5 - 7 year old beginners
The Junior Piano Series features multiple learning layers, wonderful music and the lovable Onkie characters.
Key Elements
- Backing Tracks – outstanding arrangements that provide authentic aural models
- Finger Zips – micro pieces that develop essential keyboard skills
- Whole Pattern Learning – promotes an ease of learning that is accurate, highly musical and efficient
- Rhythm Development – through movement, body percussion, speech patterns, lyrics and much more
- Keyboard Harmony – standard chord progressions, transposing and improvising
- Ensemble Playing – part-playing skills, group interaction and team playing
- Flash Cards – enhance reading skills and reinforce theory concepts
- Songs – foundation movement activities, musical expression and enjoyment
- Solfa/Solfege Singing – builds an aural library of melodic patterns
- By-Ear Playing – connecting keyboard playing with aural perception
- Repertoire Pieces – solo performance pieces
- Extension Activities – promote creativity and expand musical understanding
Our holistic course develops a broad range of musical skills that extend well beyond playing the piano or keyboard.
Children play their instrument hands together from the first lesson. They sing along with the music, participate in story telling and games, play percussion instruments, and engage with the music through gestures and movement activities. Flash cards ensure that music literacy is developed from day one.
Encore’s unique whole-pattern methodology is utilised throughout this series. It promotes faster, more accurate learning and encourages students to feel and think in musical units. This ensures that children develop musical intelligence as early as possible.
The multi layered approach of the Junior Piano Series supports all learning styles. It builds confidence in children because every aspect of learning the piano is purposeful, stimulating and engaging.
Curriculum
The Junior Piano Series features a progressive curriculum with a strong rhythmic foundation. This allows students to quickly acquire an appreciation of the style, phrasing and key rhythmic units in the earliest stages of learning a new piece.
Gross motor and fundamental physical coordination skills are developed through body percussion and Dalcroze-inspired movement activities. Finer motor skills and piano specific techniques are rehearsed on Encore Keyboard Mats before they are transferred onto the piano. This sequence is usually achieved within the same lesson.
Technical foundation skills are integrated throughout the series. This starts with good posture and physical balance. Playing hands together begins in the first lesson, with each new piece adding another layer of musical and technical complexity.
Essential keyboard harmony skills underpin the entire series and promote musical versatility. By the end of the series, students are able to play in different keys, transpose at the piano, play basic chord progressions, read notation, play by ear and perform with confidence.
Students who successfully complete the Junior Piano Series advance to the Achiever Piano Series.
