my youngest students can practice white key 5 finger patterns. I recommend at least 3-5 minutes a day of technique exercises at the beginning of every practice session. The technique exercises are also a great way to get them back into playing again after long vacations and lazy summer days!