Hi piano players and parents!
Welcome to the start of a relationship that can last a lifetime! Not with me... but with the piano. It is an instrument of infinite expressive and creative possibilities!
My course is designed to lead you to mastery of fundamentals. A solid foundation will allow the student to grow into any area of music-making that they are drawn to. Take your time to build this foundation, enjoying the songs along the way and the limitless benefits later.
In conjunction with these lessons, I use My First Piano Adventure Book A with Online Audio, by Nancy Faber, published by HAL LEONARD. This is available on Amazon, and through many other piano materials websites. There are fun songs that help students master the fundamental skills presented in this course. I highly recommend having students master the songs to the level of being able to play with the online audio accompaniment. Very fun and satisfying (though possibly frustrating while learning...push through!).
The FunKey Fingers exercises will soon be available in a book, through Amazon. Stay tuned! Let’s get started!
READY-SET-GO
This level is for the absolute beginner AND the student who has some gaps in their foundation. There are 5 sections, each focusing on a particular area. Here are some suggestions with how to proceed through the sections:
Typical FIRST lesson:
ABCDEFG up the keyboard Bunny and Bears
Hot Cross Buns
Finger numbers
Second lesson:
Finding C and F
Getting higher
Getting lower
Sitting like a piano player Big Ben
Third lesson:
Finding CDE
Stepping up and down FunKey Fingers #1
Big Ben on the white keys
Once the student is comfortable finding their way around the keyboard, knows their finger numbers, and has played a couple of songs, go ahead and progress through the sections according to what is interesting to the student (some students get really into FunKey Finger and want to do them all right away, etc.) Be sure to REVIEW previous material frequently to acquire Mastery and Deep Knowledge. Besides, children love to do what they know.
The final accomplishment will be to play Twinkle Twinkle beautifully, with the appropriate fingering.
Good luck!
With a song in my heart,
Kathryn Imani
Books Used In This Course
FUNKEY FINGERS: PIANO FINGERCIZES FOR ALL AGES
A book of finger patterns for beginning pianists, FunKey Fingers can be used by anyone to build coordination and basic keyboard pattern fluidity. These patterns can be played on any grouping of white or black keys to facilitate the exploration of keyboard modalities. Students can learn these without being able to read music.
These basic keyboard finger patterns for the beginning piano student, facilitate finger coordination and exploration of keyboard sounds.
21 Videos
Total Course Length
1 hour and 2 minutes
Instructor
Kathryn Imani
A. GET TO KNOW THE KEYBOARD
Learn the name of all of the white keys, and use the 2 black and 3 black key pattern to help you locate the keys!
Duration: 3:36
Learn how to find C on the Piano.
Duration: 3:47
Learn how to find F on the Piano.
Duration: 2:09
Learn how to find C, D, and E on the Piano.
Duration: 2:07
Learn how to find F, G, A, and B on the Piano.
Duration: 2:15
Learn the sounds of the keyboard. The notes get lower to the left, and higher to the right!
Duration: 2:33
What does it mean to step up and down the white keys? Let’s take a look!
Duration: 1:11
Let’s learn how to skip on the piano!
Duration: 1:43
B. GET YOUR BODY AND FINGERS READY
Let’s learn the right way to sit to help us play faster, and easier!
Duration: 3:47
Did you know there are numbers for our fingers? Let’s get to know our fingers!
Duration: 2:07
Learn how to play Funkey Fingers Exercise #2, “Playing on the Stairs”.
Duration: 3:01
Learn how to play Funkey Fingers Exercise #3, “Reaching for the Stars”.
Duration: 3:21
Learn how to play Funkey Fingers Exercise #4, “Marshmallow Pie”.
Duration: 3:50
Learn how to play Funkey Fingers Exercise #5, “Skipping”.
Duration: 4:20
Learn how to play Funkey Fingers Exercise #6, “Fun Finger Trick”.
Duration: 3:47
Learn how to play Funkey Fingers Exercise #7. This is where we learn the 5 finger pattern!
Duration: 3:24
C. Playing our first songs
Let’s learn our first song! We’ll be learning Hot Cross Buns, and it’s all played on the black keys.
Duration: 3:49
Now let’s play Hot Cross Bun on the White Keys!
Duration: 2:27
Let’s learn how to play Big Ben. In this lesson we also learn about the sustain pedal!
Duration: 4:10
Let’s Learn how to play Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater.
Duration: 4:43
