Resources for Building Musicianship

In the Spring of each year students in our studio have the opportunity to participate in KMTA's Music Progressions. This is a musicianship evaluation that has 10 progressive levels, I won't get too far into the particulars because you can find more information here. But a big part of that musicianship is demonstrating an understanding of Music Theory both on paper and by analyzing what we are hearing. This blog post is a resource round-up of some leveled exercises that can help build these Theory & Listening skills. 

All these exercises have been created on MusicTheory.net, which is an excellent free resource for teachers and students alike. These are designed to be a quick review or check-in on a concept, so each exercise is only 10 questions. And they don't even require you being near a piano. If your piano kid tries some, and would like to email me the codes with their scores, please do! I'll enjoy seeing their progress.

Level 1 - Note names on keyboard and staff, and steps vs. skips. 

• On Staff Intervals 
• Keyboard Intervals
• Staff Note Names
• Keyboard Note Names 

Level 2 - Note Names on keyboard and staff, keyboard Intervals 2nd through 5th. 

• On Staff Intervals
• Keyboard Intervals
• Listening Intervals 
• Staff Note Names
• Keyboard Note Names 

Level 3 - Note Names on staff including accidentals, keyboard & staff Intervals 2nd through 6th, Listening intervals 2nd through 5th, Listening for Major & Minor Triads.

• On Staff Intervals
• Keyboard Intervals
• Listening Intervals
• Staff Note Names
• Listening Major & Minor 

Level 4 - Staff note names including 2 ledger lines beyond the staff, Intervals & Quality (including M2, M3, P4, P5, M6 & P8), Major & Minor Triads on Keyboard, Major & Harmonic Minor Scales.

• On Staff Intervals
• Keyboard Intervals
• Listening Intervals
• Staff Note Names
• Major & Minor Triads
• Building Major & Harmonic Minor Scales

Level 5 - Intervals & Quality 2nd through octave (including M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, M7 & P8), Major Key Signatures, Major & Minor Triads, AND Major, Harmonic Minor & Natural Minor Scales.

• On Staff Intervals
• Listening Intervals
• Major Key Signatures
• Staff Major & Minor Triads
• Keyboard Major & Minor Triads
• Building Major, Natural Minor & Harmonic Minor Scales

Level 6 - Intervals & Quality (Including M2, m2, M3, m3, P4, P5, M6, m6, M7, m7, P8), Major Key Signatures with Relative Minors, Major & Minor Triads, Various Scales you hear and on staff. 

• On Staff Intervals
• Listening Intervals
• Major Key Signatures with Relative Minors
• Major & Minor Triads
• Major, Minor (Natural & Harmonic), or Chromatic Scales you hear
• Major & Minor (Natural and Harmonic) Scales on Staff

Level 7 - 

• On Staff Intervals
• Listening Intervals
• Scale Building
• Key Signatures 
• Chords - On Staff and On Keys
• 7th Chords

While I do have Music Progressions students in mind while I'm putting together this post - (I'll be real, this is mostly so I don't have to reinvent the wheel trying to round up home practice resources each year when Progressions rolls around) - these are concepts that ALL students in the studio are learning as they grow in their music. We even choose a different musicianship element to focus on every single week in Piano Lab so students are rotating through these concepts regularly. So whether your piano kid is doing Music Progressions or not, I would definitely encourage all students to try these exercises once in a while and check in on some of these concepts. Is your music listening and theory understanding growing to meet your level? Is there something we missed or that's still a little tricky and maybe needs some reinforcing?