Colour Play Collection - SongRealm

Colour Play Piano

This book came about through a need I perceived for children to learn to read music in a child centred and developmentally appropriate way.

Young children learn through imitation and imaginative play. They are creative beings, inspired by stories, pictures and colour and will happily absorb these and bring them to life.

The child's work, therefore, is rich
with colour and pictures.

It is important that the child works independently so as to be fully immersed in this creative world and to feel the pride and satisfaction of a job well done.

The teacher's job is to guide the learning, allowing time, space and a calm, peaceful environment for the work to take place.

Detailed instructions are provided as a foreword to this book so that the teacher is armed with all the information he or she needs to be able to teach this method effectively.

The first 4 lessons involve separate exercises for playing (rote) and reading (colouring), after which two versions are given of each exercise and song throughout the book.

The first is for the teacher and shows how the song is to be coloured and played by the child and may contain additional instructions.

The second, with a picture illustrating the story being told in the song, is for the child.

There are minimal markings on the page and the child can clearly see that the left hand plays the notes with the stems down and the right hand plays the notes with the stems up.

The placement of the words also illustrates which hand is in use (sometimes both).

A specific colour code is taught to the child, which he or she will use to colour the notes and will support the internalising of the song.

Note recognition comes quickly and easily for the child using this method and the colouring can be gradually dispensed with as and when the child is ready.

Note reading begins with low 'A' in the bass and almost all songs feature evolving hand positions so are rarely locked into one place.

Track List and Detail

1a. Alphabet Song

Rote song for keyboard geography

2a. A is for ...

A is for Apple and Angus the Dog ...

Rote song for keyboard geography

3a. A is for ... D is for ...

A is for Apple and Angus the Dog
D is Dark Purple which Angus is not!

Rote song for keyboard geography

4a. Callie and Gavin

Callie Canary and Gavin the Cat

Rote song for keyboard geography

5. A is for Angus

Song for reading, colouring and playing.

Tells of Angus's penchant for junk food and the consequence of that!

Reinforces the rote exercise (3a) and extends the song.

Low 'A' up to Middle 'C'

7. Heather the Hedgehog

Song for reading, colouring and playing.

Heather likes the darkness is very protective of her personal space!

Low 'A' up to 'F' below Middle 'C' and includes both hands together.

9. Angus the Dog

Song for reading, colouring and playing.

Angus is chasing a poor frog but the frog gets the better of him!

Low 'A' up to Middle 'C'

11. Handsome Gavin

Song for reading, colouring and playing.

Describes the good looks and engaging character of Gavin the Cat

Introduces a higher starting note of 'G' below Middle 'C'

Extends down to 'E' and up to 'D' above Middle 'C'

13. Ellie, the Electric Orange Eel

Song for reading, colouring and playing.

Meet Ellie, who just wants a quiet, peaceful life but has a headache from the frogs splashing around having fun.

Introduces a starting note of 'E' below middle 'C'

'D' below to 'D' above Middle 'C'

15. Heather's Nap

Song for reading, colouring and playing.

Heather prefers to sleep throughout the day and roam at night - unless, of course, her friends come 'round and call her out to play!

Low 'C' to 'B' below Middle 'C'

17. Callie Loves to Sing

Song for reading, colouring and playing.

Callie loves to sing but it drives poor Gavin up a tree!

Begins 'G' below Middle 'C' and includes two-note clusters at shifting registers.

'E' below Middle 'C' to 'G' above

19. Day at the Beach

Song for reading, colouring and playing.

Best friends, Angus, Heather and Trevor are off to the beach to swim and play.

'C' below to 'D' above Middle 'C'

21. Duncan, the Dragonfly

Song for reading, colouring and playing.

Duncan loves to flit and flutter through the sky but has to be quick to escape Angus!

Begins 'D' below Middle 'C' and extends up to 'F' above, finishing on low 'C'

23. The Goodnight Song

Song for reading, colouring and playing.

Angus, Heather and all of their friends have been playing all day and are now heading home for bed so that they are ready for another day of play tomorrow!

Low 'A' to 'G' above Middle 'C'

1b. Alphabet Song Goes Haywire!

Reading and colouring exercise.

Low 'A' up to 'G' below middle C

2b. A is for ... Angus the Dark Purple Dog? Not!

A is for Apple and Angus the Dog ...

Rote song for keyboard geography and separate reading and colouring exercise plus 'Colour by Lettername' picture.

Low 'A' up to 'A' below middle C

3b. Angus's Too Tight Collar

Reading and colouring exercise plus 'Colour by Lettername' picture.

Low 'A' up to 'A' below Middle C

4b. Callie Canary and Gavin the Cat

This is the first of the complete songs for reading, colouring and playing.

Tells the story of Callie and Gavin and their friendship with Angus.

Plus 'Colour by Lettername' picture

Reinforces the rote exercise (4a) and extends the song.

Low 'C' up to Middle 'C'

6. Angus and the Frangipani

Song for reading, colouring and playing.

Angus likes smelling the frangipanis but has to watch out for the bees!

Low 'A' up to Middle 'C' and introduces hands together an octave apart.

8. Angus Magnus

Song for reading, colouring and playing.

Tells of Angus's and Heather's friendship and his penchant for chasing dragonflies!

Low 'A' up to Middle 'C'

10. Cheeky Callie

Song for reading, colouring and playing.

Gavin is sleeping and Callie decides to have a bit of fun by pecking at his nose!

Low 'C' up to Middle 'C' and introduces clusters and register shifts.

12. The Grassy Green Valley

Song for reading, colouring and playing.

Angus, Heather, Gavin and Callie are off for the day to a grassy green valley where they can play happily and Angus can chase dragonflies.

Includes register shifts

Low 'C' up to Middle 'C'

14. Fergus the Frog

Song for reading, colouring and playing.

Describes the antics of Fergus as he teases Angus and Ellie and the consequences should Angus catch him!

Introduces a starting note of 'F' below Middle 'C'

Low 'C' to Middle 'C'

16. Trevor's Trumpet

Song for reading, colouring and playing.

This is the first song to move beyond a single stave and into two staves.

Tells the story of Trevor the Elephant who lives next door to Heather and disturbs her with his trumpeting!

Begins low 'A' and extends to 'E' above Middle 'C'

18. Trevor and the Mud

Song for reading, colouring and playing.

Trevor likes to roll in the mud by Ellie's lake but he's nice and quiet so as not to disturb her.

Begins low 'A' and extends to 'E' above Middle 'C

20. Georgia, the Giraffe

Song for reading, colouring and playing.

Meet Georgia, who is long and lanky and wins all the races but is great fun to have rides on!

'E' below Middle 'C' to 'F' above

22. Angus and his Paddle Board

Song for reading, colouring and playing.

Angus and all of his friends are trying to ride his paddle board but they don't always behave very well!

'E' below Middle 'C' to 'F' above