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Piano Roadmap

ROADMAP​

ABRSM Track​

ABRSM offers graded exams from Initial Grade to Grade 8, along with diplomas for advanced musicians. Known for its diverse and regularly updated repertoire, ABRSM supports students with extensive teacher resources and is globally acknowledged for its high standards in music education.

References

Pop Track​

LEVEL 1

Goals:

  • Kickstart your piano journey

Skills:

  • Familiarization with Piano
    • Understand the basic structure and function of the piano.

Songs:

  • Happy Birthday

LEVEL 2

  • Goals:
    • Learn proper sitting posture and correct hand placement on the keyboard.
    • Memorize basic chords like C major and A minor.
  • Techniques:
    • Left hand plays a basic note (like C), while the right hand plays a simple chord (C-E-G for C major).
    • Practice counting beats and playing in time.
  • Examples:
    • C major chord: Left hand plays C, right hand plays C, E, G.
    • A minor chord: Left hand plays A, right hand plays A, C, E.
  • Suitable for:
    • People who primarily want to sing, with the piano just for accompaniment.

LEVEL 3

  • Goals:
    • Learn more complete chords with both the left and right hands.
    • Play multiple chords faster within a single musical phrase.
  • Techniques:
    • Use the pedal to create continuous and smooth sound.
    • Learn arpeggios and ending techniques like led ring.
  • Examples:
    • Play the C major chord in the 1-5-8 pattern (C-G-C) with the left hand and 1-3-5-8 (C-E-G-C) with the right hand.
    • Arpeggio for C major: Right hand continuously plays C, E, G, C.
  • Suitable for:
    • People who want to focus more on playing the piano, creating fuller and more refined sound.

LEVEL 4

  • Goals:
    • Express emotion through piano, changing dynamics when pressing the keys.
    • Play more colorful chords, such as Em7, Fmaj7, Fsus2.
  • Techniques:
    • Learn to change dynamics to create emotion.
    • Use improvised intros and outros to complete the song.
    • Practice pedal use and minor techniques like arpeggios and led rings.
  • Examples:
    • Play the song "Chiều Hôm Ấy" by Jaykii: Use many chords and change pedal to create emotion.
    • Em7 chord: Left hand plays E, right hand plays E, G, B, D.
  • Suitable for:
    • People who want to express emotion through piano and enrich the song.

LEVEL 5

  • Goals:
    • Learn detailed music theory and rhythm, understanding the concepts of quarter notes, eighth notes, half notes, whole notes, dotted notes, duplets, triplets, and rests.
    • Learn notation to accurately play melodies.
  • Techniques:
    • Combine left and right hands when playing solo.
    • Use pentatonic and diatonic scales for intros and transitions.
  • Examples:
    • Play the song "Vết Mưa" by Vũ Cát Tường: Learn notation and rhythm to play the song accurately.
    • Pentatonic scale: Play the notes C, D, E, G, A to create a melody.
  • Suitable for:
    • People who want to improve their piano skills, clearly express emotion and detail in each note.

LEVEL 6

  • Goals:
    • Integrate all the knowledge learned and further enhance techniques.
    • Learn fill-ins and advanced finger techniques.
  • Techniques:
    • Learn chord transitions and fill-ins to make the song smoother.
    • Create new songs using the knowledge learned.
  • Examples:
    • Play jazz music: Use colorful chords like Cmaj7, Dm7, G7 and chord transition techniques.
    • Play blues music: Use the blues scale and advanced finger techniques.
  • Suitable for:
    • People who want to play professionally or focus on specific genres (jazz, blues, classical).

References​

TRAINING PROGRAM​

Daily Practice Program​

Overview: This practice program is designed for self-learners, teachers seeking a structured teaching framework, and parents interested in understanding their children's music education. The program emphasizes regular practice, personal effort, and the development of technical skills.

Warm-Up (10 minutes)

  • Finger Warm-up: Start with exercises to warm up the fingers, making them more flexible and durable for playing difficult and long pieces.

Rhythm and Music Theory (20 minutes)

  • Rhythm Practice: Focus on understanding and practicing rhythm, a crucial element for mastering varying lengths of sound.
  • Music Theory: Learn necessary skills for intelligent music practice, including recognizing different rhythmic patterns and theoretical concepts.
  • Ear Training: Develop ear training by recognizing and singing major and minor chords, bass notes, and melodic patterns.

Technical Practice (15 minutes)

  • Scales: Practice major, melodic minor, harmonic minor, and natural minor scales to build dexterity, finger strength, and familiarity with different keys.
  • Solid and Broken Triads: Work on solid and broken triads to improve cording, inversion skills, and dexterity for different musical passages.
  • Arpeggios: Focus on passing the thumb under and keeping the hand relaxed to build strength and dexterity.
  • Chord Progressions: Practice common progressions (e.g., 1-4-1-5-1) in different keys to enhance accompaniment skills and ear training.

Main Piece Practice (15 minutes)

  • Piece Practice: Focus on playing and refining pieces that the student enjoys and is working on.
  • Musical Style Development: Use this time to express personality and develop a unique musical style through interpretation and expression in the chosen pieces.

Conclusion: Regular practice and personal effort are essential for success in learning piano. Following this structured approach can help students build technical skills and develop their unique musical expression.

