Prodigy Piano Academy Blog

Lesson Summary

Pitch Exploration –
Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do on desk bells. Sabera played the first line of Honeybee
We began singing and memorizing the words to The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Keyboard Geography/Repertoire-
Water Lilies by W. Gillock
Measures 1-5 reviewed
Measures 6 studied
Learning by rote through listening and memorizing patterns.
Twinkle Variations C–  LH
Honeybee – line 1

Floating Balloon/Woodpecker Technique-
Russian School of Piano Playing –
Exercises 1-8 reviewed
Exercises 9, 10 introduced
Singing along using finger numbers 2, 3
RH then LH.

Theory Lesson- PPA worksheet review on the staff — including (treble & bass clef) and also reviewed quarter, half, dotted half & whole note values/recognition. Colored C-D-E using the solfege color-codded system.


Lesson Journal

This morning was full of stories and songs for Sabera. She and her little sister went to the library for storytime, where they listened closely and then acted out parts of the tale together. The two of them giggled and played along, turning the story into their own little adventure.

Afterward, it was time for piano. Even though the lesson was close to her nap and she was feeling a bit sleepy, Sabera’s enthusiasm still shone through. She sat at the piano and played the first line of Honeybee with growing confidence. We also sang The Itsy Bitsy Spider, repeating the words until they started to stick in her memory.

We began with pitch exploration on the desk bells, playing and singing Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do. Sabera played the first line of Honeybee while singing and demonstrated a new understanding of the musical concept of a skip. This shows awareness of melodic movement and pitch relationships.

We then moved into keyboard geography and repertoire. Sabera reviewed measures 1 through 6 of Water Lilies by W. Gillock.
Each day we will review two of the color-coded measures to reinforce steady progress.

This week, our attention was placed more on the left hand, which she carried out with enthusiasm, especially when playing Twinkle Variations C. The rhythm chant “Run Pony! Run Pony!” gave her energy and accuracy. We also transferred line 1 of Honeybee from bells to the piano. She played the RH then the LH, with special focus on developing the habit of glancing at the score while playing— rather than keeping her eyes solely on her hands.

Technique was addressed through the Woodpecker and Floating Balloon exercises from the Russian School of Piano Playing. Sabera reviewed exercises 1 through 9 and was introduced to exercises 10 and 11. These were reinforced by singing along while practicing with fingers 2 and 3 in both right hand and left hand. An enjoyable part of this work was allowing Sabera to take on the role of “teacher” by pointing with a pencil while I played, and then switching roles. This activity helps her listen attentively and builds ownership of her learning process.

We closed with theory review using the PPA worksheet. Sabera identified treble and bass clefs, and we reviewed note values including quarter, half, dotted half, and whole notes. Finger numbers were reinforced, and she completed an activity coloring C–D–E using the solfege color-coded system.