Piano Fundamentals I

Course Overview

Group Piano Fundamentals is a welcoming course designed for adult beginners with no prior piano experience. In a supportive group setting, students explore the foundational elements of piano playing and music theory, progressing from elementary to intermediate levels. The course incorporates technology such as digital sheet music, interactive apps, music theory games, and ear training tools to create a dynamic and engaging learning experience.

A key component of the course is the use of the Piano Marvel app, a powerful learning platform that enhances practice, progress tracking, and sight-reading development. Piano Marvel provides instant feedback on accuracy and rhythm, structured curriculum levels, video tutorials, and personalized learning paths that align with each student’s goals.

What You’ll Learn

• Healthy Piano Technique (Taubman Approach):
  Develop proper body alignment, hand positioning, coordinated movements, and ergonomic technique for long-term success and injury prevention.
• Basic Music Theory:
  Learn to read music, understand intervals, scales, and chord progressions through traditional instruction, interactive apps, and gamified learning.
• Piano Ensemble:
  Collaborate with fellow students in multi-part pieces, fostering rhythm, listening, and ensemble skills in a fun, community-based format.
• Improvisation:
  Explore basic improvisation techniques to enhance creativity and confidence in self-expression at the keyboard.

Course Topics Include:

• Music Notation: Clefs, notes, durations, and time signatures
• Musical Terms: Essential vocabulary for reading and interpreting music
• Intervals, Pentachords, Triads, and Inversions
• Major Scales and Application in Repertoire
• Chord Progressions: I, IV, V, and vi chords in various keys
• Repertoire: Simple melodies, homophonic textures, block and broken chord accompaniments

Materials Provided:

• Printed and digital sheet music tailored for beginners
• Practice resources including sight-reading and music theory apps
• Access to online video tutorials and supplementary learning tools

Course Levels and Piano Marvel Equivalency

Resources

To get the most out of your Piano Marvel experience, we recommend the following:

• How to create a student account: Watch here
• In-App Tutorials:
  When you open the Piano Marvel app, navigate to the “Videos” section on the top left of the screen. This includes Tour Videos and Set-Up Videos that guide you through the basic features and functionality of the app.
• Piano Marvel YouTube Channel:
  Explore curated playlists to help you navigate the platform effectively:
  • Troubleshooting Playlist – Watch here
  • About Piano Marvel Playlist – Watch here
  • Practice Tools Playlist – Watch here
• Need Help?
  If you’re still having trouble after exploring the videos, Piano Marvel has excellent customer support. Click the arrow next to your name in the top-right corner of the app and select “Support.” From there, you can search for help articles or submit a support ticket. Many users report receiving prompt and even personalized phone support.
• Connecting Your Piano to a Device:
  Need help with MIDI/USB connections? Check out this helpful cable guide:
  List of Cables and Connections

About the SASR Test

The SASR, or Standard Assessment of Sight Reading, is an innovative, data-driven sight-reading test built into Piano Marvel. It features thousands of short sight-reading excerpts across 90 sublevels organized into 18 levels. During the test, the app selects pieces tailored to your current ability—if you play accurately (over 80%), the difficulty increases; if not, it decreases until three setbacks end the test. Your final SASR score ranges from 100 to 1900, with each 100 points equating to a new level (e.g., a score of 300 = Level 3). This test provides objective, non-subjective feedback, helping learners track improvement over time facebook.com+14pianomarvel.com+14standardassessmentofsightreading.com+14.

To learn more, watch the video above that demonstrates how the SASR test works in real time. You can also explore additional tutorials like How To Take the SASR and Common SASR Questions on the Piano Marvel YouTube channel.