Here is what we did in class this week:

• We practiced listening to the difference between the I, IV, V, and V7 chords (red, blue, yellow, and new yellow)

• We reviewed the names for dynamics and the order they go in:
  • pp  pianissimo (very soft)
  • p  piano (soft)
  • mp  mezzo-piano (medium soft)
  • mf  mezzo-forte (medium loud)
  • f  forte (loud)
  • ff  fortissimo (very loud)
  • sfz  sforzando (very loud accented note)

• We learned the key of e minor and learned to do the triads.
  • We use the notes of a HARMONIC scale because the TI leads back to DO better than te does.
  • Here is the solfege we use for our chords (compare with the diagrams below)
    • I Chord = DO-me-SOL
    • IV Chord = DO-FA-le
    • V Chord = TI-RE-SOL (instead of te RE SOL)

• ARPEGGIOS are just playing the I chord broken using both hands

• INVERSIONS are the same as they are in the key of C Major but starting two whole steps farther up. 

• There are no black keys for arpeggios or inversions but they still sound minor.

• We figured out the "relative Major" for e minor is G Major because they both have just one sharp - F♯!
  • G is 3 half steps up from E
  • E is 3 half steps down from G

• We reviewed what we learned about Gustav Mahler and Camille Saint-Saens
  • We got to listen to many parts of the Carnival of the Animals Suite and figure out which animal we were listening to.

This week your child will do the red and purple highlighted assignments at home! Parents need to initial completed assignments this week in order for the kids to get their reward in class!

Be sure your child is practicing their recital piece (primary song) every time they practice. They don't need to play the entire song, but they need to try to make a small section of it perfect. Use those sticker charts I gave you!

Don't forget to please help your child pass off their songs and scales to earn pins! You just need to send me a video of them playing. The scales can be played with or without the back track, but they need to be perfect at least one time with both hands.

I'm getting a lot more scale and song pass-off lately! Keep it up!