Piano/keyboards 2A
Time: 12:15 - 13:45
Location: Keeley Street
Choose a start date
- Course Code: ME290A
- Dates: 21/09/24 - 30/11/24
- Time: 12:15 - 13:45
- Taught: Sat, Daytime
- Duration: 11 sessions (over 11 weeks)
- Location: Keeley Street
- Tutor: Ana Claudia Magalhaes
Course Code: ME290A
Choose a start date
Duration: 11 sessions (over 11 weeks)
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
You need access to a full-sized keyboard or piano for lessons and practice.
This course continues with Piano/keyboards 2B.
What will we cover?
Level 2 course repertoire will work towards an approximate grade 2 standard over the year. The choice of repertoire will be discussed at the first meeting (you will be asked to purchase your own music)
- Technical problems, style and performance skills will be discussed
- There may be some opportunity to play duets and ensemble exercises
- Devise and master technical exercises, harmonise simple melodies, and sight-read
- Developing greater co-ordination between hands, rhythm/pulse and establishing reliable dynamic control
- Chord inversions plus chord VI.
- Scales (over the whole year): C, G, F and D majors and A, E and D minors (harmonic and melodic, one octave hands together, two octaves hands separately).
- Arpeggios in the same keys (1 octave hands separately).
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Play and recognise I, IV and V chords in major and minor keys
- Play 3 major and 1 minor scales and arpeggios 1 octave hands separately
- Play and recognise different forte and piano dynamics
- Play with finger staccato
- Play melodic lines with reliable legato technique
- Play rhythms with quavers
- Play simple tunes hands together with reliable co-ordination and fluency.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
Students need to be able to play a grade 1 standard piece, or have completed ‘Piano/keyboards 1F’, as this course works towards material of an approximate grade 2 standard. You need to be able to follow written and verbal instructions in English and engage in class discussions.
If you need any further advice please take a moment to read our blog: Choosing a piano class at City lit which lists our full sequence of piano classes and you can always contact the music department directly - music@citylit.ac.uk.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Please check carefully whether you are booking an online or an in-person course. Online runs via Zoom; in-person uses the digital piano classroom. All courses use Google Classroom to share materials and messages, including any homework tasks.
You will learn through:
- tutor explanation and demonstration
- group playing and individual demonstration tasks
To make good progress a regular practice routine is essential. We recommend a minimum of 20-30 minutes, 4-5 times per week.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Students should have access to a keyboard or piano for practice between classes plus material, usually one or two printed books (approx. cost £10 each).
To see the repertoire and any required music books you will need to bring to this course please refer to our list as follows: City lit piano repertoire books 2022-2023 [external website]
A notebook and pencil is also useful. Students should have access to a keyboard or piano for practice between classes plus material, usually one or two printed books (approx. cost £10 each). A notebook and pencil are also useful.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
This course leads to ‘Piano/keyboards level 2B’.
Please note: we have multiple courses at different times throughout the week.
You may wish to support your learning through a focus on reading, writing and hearing music and musical patterns. For more details about musicianship and music theory please visit our blog: Musicianship and music theory at City lit which lists our full sequence of musicianship and music theory classes.
Ana Claudia Magalhaes is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She has a degree in Music (main instrument Piano) at the School of Music of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. She also attended for many years, the piano class of Gloria Maria da Fonseca Costa, a former pupil of Alexander Siloti. Gloria Maria was a major influence and inspiration in Ana's piano studies. Ana came to London in 1996, where she took the Post Graduate and MA degree in Music Teaching at the Professional Practice at the University of Reading. She has a passion for teaching, individually and in groups, from beginners to advanced, children and adults and she enjoys adapting her teaching according to the main needs of her students/classes. Although her main Musical Education was Classical, Ana has also developed the ability to improvise and play by ear since her teens when playing in bands with her youth friends and she thinks this freedom was very important for her formation as a musician. Ana plays solo but she also enjoys mainly playing chamber music, accompanied by other people. She has combined teaching and performing since she lived in Brazil.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
