Review: Piano Program Music Theory Courses

Conference, Courses, Lesson resources, Reviews

Have you ever been excited about something where it ends up taking over your dreams? This happens to me all the time, but I didn’t expect it to happen with this…

Dr. Kathy Rabago from PianoProgram.com has created a Piano Program Music Theory Course for students. These courses are the very definition of flipped learning and something that I have been wanting to find for a while. Students learn the music theory concepts at home or during their music lab time, reinforce the concepts through videos and a corresponding theory workbook (digital included, hard copies also available), and return to their lessons with an increased knowledge of music theory.

Currently, there are 11 levels available.  The 12th grade level will be added this year.  Kathy used a student’s school grade as a rough guide to the music theory levels. (1st grade= level 1 and so on) Adults and more advanced students can move through the music theory at a much quicker pace.

The Piano Program Music Theory course follows the TMTA State Music Theory Syllabus, which I’m sure is pretty standard to most other state theory syllabi.

Each course contains a minimum of 15 lesson videos, including audio files for ear training, interactive exercises to reinforce concepts, online quizzes, and a complete downloadable 35-45 page PDF workbook for each level.  Each level is available to as a studio license or individual student license. In addition, there is an option to purchase a bundle of all the levels for a studio license.

The bundle of the Piano Program Music Theory course is going to be your best deal, giving you access to all the levels! Can you say SWEEEEET?!!

MUSIC THEORY STUDIO LICENSED BUNDLE

If you aren’t interested in the studio license bundle, you can purchase each level separately. Keep in mind the licenses are individual (per student) licenses. The teacher price covers access to all of their students in a single teacher studio.  Only one login is included in the teacher price, but all of their students can use the teacher login to access the courses.  If a teacher wants to purchase individual logins for each of their students, they can do so with a      Studio+ license.  Bound workbooks are also avaialable here. Let’s dive into what each level covers…

Level 1 covers the basics of music theory for 1st grade (or equivalent) students. The course covers the musical alphabet, the piano keyboard, the treble clef and bass clef, notes on the grand staff, parts of a note, bar lines and measures, and quarter, half, and whole notes. Time signatures, counting, steps & skips, and dynamics are also covered, as well as aural skill identification of high/low, up/down, and same/different.

 

Level 2 covers the basics of music theory for 2nd grade (or equivalent) students. The course covers the musical alphabet, quarter, half, whole, & dotted half notes, intervals, half steps & whole steps, sharps & flats, rhythm, dynamic signs, repeats signs, and ear training.

 

 

Level 3 covers the basics of music theory for 3rd grade (or equivalent) students. This course covers staff & note identification, as well as a review of quarter, half, dotted half, & whole notes and rests. We also learn about the intervals of a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th. The lesson shows students how to construct a major scale using a pattern of whole and half steps. We will learn how to build the C, G, and F Major scales and learn about the key signatures in those keys. We will also cover the concepts of a slur, tie, legato, and staccato. The ear training in lesson 5 covers rhythmic dictation, identification of a missing note, and identifying steps or skips.

 

Level 4 This covers the basics of music theory for 4th grade (or equivalent) students. The course covers parts of the staff, eight notes and rests, and notes on the staff. Students will review whole & half steps, intervals, and learn about major and minor thirds. We have new vocabulary terms to learn, including tempo, ritardando, crescendo, decrescendo (diminuendo), and ornament. We will also review and learn about rhythm, counting, and time signatures and bar lines. Students will review the scales C, G, and F Major, and learn about D, A, and E Major. We will also cover the key signatures for those scales. In this course, students will also explore major triads and primary chords. For ear training, we will work on rhythmic dictation and compare two measures by listening.

 

Level 5 covers the basics of music theory for 5th grade (or equivalent) students. The course covers parts of the staff, notation, and intervals. We also learn about the dotted quarter note, 16th note, and 16th rest. We review the 6 scales already learned and will learn 3 more. We also learn about the order of flats, learn key signatures, and learn about dominant triads. We have new vocabulary terms to learn and will look at musical examples and identify tonic and dominant triads. Our ear training in this level covers rhythmic dictation, melodic dictations, and interval and triad identification. Bonus: Can you identify the notes up and down a 5th from C through all of the sharps and flats?

