What The Students Learn

Key~Skills Music

Student Work Programmes

** All students’ studies include:
- Correct fingering techniques
- Correct posture
- Musical theory
- Scales: separate hands & hands together in both contrary & similar motion
- Note reading in bass and treble clefs
- Associated Board of the Royal School of Music or other Graded work as required
- Both piano & keyboard playing techniques
- Playing with automatic rhythms & chords
- Elements of music technology
- Playing by ear - i.e. playing with both hands without music
- Use of chords in rhythmic styles including broken & arpeggio
- Chord construction techniques
- Musical styles e.g. Classical, Blues, Rock, Pop, Jazz, Cowboy, Chinese etc
- Instrumental styles e.g. Piano, Guitar, Violin, Bagpipes, Harmonica etc
- Introduction, fill in and ending techniques
- Improvisation
- Composition
- Performance skills including concerts

** Musical pieces & exercises are generally provided as part of the lesson fees. However, students can also bring their own pieces if they wish

** Free advice is provided on the purchase of suitable instruments & music

** During each lesson, pieces & exercises being worked on or completed are digitally recorded & dated. These recordings are saved in the student’s personal file & are available at any time to the student or family

** After each lesson, students receive a slip reminding them what to work on during the coming week

** A register of lessons attended & their dates is also maintained

** A combination of the digital recordings & lessons register enables students & their families to compare effort & progress with their investment in the lessons


Teaching Philosophy
* Making music should be fun
* It is more my responsibility to teach than the student’s responsibility to learn



© Richard Hannam, Key~Skills Music™ October 2006 Amended November 2007