I have created customized online exercises and quizzes corresponding to each unit of Piano Adventures Basic Method Primer Level. 

If you are using a different method, please refer to this Correlation Chart from PianoAdventures.com.

Piano Adventures Primer Exercises

Unit 3

🔤 🎹 Keyboard Letter Names C-D-E

🔤 🎹 Keyboard Letter Names F-G-A-B

🔤 🎹 Keyboard Letter Names All White Keys

🔤 🎹 🤔 Keyboard Letter Names Quiz Mode

Unit 4

🔤 🎼 ⚓️ Note Names (Middle C, Bass F, Treble G) - Anchor Notes

🎹 🎼 ⚓️ Keyboard to Note Matching (Middle C, Bass F, Treble G) - Anchor Notes

Unit 5

🔤 🎼  Note Names from Middle C to Treble G (with helpers)

🎹 🎼  Matching Keyboard from Middle C to Treble G 

Unit 6

🔤 🎼 Note Names Bass F to Treble G (with helpers)

🔤 🎼 Note Names Bass F to Treble G (without helpers)

🎹 🎼 Matching Keyboard to Note Bass F to Treble G (without helpers)

Unit 8

🔤 🎼 Note Names - Bass C up to Treble G (with helpers)

🔤 🎼 Note Names - Bass C up to Treble G (without helpers)

🎹 🎼 Matching Keyboard to Note - Bass C up to Treble G (with helpers)

🎹 🎼Matching Keyboard to Note - Bass C up to Treble G (without helpers)

Final Challenge Mode

🎼 🎹 🤔Matching Keyboard to Note - Bass C up to Treble G

--

Source: https://www.musictheory.net/

Companion Apps

$4.99 Tenuto

$2.99 Theory Lessons

I created a grand staff printable to help organize the many mnemonic devices I have learned over the years. 

To give credit where credit is due, I want to thank my student, Ed, for figuring out the phrases to relate the mnemonics for lines and spaces on the treble and bass clefs. You will see those written at the top and bottom of the pages. He also came up with the astronaut as the top line of the bass clef. 

Also, My First Piano Adventure came up with Queen Treble Clef, King Bass Clef, and the Middle C Cats that they own. 

I have this displayed in a 5x7 frame on the wall in my studio, visible if needed by the piano. 

Included:

• Queen Treble Clef
  • G Clef
  • Every Good Burger Deserves Fries
  • FACE
  • Middle C Cat with tail up
• King Bass Clef
  • F Clef
  • Ground Floor G
  • Astronaut A
  • All Cows Eat Grass
  • Middle C Cat with tail down

An untitled piano piece from my childhood

Composition

When it comes to movies and video games, I'm most interested in who wrote the music. Not the actors, not the directors, not the writers. It's a career that I've been drawn to for over 20 years. While it hasn't become a career, composition has been a wonderful hobby and creative outlet. 

How I Started Composing

Around 1997, my very first composition was called "Butterflies" for my flute when I was 9.

A transcription of my first composition.

In 2001, at 13, my brother asked if I could try to learn the opening to Linkin Park's "In The End." It was a very popular song at the time and I did my best to pick out the introduction notes in D minor. 

I think it was that day that I decided to try playing my own piece in D minor. My left hand played open 5ths down the minor scale: Dm, C, Bb, Am. I improvised a repetitive melody over the top. And I mean repetitive. I made a middle section of repeated fifths, then I finished by playing part one again, this time an octave higher. 

My first composition for piano. As you can see, it's extremely repetitive!

I typically wrote in D minor or D dorian because it reminded me of fantasy stories about princesses and kingdoms. In middle school, I spent a lot of time in class drawing my story and character ideas on the back of school handouts. It's a time of my life that I remember with fondness; a reminder that I love being creative. I even started world-building and designing original characters. I was going to write, draw, and animate an original story! And, of course, I would score it too. 

Ambitious? Yes. 

Impossible? No. 

Has it happened? Not yet. Never say never!

My Planned Fiction Story Soundtrack

I created similar themes using this same chord progression. The tunes were short and I didn't know how to develop new motives and sequences. I have no idea which piece came first; The Legend of Kanali handwritten above or the Kanali transcription I was sure was my first composition. 

When September 11th happened, I wrote "Song of Peace". 

I wrote a piece for my mom. 

I wrote a piece on the black keys that sounded like it was from China. My friend in high school played the guzheng, a Chinese harp. She was able to learn my piece by ear after I played it for her on the piano. 

If I recall correctly, the transcription below has so many cross-outs because I didn't leave enough room for the accompaniment.

I didn't take him up on it because I thought my music wasn't good enough to warrant an official copyright. 

I didn't major in composition because I thought what I had created wasn't good enough for a portfolio. 

Dear traveler, never pass up opportunities when you hear "not good enough" in your mind. How do you know unless you try? Failure is an option and it's a good one, contrary to popular belief. It helps us grow and learn. 

