Mills Brothers

Happy to see you back from the summer break! Will read your posts and comment at the same time!

jamesmillsia wrote: Here's an update from my .txt document that I keep during the boys' lessons. You'll find a date and time stamp along with any scores. As you can see, we are into week 10 of the plan. Now that school has started, it is a bit easier to get at least one lesson done each week. The most recent results for Noah, who turned 9 in August are here. I'll copy and paste Lucas's next.

James, I have 2 good news for you:
- we are now all going to move to academic platform and your curriculum will be customized and tailored

- we are going to have most favorite Christian hymns very soon for children to learn. Don't ask me, when, but I think, it will be within a month.

7:47 PM 9/16/2013 - Week 10
Three Sisters - taught, but couldn't find video... not sure what to do
French song - p1 - 46/48, time of 2!!! (video)
JIngle Bells - p1 - 72/77, time of 14 (video)

4:47 PM 9/3/2013 - Week 9
Chromatic scales with right and left hand needed review. OK so far.
French song - p1 - 46/48, time of 10... 46/48, time of 9
Jingle Bells - p1 - 64/77, time of 28, p1 - 65/77, time of 29, p1 - 71/77, time of 15! p3- 68/77, time of 25.... p5 - 62/77, time of 31

We have divided the piano technique and coordination development and sight-reading at the beginning stages. Don't try to do both tasks - it is effecting muscles (like driving in fog).
For sight-reading better to use more simple levels and play the pieces on R2, L2 and P2 'till the bold connections between lines and spaces and piano keys won't be embedded

8:04 PM 8/28/2013 - Week 8
Note Alphabet School - 5 minutes - 217
Chromatic - lh - slowly first is best - can go quickly up and down!
French song - rh - perfect on 3rd try... lh - 20/20, time of 3... p1 - 48/48, time of 8...p6 - 40/48, time of 29... p3, 48/48, time of 7...p5 - 42/48, time of 11...
Jingle Bells - rh - 40/45, time of 11...lh - 28/32, time 10...65/77, time of 31

It seemed to me like you need a challenge. I will think of new repertoire for you for this semester.

7:32 PM 8/19/2013
Noah can play the Hanon #1 with both hands both up and down an octave!
Note Alphabet School - 5 minutes - 228+10 = 238
Very first chromatic with right hand two octaves in 50 seconds!

It is very good. Time to work with the metronome to make all the notes of the exercise even and professionally produced.

French song - p1 - 43/48, time of 10... p3 - 42/48, time 21... some confusion with three notes versus four notes in a measure - taught quarter and half notes... p1 - 47/48, time of 15 when focues and slow.
Jingle Bells - rh - 40/45 time of 15.. lh - 28/32, time of 13... lh - 29/32, time of 9!

We have TEACHING VIDEOS section here: softmozart.com/forum/55-teaching-videos.html

Please, find there and Three sisters (in exercises section) and Introductory songs to practice with metronome and without. Soon enough we will have theory with puppets explaining staff, but hand on experience goes first!

7:56 PM 8/1/2013
Note Alphabet School - 5 minutes - 221+30 = 251
Hanon #1 - both hands at the same time - even better than before going up confidently, going down OK...
Hot Cross Buns - p1 - 35/37, time of 5, p1 - 36/37, time of 4...
French song - rh - 27/28, time of 7...28/28, time of 6... lh - 20/20, time of 4... p1 - 47/48, time of 13... p1 - trying to go too fast - 40/48, time of 16... p1- 44/48, time of 15...

Introductory songs way too easy. Time to move on.

8:01 PM 7/30/2013
Note Alphabet School - 5 minutes - 149 + 12 = 161
Hanon #1 - both hands imrpoving well! nice andloud and slow but accurate!
Hot Cross Buns is awesome! He has it memorized and can play pretty well with a beat!
French song - rh - 23/28, time of 11... rh - 23/28,, imemeof 7...rh 26/28, time of 10... l 19/20, timimeof3~... lh - 20/20, time of 3. p - 46/48, time of 23.. p - 44/48, time of 15!

I like the scores of the games! Way to go!

7:59 PM 7/25/2013
Note Alphabet school - 5 minutes - 163+24= 187
Guess Key School - 5 minutes - 116+5= 121
Hot Cross Buns - p5 - 35/37, time of 7... p6 - 29/37, time of 57... p6 - 37/37, time of 20
French song - rh - 23/28, time of 15... rh -23/28, time of 13... lh- 18/20, time of 2... lh - 17/20, time of 3... p - 43/48, time of 24... p - 46/48, time fo 19

8:12 PM 7/16/2013
Note Alpabet Game - 5 minutes - 115+6=121
Guess Key School - 5 minutes - 116+3= 119
Hot Cross Buns - rh - 14/15, time of 5 - going too fast, rh - 15/15 time of 2!...lh - 19/22, time of 10... lh- 21/22 time of 2... p - 32/37 time of 12... p - 33/37 time of 7... p - 35/37 time of 6 - best ever

Did you hide notes? For that you have to press RH (H for hide), LH or PH

8:07 PM 7/10/2013

Note Alphabet game - 5 minutes exactly - 161+18= 179
Guess Key School - 5 minutes exacly - 118+16=134
Hot Cross Buns - p (both hands) - 35/37, time of 18... 35/37, time of 8!

8:58 PM 7/2/2013

Note Alphabet game - 5 minute(about) - 120 and 3:12 time...
Guess Key School, five minutes exactly! 113 + 0 = 113, time of 1:10
Hot Cross Buns: rh - 25/26, time of 4... rh 24/26, time of 8 (fingernails going onto other keys)... lf - 16/16 time of 3... 14/16, time of 2... p1 - 37/42, time of 33... p1 - 40/42, time of 11!!!

