In Stage C, students:
- begin to move beyond a five finger position up to stretches of one octave in one hand.
- play in 2 fixed five finger positions within a single piece
- play with both hands in the treble clef
- play with both hands in the bass clef
- play chords that have two simple voices in one hand (e.g. a semibreve against two crotchets).
Students should also experience pieces where the hands change clef.
Activities
- Introduce a one octave scale and/or arpeggio in C major to give students the opportunity to experience playing something that has larger range than a fifth, but can be learned without the notes on the page.
- When the student is ready introduce the notes as well so they can see what a scale/arpeggio pattern looks like. Look out for scale/arpeggio fragments in the student’s pieces and encourage the student to spot them.
- Many tutor books will expand the range of notes carefully, but remember to look out for other repertoire as well in order to give the student a broad experience.
- Don’t be afraid to give the student something more challenging if you feel it is appropriate. For example, some students may develop a very sound understanding of the stave and simultaneously get a good grasp of keyboard geography. These students may benefit from a greater challenge.
piano TRACKS Project 