I was embarrassed by the compositions that I created and didn't feel like sharing them because I thought they would be ridiculed. Honestly, my cultured piano teacher, Mrs. Turner, was less than thrilled with my musical taste and time spent composing! I had the support of my family, but I tended to discount that because of course they would say it was good, they were my family. 

In college, I remember receiving my homework and my professor, Dr. Edwin T. Childs, had mentioned that he liked my bass line. He was the composition professor and I wish I had asked him if he thought I could change to composition when I developed repetitive motion injuries from being a piano major.  He was very kind and encouraging. I’ll always remember that.

About a year and a half ago, I ventured into the world of orchestration. Remember the repetitive music I wrote when I was a kid? The final movement of my 8 and a half minute piece is a mashup of those themes. I hope to write a post about it in early 2024.

-Jenny

-Jenny

So how can you celebrate Franz Liszt's birthday?

📜 Listen to Liebestraum No. 3 in A-flat major.  

📜  Choose a Liszt piece to start learning as a repertoire piece. 

• Here are my personal suggestions!
• Consolation No. 1 in E major
• Consolation No. 3 in D-flat major

📜  Watch Victor Borge play Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.

📜  Watch Bugs Bunny and Tom & Jerry play Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. 

Which one do you think came first? Let's settle this once and for all!

📜  Watch Mao Asada skate to Liebestraum No. 3. 

📜  Learn German and French.

📜  Compare Paganini's final movement of Violin Concerto No. 3 and Liszt's La Campanella. 

📜  Read books about art and religion. 

📜  Read his book, The Life of Chopin. (ebook)

📜  Read The Holy Bible.

📜  Read a biography about Franz Liszt. 

-Jenny

Teaching my students their favorite songs is important to me. 

Sometimes the lyrical content isn't appropriate in pop songs, so I decided to rewrite the lyrics to The Middle for that very reason. 

This parody is based off the song by Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey. 

I hope you enjoy it!

The Griddle

Verse 1

Whisk and beat

Fill it with air, beyond compare

Whip soft peaks

Put sugar in there and I’m unaware

Of just how I made all of this mess, this is impressive

Spilling cream was not my intention

Pre-Chorus

Toast in the toaster

Oh no, I burnt the toast

This breakfast is all over

I gotta let it go

Chorus

You said, Baby, why don't you just put eggs on the griddle?

And only cook mine just a little

Cuz I like runny yolks right in the middle

In the middle

Baby, why don't you just put eggs on the griddle?

And only cook mine just a little

Cuz I like runny yolks right in the middle

In the middle

Verse 2

Ohh, break an egg

Wait for a minute, you’re in the kitchen

Watching me

My spatula’s flipping, now yolks are broken

Oh how did I make all of this mess, this ain’t impressive

Breaking yolks was not my intention

PreChorus

And now you’re closer

Why have you come so close

Oh, you want to take over

I guess I’ll let you cook

Chorus

You say baby, why don't we put pancakes on the griddle?

Let’s work as a team just a little

So why don't we put pancakes on the griddle?

On the griddle

Bridge

Looking at you, I can't hide

Want you to be cooking

Regardless of my objection

And it's not about my pride

Just pouring ingredients

Just take over, you’re cooking

Chorus

You say baby, why don't we put pancakes on the griddle?

Let’s work as a team just a little

So why don't we put pancakes on the griddle?

On the griddle no no

You say baby, why don't we put pancakes on the griddle?

Oh yeah, Let’s work as a team just a little

So why don't we put pancakes on the griddle?

On the griddle Baby-y-y, why don't we put pancakes on the griddle, baby?

Let’s work as a team just a little

So why don't we put pancakes on the griddle?

On the griddle, griddle

On the griddle, griddle 

The piano version we used is in Pop Hits for Kids (Easy Piano) published by Hal Leonard (HL00279378).

I hope you enjoyed this rewrite! I am a huge fan of Weird Al, so if you want more pop parodies, I suggest listening to his music. I love writing my own parodies. If you use these new lyrics, please credit me!

What song should I parody next?

-Jenny

September 26th is George Gershwin's Birthday! 

So how can you celebrate?

🏙️ Watch George Gershwin play his own compositions. Here's I Got Rhythm. 

🏙️ Sight-play his jazz standards like his first hit, Swanee.  

🏙️ Choose a Gershwin piece to start learning as a repertoire piece. 

• Here are my personal suggestions!
• S'Wonderful (improvisation transcription)
• Prelude No. 1
• Rhapsody in Blue for solo piano

🏙️ Listen to Rhapsody in Blue.

🏙️ Watch Kim Yuna win the Olympics skating to Concerto in F.

🏙️ Watch An American in Paris starring Gene Kelly. 

🏙️ Visit The Music House Museum in Traverse City, MI to listen to Gershwin playing Rhapsody In Blue on the 1925 Webber Duo-Art reproducing piano.

🏙️ Listen to Alan Berg's Lyric Suite. 

🏙️ Learn to improvise jazz. 

🏙️ Play tennis.

🏙️ Paint a portrait.

🏙️ Read a biography about George Gershwin. 

What are some of your own ideas to celebrate Gershwin's birthday?