8:23 PM 6/26/2013

Guess Key school, 5 minutes - 81+1 = 82, 1:25
hOT cROSS bUNS, LH - 16/16, TIME OF 2!... 16/16, TIME OF 1!
rh - 24/26, time of 5... 25/26, time of 7...26/26, time of 7

My congratulations! Progress is great!

jamesmillsia wrote: Here's Lucas's log. He is 7 years old.

7:18 PM 9/15/2013 Week 9 (again to finish!)
Chromatic rh and lh, up and down... faster!
French song - p1 47/48, time of 14... p3 - 43/48, time of 17... p5 - 45/48, time of 12!!!
Jingle bells - rh1 - 40/45, time of 18... lh1 - 32/32, time of 7... p1 - 66/77, time of 41... p1 - 67/77, time of 42...p1 - 73/77, time of 25

7:29 PM 9/5/2013 Week 9
Chromatic rh top to middle, lh, middle to bottom, then reverse... slow and steady!
French song - p1 - 38/48, time of 28... p1 - 44/48, time of 14 (better after going slower for accuracy)...

He is a fast learner too! p1 - 38/48, time of 28... p1 - 44/48

7:59 PM 8/29/2013
Chronmatic - rh - good, lh -can go up and down on first try!
Note Alphabet school - 5 minutes - 279 + 45 = 324!!!
French Song - rh - 26/28, time of 10... lh - 20/20, time of 3... p - 43/48, time of 20, p2 - 41/48, time of 27, p3 - 42/48, time of 22, p5 - 44/48, time of 21, p6 - 41/48, time of 39
Jingle Bells - rh - 42/45, time of 16... lh - 30/32 time of 11... p1 - 72/77, time of 32!

8:03 PM 8/20/2013
chromatic rh - 50 seconds two octaves
Note Alphabet school - 5 minutes - 275+39 = 314!!!
French song - rh- 24/28, time of 11... lh - 20/20, time of 4... p1 - 43/48, time of 21... p3 - 40/48, time of 17... p5 - 40/48, time of 27
Jingle bells - rh - 34/45, time of 26... rh - 43/45, time of 19... lh - 28/32, time of 14... lh - 31/32, time of 10!

8:32 PM 7/31/2013
Note Alphabet School - 5 minutes - 275+24=299 points!
Hanon #1 - struggles with both hands going down, but stayed determined.

Yes! I usually tell my student that we make a step towards *** (whatever on the left in the house

Hot Cross Buns - p1 - 34/37, time of 21... p1 - 37/37, time of 9!!!
French song - r1 - 27/28, time of 15 - good singing!, r1 - 26/28, time of 11. l1- 20/20, time of 2!!!... p1 - 43/48, time of 25...45/48, time of 14

7:55 PM 7/29/2013
Note Alphabet school - 5 minutes - 263+15 = 278!
Hanon #1 - right hand nearly perfect! (up and down). left hand - a little slower and lighter, but good concentrations. Both hands at same time - very tough, can do it very slowly with much concentration!

He needs to match pictures Door with Door or C with C. It helps.

Hot Cross Buns - practice right and left hands until perfect, p1 - 35/37, time of 15. 34/37, time of 21.. p5 - 36/37, time of 17... p6 - 35/37, time of 29
French song - r1 - 26/28, time of 16, 26/28, time of 14... l1 - 20/20, time of 3 - only anticiaptes too quickly, sounds good to me, though!

7:53 PM 7/18/2013
Note Alphabet school - 5 minutes - 275 points!
Hot Cross Buns - p - 36/37, time of 28... 34/37, time of 24... 37/37, time 23... p6 - 37/37 time of 33
French Song - rh - 23/28, time of 27... lh - 19/20, time of 6!... rh - 25/28, time of 18... lh - 20/20, time of 5!!!

Again, us the feature to hide notes (H). When you have such wonderful results there are ways for more challenge:
1. Sing the notes Solfeggio
2. Hide the notes
3. Play together with TEACHING VIDEOS with Metronome
4. Play together with TEACHING VIDEOS artistically

8:10 PM 7/14/2013
Note alphabet school - 5 minutes... 231+27 = 258 points!
Guess Key school - 5 minutes... 113+5= 118 points
Hot Cross Buns... rh - 15/15, time of 5... lh -22/22, time of 21... lh - 20/22, time of 14... p - 35/37, time of 29... p - 32/37, time of 37... p - 34/37, time of 27

8:10 PM 7/3/2013
Note alphabet school - 5 minutes... 140+20=160 - very good first time!!!

Agree!

Guess Key School - 80+12 = 92
Hot coss Buns - rh - 24/26, time of 7.... rh (w/ singing!) - 26/26 with time of 3... lh - 16/16 with time of 4... lh - 16/16 time of 3... p1 - 36/42, time of 32! ... 39/43, time unknown (made up scores but recorded on video)

8:06 PM 7/1/2013

guess key school - 56 minutes (more accuarate) 129+16=145

Guess key better to play for less time (2-3 min) but more often. This game is doing magic for developing perfect pitch and learning the piano keys, BUT... it is like food - has to be taken in small portions more often.

hot cross buns - rh 25 of 26, time 11... rh 26/26, time 12... lh - 16/16, time of 2.... lh - 16/16 time of 3
was able to do the five fingers exercise nice and slowly with both hands! I thought he'd be a stronger singer, but his voice was very quiet.

8:23 PM 6/25/2013
Guess Key School - 5 minutes - 130+17= 147!

Not bad... I would cut the time for Guess Key and keep it this way (stop the game for instance in 3 minutes) and try to grow the points.

James, you have touch sensitive feature on your keyboard?

Noah is very good!

Now it is time to polish: softmozart.com/forum/55-teaching-videos/...roductory-songs.html

Great! Sing Solfeggio!