Fingering and coordination
- Play in a single five-finger hand position, hands separately
- developing a hand shape incorporating naturally curved fingers
- Play, at a steady pulse, short, simple phrases, hands separately and together
- dividing melodies between the hands
- Play rhythmically when passing from hand to hand
- Play two notes simultaneously with one hand
- Recognise and use finger numbering
- Use appropriate fingering, initially within various single hand positions
Explain and demonstrate finger numbers, using both hands.
Ask learners to draw the outline of hands and invite them to insert the numbers of fingers.
Give learners examples of pairs of fingers for ‘walking’ exercises. Ask them to choose, and name, pairs of fingers for steps/jumps.
Examples might include C-D in different octaves, using 2-3 (right hand) and 3-2 (left hand), or D-F using 2-4 (right hand) and 4-2 (left hand).
Encourage learners to play individual notes within a suitable range, using fingers indicated by the teacher, e.g. ‘Find a black key and play it using the third finger, right hand.’
Ask learners to play within single hand positions, hands separately and then hands together, short, simple phrases.
Use the single hand position with a variety of starting notes, so as to avoid learners thinking that 1 is always the same note.
Gradually extend the range to cover a fifth. Small extensions may be used in order that melodies spanning a sixth can be played.
Ask learners to play two notes simultaneously with one hand, e.g. play the interval of a fifth with 1 and 5. This could then serve as a drone accompaniment.
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