Three Little Kittens
Lesson Book page 9
- Playing 3-black-key groups in the higher range of the keyboard
what's new
- Finding 3-black-key groups
- Using RH fingers 2-3-4
- The hand should float from group to group, flexing at the wrist
what's important
let's get started
- Let's touch all the 3-black-keys. Start in the middle and go higher.
- Stay on the highest 3-black-key group. At the end of the piece, these three kittens are going to meow together. Let's try it out.
- Here's our finger trick! Try 2-3-4 together on the fallboard.
- Let's play that pattern finding each group of 3-black-keys going up the keyboard. (Begin in the middle)
- Make sure your hand floats up to the next group of 3-black-keys.
- Spring off for the last meow!
A moderate tempo gives time to move gracefully to the next octave.
explore and create
How Old Are You?
Would you meow that many times when you get to the end?Ear Tunes!
Keep fingers 2-3-4 over the 3-black-keys. Close your eyes! I'll play a little pattern using these fingers and keys. Can you play it back?Play with a Friend!
(Have a slightly older student play F# with the LH and the 2-black-keys with the RH in 3/4.) Left-right-right, left-right-right … soft paws! (See video and download duet)Composing!
Make up your own pattern for fingers 2-3-4 on the 3-black-keys. Play this pattern from the middle going up the keyboard. Another composition!
Ending a piece played with a partner is just as important as beginning together.
partner pages
Theory
p. 4 Low and High
- Eye-Training and Ear-Training are presented as two distinct activities featured regularly in the Piano Adventures® method.
- Eye-Training helps the student focus on whether finger numbers are moving higher or lower.
- Ear-Training helps the student focus on whether sounds are moving higher or lower.
Technique & Artistry
pp. 4-5 Five Secrets for Piano Technique
- Encourage students to spring off the highest "meow" for Three Little Kittens and drop into the lap with arm weight. The cat has landed!
Performance
p. 2 In the Jungle
- Have the student play slowly on the lowest 3-black-key groups. Tell the student you're an elephant doctor and will be studying the elephant legs (fingers) very closely. Move low and close to the student's fingers. This scrutiny will focus attention on firm fingertips.
pedagogy pointers
A piece on 3-black-keys for the right hand completes the exploration of the black-key groupings over the entire range of the keyboard. It also reinforces moving "up" the keyboard.