Learn piano with compassionate guidance informed by UNISA’s holistic approach to instruction.

The Student and Tutor reviewed several piano pieces, focusing on improving timing, accuracy, and smoothness of playing. Chord inversions and the structure of G7 chords were discussed. Homework was assigned to practice "The Saints Go Marching In" and chord inversions.

During a recent piano lesson, Elizabeth worked with Princess Sophia to refine her playing, focusing on finger dexterity, wrist movement, and note duration. Sophia engaged with scales, melodies, and songs such as "Fred the Fish" and "Old McDonald," receiving Elizabeth's feedback on her hand position and timing. For their next steps, "Fred the Fish" on pages 40 and 41 was identified for additional practice.

Elizabeth worked with a learner residing in Sacramento on playing "Let It Snow" on the keyboard. They focused on scales and specific sections of the song that the learner found challenging. Elizabeth recommended practicing tricky sections in small chunks and highlighting similar bars to recognize patterns. The learner was assigned to practice the song, especially the identified measures, for further refinement.

Elizabeth Kahn's recent piano lesson with Arya (Zechariah Sparrow) focused on foundational music reading skills. They explored the stave, whole notes, treble and bass clefs, and middle C. Arya spent time practicing whole notes using both hands and started on a new piece, the 'butterfly song,' specifically chosen to help develop a light touch. Homework for Arya involves practicing 'Let's Play' with both the right and left hands, emphasizing whole notes, and revisiting the ocean animals piece from a different book.

During a recent piano lesson, Elizabeth collaborated with Autumn on her pieces, "At the Crossroads" and "Sweet Caroline." The focus of their work was on refining rhythm, understanding key signatures, and improving technique. Autumn received specific advice to verify a potential sheet music error in "At the Crossroads" with her band teacher and to practice both musical selections diligently with a metronome. They also made an administrative change, agreeing to move to half-hour weekly lessons.

Elizabeth guided Emanuel in his piano lesson, where they focused on pieces such as "I Love Coffee, I Love Tea," which involved black keys from his book, and "Old McDonald." Emanuel dedicated time to coordinating his hands and accurately following note sequences. For his homework, he was assigned "Old McDonald," which he is preparing to perform at school on Thursday.