How To Practice a Piece​

  • Do Not Play Wrong Notes: Prioritize accuracy in every practice session. Avoid playing incorrect notes to develop correct muscle memory, which is crucial for mastering the piece. Playing the right notes from the start helps establish a solid foundation for your progress.
  • Break into Small Sections: Divide the piece into small, manageable sections, such as a few measures or even just one. Focusing on these smaller parts allows you to address specific challenges and master each section thoroughly before moving on to the next. This approach helps in maintaining attention to detail and ensures steady improvement.
  • Slow and Steady Practice: Begin at a slower tempo to focus on playing the correct notes. This slower pace helps you understand the necessary hand movements and coordination without the pressure of rhythm. By practicing slowly, you can carefully observe and correct finger placement, transitions, and dynamics.
  • Repetition for Mastery: To reinforce proper muscle memory, repeat each small section correctly at least seven times in a row. If a mistake occurs, start the section over to ensure you're consistently practicing the correct notes and movements. This repetition builds confidence and ensures that the correct habits become ingrained.

By adhering to these detailed practice guidelines, you can effectively learn and master piano pieces. Focusing on accuracy, breaking down the piece, starting with a slow tempo, and reinforcing correct muscle memory will lead to more precise and confident playing.

References

Self Taught Program​

PIANO CERTIFICATES​

Piano certificates provide structured milestones for musicians to achieve and demonstrate their proficiency at various levels. These certifications help students set goals, receive feedback, and gain recognition for their skills.

  • RCM (Royal Conservatory of Music) Certificate, The RCM certification program includes practical and comprehensive exams, covering performance and theory from Preparatory levels to Level 10 and ARCT diplomas. This program is globally recognized for its rigorous standards and detailed examiner feedback, motivating continuous improvement and providing academic credits and awards. ﹙❞﹚﹙❞﹚
  • ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) Certificate, ABRSM offers graded exams from Initial Grade to Grade 8, along with diplomas for advanced musicians. Known for its diverse and regularly updated repertoire, ABRSM supports students with extensive teacher resources and is globally acknowledged for its high standards in music education. ﹙❞﹚

EAR TRAINING​

Ear training is the process of developing the ability to recognize and identify musical elements by ear. It is an essential skill for musicians, allowing them to understand and interpret music more deeply, as well as improving their improvisation and composition abilities. Ear training involves various exercises that focus on different aspects of music, such as intervals, chords, rhythms, and melodies.

Key Components of Ear Training

  • Intervals: Understanding the distance between two notes, known as an interval, is fundamental. Practice identifying both ascending and descending intervals by ear, such as major thirds, perfect fifths, and minor sevenths.
  • Chords: Recognizing chord types and qualities (major, minor, diminished, augmented, etc.) is crucial. Start with simple triads and gradually move to more complex chords like sevenths and extended chords.
  • Rhythms: Develop the ability to identify and reproduce rhythmic patterns. This includes recognizing different note values, rests, and time signatures. Clap along with recordings or use a metronome to practice rhythm exercises.
  • Melodies: Practice transcribing melodies by ear. Start with simple, familiar tunes and gradually move to more complex pieces. This helps in understanding melodic contours and phrasing.
  • Harmonic Progressions: Train your ear to recognize common chord progressions. This skill is particularly useful for playing by ear and improvisation. Practice identifying progressions in different musical styles.

SIGHT READING​

Sight reading is the skill of playing or singing a piece of music for the first time by reading the musical notation. This ability is crucial for musicians, as it allows them to quickly learn new pieces, participate in ensembles, and improve overall musical literacy. Sight reading requires a combination of technical proficiency, a strong understanding of musical notation, and the ability to anticipate and interpret the music.

Key Components of Sight Reading

  • Reading Notation: A strong grasp of musical symbols, including notes, rests, dynamics, articulations, and key signatures, is essential. Musicians must be able to quickly identify these elements and understand their implications for performance.
  • Rhythmic Accuracy: Developing the ability to accurately interpret and perform rhythms at sight is critical. This includes reading various note values, understanding syncopation, and maintaining a steady tempo. Using a metronome can help practice keeping time while reading new music.
  • Pitch Recognition: Being able to identify and produce the correct pitches is vital. This involves recognizing the notes on the staff, understanding clefs, and being comfortable with different key signatures. For instrumentalists, this also means knowing fingerings or positions, while vocalists must be able to pitch accurately.
  • Sight Singing: For vocalists, sight singing is an essential skill. It involves reading and singing a melody accurately at first sight. This skill can be developed through solfège (do-re-mi) practice and regular exposure to new melodies.
  • Musical Context: Understanding the style and context of the piece being read is important for accurate interpretation. This includes recognizing the genre, era, and any expressive markings that indicate the character of the music.
  • Fluency and Flow: Developing fluency in sight reading means being able to play through a piece without stopping, even when mistakes are made. It's important to keep the music flowing and not get bogged down by small errors.

Regular practice and exposure to a wide variety of musical styles and notations can significantly improve sight reading skills. Musicians can also use sight reading exercises and method books to gradually increase their proficiency.

References

PIANO LEVELS​

LevelPlaying AbilityNotation Reading Ability
NoviceI can play a simple melodyI just started learning to read music
BeginnerI can play a few easy piecesI can slowly read melodies
IntermediateI have a good repertoire of pieces in a variety of stylesI can learn a piece quickly
AdvancedI am confident in my technique and can play almost any pieceI can sight-read difficult pieces
ExpertI could play in a professional ensembleI can sight-read almost any piece