Fingering and articulation

Ask learners to play pieces without written fingering but to continue using consistent finger patterns.

Encourage learners to work out fingering for more difficult passages. Ask them to explain and discuss the relative merits of various alternatives.

Using a pattern of rapidly repeated, single notes, demonstrate the use of alternating fingers. Discuss the increased control that results, and provide opportunities for learners to develop confidence with this technique.

Ask learners to play a wide range of major, minor, chromatic, modal and blues scales, ensuring they use appropriate fingerings and a range of articulations and dynamics. Where possible, choose repertoire that uses the scales learnt.

Introduce scales with thirds and sixths in one hand.

Extend learners’ range of arpeggios, including added sixths and all sevenths. Make links between the fingering of these and left-hand chords.

Ask learners to play exercises and pieces with a wide range of hand-position changes, jumps and octave stretches.

Invite learners to suggest where finger substitutions will improve legato phrasing.

Help learners to work out chords on the basis of scales, arpeggios, intervals, etc., consulting chord charts as necessary. Explain the theory behind more unusual chords, e.g. diminished, augmented, suspensions. Encourage learners to work out new chords for themselves, e.g. added sixth.

Play a short chord progression which learners then attempt to copy by ear and/or write down. Play a wide variety of chord types, asking learners to identify them aurally.

Provide chord exercises using full-fingered chords in a variety of keys/modes. Ask learners to play these at a regular pulse, using the auto-accompaniment. Include inversions for their musical effect, having explained that, set correctly, the auto-accompaniments of more advanced keyboards reproduce the inversion played, rather than changing all chords to their root position.

Using a familiar piece, demonstrate the value of using alternative chords, e.g. during a repeated section, for variety and to highlight structural development. Ask learners to experiment with alternative chord progressions within a piece.

Introduce suitable pieces with an independent left-hand part. This could include hand-position changes, jumps and octave stretches (including playing legato in octaves).

Encourage learners to experiment with a variety of articulations within pieces. Ask them to give reasons for their choices in relation to the written music, the character of the piece, tempo, choice of registration, acoustics, etc.

Ask learners to work out phrasing throughout pieces. Ensure that sufficient attention is paid to articulation and dynamic contrasts in their aim to define phrasing and structure. Encourage them to explore alternatives.

Using touch response, help learners to explore the use of rubato and dynamics within a phrase.