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Lesson 7: Stepping down from middle anchor

You will need a very small toy, or a penny

Instructor: Can you find the middle anchor note on the piano for me? Now pretend your fingers are legs and take a step down. (They should end up on the note directly left of the middle anchor.) This note is a step down from middle anchor.

Turn back to page 6, the staff page: step down, middle anchor

Instructor: Put your toy, or a penny, on the middle line. Now I want to see if you can move your toy between the lines right below the middle line. Put your toy back on the middle anchor, now step down between the lines right below the middle anchor again. Say it with me: middle anchor, step down, middle anchor, step down.

Student: Middle anchor, step down, middle anchor, step down (repeat as necessary).

Instructor: This is what the note will look like in your music (point to the second note on the right). When you see this note, play a step down from middle anchor on the piano (play the note for them).

Have the student say and play middle anchor, step down. Repeat as necessary.

Instructor: Now you are ready to draw your own notes. Draw a circle for a note on middle anchor, and then draw a circle for a note that is a step down from middle anchor. Make sure your step down is between the lines.

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Instructor: Now you are ready to play songs that have these notes in it. I will point to the note you are on while you play it on the piano.

Traffic Jam

Wild Horses

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Lesson 8: Recognizing Step Down by Itself

Review: Where is the middle anchor note on the piano? Can you draw the middle anchor note on the staff? Where is the bottom anchor note on the piano? Can you draw a step down from middle anchor?

Instructor: Sometimes you will see the step down note without the anchor note next to it. It will look like this

(point to note on the right). We can find this note because it is close to the middle anchor. How far is this note from the middle anchor? (one step down) The middle anchor lives on the middle line, and this note is just one step down from the middle anchor. Can you find the middle anchor on the piano and play one step down?

Instructor: Now you are ready to play a song that has the step down note separated from the anchor note. Can you find six examples of the new note in the music below and circle them? I will point to the note we are on while you play.

Dinosaurs

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Lessons 9: Reviewing Step Down From Middle Anchor

Review: Where is the middle anchor note on the piano? Can you draw the middle anchor note on the staff? Where is the bottom anchor note on the piano? Can you draw the bottom anchor note on the staff? Instructor: Now you are going to play a song that reviews the notes we know. I will point to the note we are on.

Dont worry if the music is painfully slow! Remember the rules of sight reading: the student only has to type through the song one time. Its best to play for only 10 minutes (depending on the age and capacity of the student) and then stop for the day. This concept applies to all the songs in the book. From now on, the songs on the page may take more than one day to play through, but start each day with a review. If the student needs more practice with this concept, additional music that corresponds with this lesson can be found at jonschmidt.com. You will find a link to the music in the 67 Fun Songs Primer area on the website.

Little Chicken

Here Comes the Bride Wagner

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Lesson 10: Stepping Down From Bottom Anchor

Instructor: Can you find the bottom anchor note on the piano for me? Now pretend your fingers are legs and take a step down (they should end up on the note directly to the left of the bottom anchor). This note is a step down from the bottom anchor.

Instructor: This is what the note will look like in your music (point to the second note to the right). Notice that when you step down from bottom anchor, you end up below all the lines. When you see this note, play a step down from bottom anchor on the piano (play the note for them and refer to page 6 for the larger staff if necessary).

Have the student say and play bottom anchor, step down, while you point to the notes above on the right.

Instructor: Now its time to play a song that has a step down from the bottom anchor. These notes jump around on the piano, so your right hand will have to jump around too. Can you find and circle six examples of our new note in the music below?

Train Ride

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Lesson 11: Recognizing the Step Down From Bottom Anchor by Itself

Review these concepts: Where is the middle anchor note on the piano? Can you draw both anchor notes on the staff? Where is the bottom anchor note on the piano? Can you draw a step down from bottom anchor? Instructor: You will often see the step down note without the bottom anchor. It will look like this (point to the lower staff on the right):

Instructor: Notice that this note is below all the lines. We can find this note because it is close to the bottom anchor. How far is it from the bottom anchor? The bottom anchor lives on the bottom line, and this note is just one step down from it. Can you find the bottom anchor on the piano and play one step down from it?

Daisy

Falling Leaves (The student can hold the right foot pedal down for the whole song)

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Lesson 12: Review Stepping Down From Bottom Anchor

Review these concepts: Where is the middle anchor note on the piano? Can you draw both anchor notes on the staff? Where is the bottom anchor note on the piano? Can you draw a step down from bottom anchor? Instructor: Now you are going to play a song that reviews the notes you know. I will point to the note we are on.

Note to instructor: If the student needs more practice with this concept, additional music that corresponds with this lesson can be found at jonschmidt.com. You will find a link to the music in the 67 Fun Songs Primer area on the website.

Twinkle Sprinkle, Little Car

The Stegosaurus