 

Level 6 covers the basics of music theory for 6th grade (or equivalent) students. This level is subdivided into 15 small video lessons, each covering one concept. In this level, we will learn to identify two notes as either half steps, whole steps, whole + half steps, or enharmonic notes. Learn and review all of our major key signatures, and construct the Major circle of 5ths. Students will learn how to write the Major key signatures, as well as place accidentals on a series of notes to create a major scale. Identifying intervals up to an octave and learn the difference between major and minor thirds. Rhythm will cover eight notes and sixteenth notes, and simple and compound time signatures. Students will learn new vocabulary terms and also work on writing the primary triads in the major keys, as well as identifying the primary triads in a musical example. Ear training, students will work on identifying major or minor chords, intervals of a 2nd, 5th, or 7th, and practice rhythmic and melodic dictation. Bonus – learn how to construct the minor circle of 5ths.

 

Level 7 is subdivided into 15 small video lessons, each covering one concept. This allows students to watch and re-watch a small section as needed. In this level, we will work on diatonic whole and half steps, rhythm, notation and ledger lines, time signatures, the major and minor circle of 5th, key signatures, major and minor scales, new vocabulary, all of the intervals in a major scale, major triads, primary triads, analysis, ear training, and dictation.

 

Level 8 is subdivided into 18 lessons.  Each lesson contains 5-10 minutes of video covering the concepts. In this level students learn chromatic & diatonic half steps, intervals (major, minor, perfect, augmented), time signatures, rhythm, 5 major triads, 6 key signatures (parallel major and minor), lead sheet triads, 8 inversions of primary triads, measure melodic composition, minor scales, analysis, vocabulary, transposition and ear training.

 

Level 9 is subdivided into 18 lessons.  Each lesson contains 5-15 minutes of video covering the concepts. In this level students learn chromatic & diatonic half steps, intervals (major, minor, perfect, augmented, diminished), enharmonic equivalents, melodic composition, time signatures, minor scales and key signatures, transposition, triad inversions, figured bass, 10 part writing with 4 part harmony, lead sheet triads, vocabulary, parallel major and minor key signatures, intervallic ear training, rhythmic dictation, melodic dictation, and ear training (major, minor, diminished and augmented triads).

 

Level 10 is subdivided into 26 lessons.  Each lesson contains 5-15 minutes of video covering the concepts. In this level students learn rhythm (32nds, 8th note triplets & more), notation (sharp, double sharp, flat, double flat and naturals), intervals (major, minor, perfect, augmented, diminished), time signatures, scales (minor, parallel and relative keys, chromastic, scale degrees), chords (triads, dominant 7ths), chord analysis & part writing, composition and vocabulary and ear training.

 

Level 11 is subdivided into 23 lessons. Each lesson contains 5-15 minutes of video covering the concepts. In this level students learn rhythm, notation  interval inversions, key signatures, chromatic scales, modes, whole tone scales, triads, chord analysis and part writing, composition, analysis and vocabulary, ear training.

 

 

Level 12 will be added later this year!

 

 

 

 

Piano Program Music Theory studio license or an individual license, which one is for me? 

If you plan on using the Piano Program Music Theory course in your studio (lab time, before, after or during lessons), then the studio license is a great option for you! If you are planning on having students use the course at home, an individual license will be your best option. Think of it like purchasing a theory book (but it’s SO much more!) for each student. Be sure to check out the studio bundle options! You can have the best of both worlds if you want a studio bundle along with individual logins for students.

The Piano Program Music Theory course sets the perfect flipped learning environment. If you have never experienced the flipped learning style, this is the perfect time to give it a try. I’m a huge fan of flipped learning and can’t wait to use these video lessons with my students!

