Introducing: The Keyboard!

Introducing: The Keyboard! is a skills-based course aimed at encouraging students to appreciate music as an art form through learning to perform music on the keyboard.

Available as a student workbook and teacher’s guide, Introducing: The Keyboard! is sure to help organise your junior music classes!

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Introducing: The Keyboard! has been designed to meet the mandatory stage 4, NSW Board of Studies, Music Syllabus requirements.

This course presumes no prior knowledge of the keyboard and provides the opportunity for students to develop their understanding of the concepts of music in a step-by-step, logical manner.

This course provides students ample opportunity to explore the integrated learning experiences of performing, composing and listening – with particular emphasis placed on performing. Students will learn to read and interpret musical notation, perform using both hands on the keyboard, compose music and develop their understanding of the concepts of music through carefully organised listening activities.

Introducing: The Keyboard! - Student Workbook

FEATURES

137 pages including manuscript and writing paper.
Divided into 5 progressive units (including an extension unit).
Performance, composition and listening assessment tasks with marking criteria.
Literacy and numeracy activities.
Rocky Rockodile illustrations making the student workbook appealing to younger music students.
Comes with a pull out practice keyboard diagram.
Completion date and teacher citation spaces spread throughout the workbook.
Easy to follow for both teachers and students.

UNIT OVERVIEW

UNIT 1 - THE KEYBOARD: AN INTRODUCTION

Throughout Unit 1, students:
Learn about various keyboard instruments.
Learn about maintaining correct posture whilst playing the keyboard.
Learn to find and play the notes Middle C, D, E, F and G on the keyboard.
Learn to listen to and notate rhythm patterns.
Learn to compose music.
Learn about pitch and the Musical Alphabet.
Develop an understanding of crotchets, minims, semibreves and quavers.

UNIT 2 - THE TREBLE CLEF

Throughout Unit 2, students:

Learn to read and notate pitch on the treble clef.
Learn to play a C Major scale.
Compose music using a treble clef.
Learn about ledger lines.
Learn about literacy through activities using verbs and tense.
Develop an understanding of semibreve rests, minim rests and crotchet rests.
Listen to and notate pitch.

UNIT 3 - THE BASS CLEF

Throughout Unit 3, students:

Learn to read and notate pitch on the bass clef.
Learn to play the notes Low C, D, E, F and G with the left hand.
Learn to compose music using a bass clef.

UNIT 4 - PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Throughout Unit 4, students:

Learn to perform using both hands on the keyboard.
Learn about the Great Staff.
Learn to perform using 2/4 and 3/4 time signatures.
Learn about Whole Bar Rests and Dotted Minims.
Continue developing their listening skills through identifying simple rhythm and pitch patterns.

UNIT 5 - EXTENSION PIECES

Unit 5 ‘Extension Pieces’ is an extension unit that further develops students’ ability to perform using both hands on the keyboard.

Throughout Unit 5, students:

Learn to perform using two or more notes together in one hand.
Learn about the black notes on the keyboard.
Learn to perform the notes F# and Bb.
Learn about staccato, legato and rallentando.

Introducing: The Keyboard! - Teaching Guide

FEATURES

Complete teaching program and register designed to meet the Stage 4, NSW Board of Studies Music Syllabus.
Complete ‘Introducing: The Keyboard! - Student Workbook’ edition with answers.
CD with all performance backing tracks and listening activities.
‘Introducing: The Keyboard!’ course description, rationale and unit overview.
Class list, homework and assessment records template.
All materials contained in a 3 ring binder.
Comes with a pullout keyboard diagram.
Access to online templates, mp3 listening examples and backing tracks.