Presented by: Anne Marsden Thomas, MBE, BMus, FRCO, FRSCM, ARAM and Frederick Stocken, PhD
Location: Hyatt Regency – Hanover E
Most students concentrate on learning pieces, postponing the study of keyboard skills until full-time training, diplomas, or church requirements prompt an intensive catch-up course. Instead of this fear-inducing and confidence-sapping approach to learning keyboard skills, we discuss how students can have fun developing their abilities from the earliest stages of playing and then continue building fluency incrementally throughout their learning.
We outline a practical approach accessible to all, integrating harmonization, improvisation, transposition, playing continuo, and score-reading into a systematic syllabus. With effective resources, as little as ten minutes per lesson from the beginning of study allows powerful progress without overburdening the student. We also address how to give students a complete course in harmony through a drip-feed approach in a practical but thorough way.
The aim is to guide the student through finely-graded levels from basic to advanced skills, preparing them for AGO diplomas and church playing.