Anita Byers, a piano teacher from Missouri, recently commented on one of my Facebook posts that she has been using the Music Theory Courses with her students for a couple months now. I asked her what she thought of them and this is what she shared,

“I added a 30-minute lab to my studio this past August. In planning how I wanted to set it up, I decided on 15 minutes at the keyboard with Piano Maestro, Simply Piano –or practicing their lesson and 15 minutes working on music theory with apps, videos or worksheets. After checking out the pianoprogram.com website I decided to take a look at a couple of levels. I liked them so much I had to get all of the available levels!

I assign a lesson every other week. My students watch the video and complete the worksheets during the 15-minute theory lab time. The following week I go over any missed items on their worksheets. I really like how the series teaches small segments of theory concepts. Each course builds on what was taught during the previous course. I have found that this is the perfect assignment for the 15-minute theory lab. I am using this with 2nd grade through 9th grade students right now.

It has only been 2 months since I began this program with my students, but I can already see the benefits. They are working very independently of the course and can re-play parts that they need to watch again as they complete the worksheets. I’m a planner, so having a set plan for their theory assignment has made my transition to offering a piano lab much easier!”

You can find out more about Dr. Kathy Rabago here.

Have more questions about the Piano Program Music Theory course? Here are some popular FAQ’s from Kathy, that might help…

1.  Is it easy enough for a child to use?  Absolutely!  I designed the lessons with children in mind.  Each lesson includes a video and a link to the worksheets.

2.  Can I use the course on a tablet, phone, or computer?  All of the above!  You just have to have an internet connection to view the videos.

3.  Can I use this course as just an individual student?  Yes, of course.

4.  Will the course keep me logged in and can I bookmark it?  You can absolutely bookmark it for your students or your children for easy access.  You will stay logged in.  If you accidentally log it, you can just log in again with your email and password.

5.  I’m a piano teacher.  Can I use the course for my entire studio?  If you are using the course at your studio during lab time, you may absolutely use it for all your students with the studio license!  If you are wanting your students to watch at home, I ask that each student purchase their own individual license to access to the course.

*affiliate links included in this post

6 Comments

  1. Mae

    Jennifer – how are you pointing your students to the course videos and worksheets? I am trying to visualize how I would incorporate this for my independent music lab students. Love this idea – one that I have been thinking of doing for years and am happy to see someone else has done all the hard work!

    Reply
    • Jennifer Foxx

      Mae- I will be starting these in January because my students don’t have regular lessons in December. But my plan is to create a shortcut of each of the leveled links on my iPad. So they can easily find them. Then I will give them the task of doing whatever lesson I want them to do that day. I don’t think it will be every week but maybe every other week. Also my plan is to have them do a worksheet that follows the short sublesson they watch so it’s fresh in their head. Then they move onto the next sublesson. (Sublessons are basically the lesson broken up into smaller time frames)

      Kathy mentioned that she can put together a printable so students can keep track of where they are. (In the studio license there is no way to keep track otherwise, you have to have a single student license for that).

      Does that answer your question?

      Reply
  2. Izzy Misgate

    Hello Jennifer!
    Just passed by to thank you for this amazing article! I loved the idea, how its organised and specially the fact that you support the programe with other material such as the videos!
    Cheers 🙂

    Reply
    • Jennifer Foxx

      Wonderful, Izzy! It think you will find that the Piano Program Music Theory Course is a great program for students!

      Reply
  3. Megan Dixson

    I am interested in trying these, but don’t want to buy a studio license until I know that this is working for my students. Do you offer a package where I can buy all of the books to try it out and see what is in them before starting the license?

    Reply
    • Jennifer Foxx

      Hi Megan, You would need to contact Kathy Rabago, creator of this program. Also, I wanted to point out that this program is SO much more than the workbooks. The videos is what “sold” me on it. That is really what the program is and the workbooks are an added benefit that go along with them. Here is the link to contact Kathy. Let her know I sent you her way. 😉 https://courses.pianoprogram.com/support

      Reply

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