Coordination and rhythmic awareness
- Play with a secure pulse:
- short pieces coordinating and integrating a simple right-hand melody and left-hand single-finger chords
- keeping time with a simple auto-accompaniment, e.g. eight-beat
- listening to and controlling the balance between melody and accompaniment
Ask learners to play a piece (in turn) with both right-hand melody and left-hand chords. While one learner plays, another can help the player’s visual focus by following the notation with a pencil.
For instruments with touch response, it may be necessary to disengage this function so as to achieve an appropriate balance between melody and auto-accompaniment.
Repeat this with auto-accompaniment engaged. Teachers and learners can help the player by clapping time, singing, counting aloud or playing the melody together in unison.
Demonstrate the importance of achieving a satisfactory balance between melody and accompaniment. Show learners how to use appropriate registration settings and devices to help where appropriate, e.g. reducing the auto-accompaniment volume.
These activities are most useful when learners bring their own keyboards to the lesson rather than using school instruments.
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