Welcome to Melody Piano

When beginning to learn how to sight read, it is understandable that an individual can become overwhelmed and frustrated.  It is just like learning anything else, really.  The reason that it seems so hard is because it is fresh, and new.  If you let yourself become overwhelmed by it, it can easily push you away from it. 

The best way to build your sight reading skills is in the basics.  I think that it is very important to always remember to rely on what you may know already.  I like to think of the grand staff as the "map" of the piano.  When teaching someone to begin sight reading, I start by going over the basics.  Sarting with helping someone understand how the grand staff and the piano correlate directly with each other.  First thing is first,  it is imperitive that you know where the notes on the piano are before you begin to read music. 

The biggest tip that I can give you about the grand staff;  Take a copy of a grand staff,  and turn it on its side.  Make sure that the treble clef is on the right, and the bass clef is on the left.  The reason for this exersize is to see how it really is set up just like the piano.  The treble clef is also on the right side of the piano, and the bass cleff is on the left side of the piano.

What are Treble and Bass Clef?

The treble clef is a symbol that indicates a higher pitch will be played to the musician.  This higher pitch will always be "UP" on the piano.  "UP" on the piano is to the RIGHT. 

The bass clef is a symbol that indicates a lower pitch  will be played to the musician.  This lower pitch will always be "DOWN" on the piano.  "DOWN" on the piano is to the LEFT. 

 

For any questions that you have about beginning to sight read,  please contact me.  I would be glad to help you.  I am also offering an online sight reading course throught the Ashbury Music Hall.  For more online lesson details, just shoot me an e-mail.  Melodypiano.net@Gmail.com

Melody Piano is going National! I am so happy to announce that I was newly accepted to the MTNA. The Music Teachers National Association. This is a great honor because I just know that it is going to help better my studio and what I can offer my students. This will keep me quite busy getting my studio ready and "up to par" with National music studio requirements.
 
Knowing how intelegent all of my students are, I know that they will have no problem keeping up with national equivelency standards. Not only will I be attending the Music Teachers National Association in 2011 in Milwalkee, but I will be attending regular state and local conferences as well.

It is very important to me to make sure that I am doing the best job that I possibly can to better my students awareness in music. I want to make musicians, not just piano players. LOL! I belong to the MDML, which is my local branch for conferences and competitions. I am exited to start getting my students ready for such events as these.
 
Here are some of the things that I will be going over with my fellow colleagues while attending regular conferences:
1.To better understand the workings of an association
2.To plan for long-term stability of the association
3.To strengthen “The MTNA Connection”: The link between local, state and national levels
4.To deal with crucial issues confronting the association 5.To determine MTNA’s role in the future of the music teaching profession Due to this recent membership acceptance, All students at the Melody Piano studio will have all curriculum focused towards both state, an national level standards.