Piano/keyboards 4C
reading, and your confidence. This course has a break week on 3 June 2022
- please buy your own copies of: Piano Mix grades 3-4 [external website] and Pianoforte studies Grade 1 [external website].
This course has now started
Course Code: ME213C
Please choose another course date
Duration: 10 sessions (over 11 weeks)
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Center for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
Consolidate your skills at a grade 3 standard and gain experience by playing in front of others. Achieve greater confidence in hand co-ordination, rhythmical work and a dynamic range. Improve your musicianship, keyboard harmony skills and aural awareness. You will also develop your theoretical knowledge in order to fully understand the pieces you are playing.
You need access to a full-sized keyboard or piano for lessons and practice.
What will we cover?
- Developing dynamic range
- Developing co-ordination skills in a variety of articulations i.e. play one hand legato and one staccato.
- Technique, style and performance skills will be discussed
- Developing a practice routine and strategies for effective practice.
- Course repertoire will be of an approximate grade 3 standard
- Scales: C, G, F, D and A majors and A, E, D and B minors (harmonic and melodic, 2 octaves hands together).
- Arpeggios in the same keys as scales (2 octaves hands separately).
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Perform at least 3 pieces on the piano from the class repertoire
- Be able to use gradual dynamics
- Perform 3 major scales and 3 minor scales from the selection for this level
- Play using staccato in one hand and legato in the other
- Use technical exercises to deal with a number of technical problems.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
Students should have completed a City Lit Piano/keyboard 3 class or its equivalent as this course draws on material of Grade 3 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?
A notebook and pencil are useful for this class and 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).
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
This course typically comprises of three terms spread across the academic year: Piano/keyboards 4A, 4B and 4C; after which you may continue to Piano workshop 3 or 4 depending on your level. You may also wish to repeat the course to gain more experience at the same level. Your tutor will advise you further.
You may also like to support your piano playing with one of our musicianship courses to boost your music-reading and listening skills. For more details please visit our blog: Musicianship and music theory at City lit which lists our full sequence of musicianship and music theory classes.
Chryssa has been a piano tutor at City Lit since 2006 and has extensive teaching experience in adult music education. She enjoys seeing adults in her classes embark on something new or discover an old passion. She also teaches for the piano department at the prestigious Centre for Young Musicians (a division of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama) since 2017. She has performed as a soloist and member of chamber music ensembles in London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Greece and Spain. In 2014 Chryssa and violinist Anna Ovsyanikova were invited to perform at the Cern Institute in Geneva, Switzerland. Chryssa’s training involves a Master’s degree with Commendation from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where she received the Delia Hall Prize for accompanists and a Postgraduate degree in Music Performance from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Her knowledge and strengths in performance are supported by an undergraduate degree in Musicology and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education: Instrumental route from the Institute of Education (University of London). Chryssa also has a Bachelor degree in Communication and Mass Media (University of Athens, Greece).
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.
