The HomeSchoolPiano Curriculum: Complete Scope & Sequence
Everything your child will learn, unit by unit. HomeSchoolPiano is a complete piano curriculum: three books, 18 units, and hundreds of step-by-step video lessons covering technique, rhythm, reading, songs, and improvisation — with graded quizzes and printable certificates for your homeschool records.
Developing full musicians with the National Music Standards
HomeSchoolPiano follows a 6-step cycle that makes it easy for students of all levels to master the piano. By building on tested musical standards, students enjoy success at the piano faster.
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Technique
Learn proper technique from the start, developing speed and dexterity at your instrument.
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Rhythm
We start with rhythm because it's the engine that drives music. Our vocalization approach makes it a snap to perform rhythms accurately.
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Ear Training
Develop a good ear: learn to hear rhythm, melody, and harmony to improve your playing and improvisation.
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Reading Music
Sight reading is essential. A step-by-step approach builds a strong music-reading foundation.
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Song
Our songs sound like songs, not exercises — you'll be playing real music right from the beginning.
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Improvisation
Once you can read and play songs, improvisation lets you tap your own creativity and make your own music.
Aligned with the National Music Standards
HomeSchoolPiano's 6-step cycle works with the National Standards for Music Education to create a well-rounded curriculum that touches all nine standards.
Assessment in music is not only possible… but necessary.
Reliable, valid assessment based on clear objectives is central to how HomeSchoolPiano is built.
Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
HomeSchoolPiano introduces singing through our rhythmic vocalization approach: students vocalize rhythms and use their voice to recreate them.
Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
Students learn to perform many musical styles on the piano, and are encouraged to create their own variations and pieces.
Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
Improvisation is at the core of HSP. Created by a Berklee College of Music graduate and professional touring/recording musician, students learn to improvise from the ground up. These exercises are endorsed by piano-teacher associations and published by MelBay® and Alfred Music®.
Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.
Every unit includes a section to compose and improvise original melodies and songs, with both specific techniques and free-form exploration.
Reading and notating music.
Students build music-reading skills in the Reading Music section found in every unit.
Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
Many aural lessons: ear-training quizzes, rhythmic vocalization, improvisation analysis, and call-and-response patterns.
Evaluating music and music performances.
Quizzes and reporting let students see their progress; improvisation requires ongoing self-evaluation and choice-making.
Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
Lessons on improvisation cover form, tone, and shape — multidisciplinary concepts that carry over to dance, theater, and the visual arts.
Understanding music in relation to history and culture.
Willie draws on deep music knowledge and real-world performance experience, adding anecdotes that connect music to history and culture.
Book 1 — Perfect for Beginners
Designed for the absolute beginner to the piano, featuring six original pieces that are fun to play and practice. You'll learn how to read music, improvise and create your own music. Each unit improves your piano skills with graded quizzes.
Unit 1 The grab technique, learning how to properly curl your fingers. C minor 5-finger scale.
- Technique
- The grab technique, learning how to properly curl your fingers. C minor 5-finger scale.
- Rhythm
- Quarter notes, quarter rests and half-note vocalizations.
- Reading/Song
- Dynamics piano, mezzo-forte and forte. Legato vs. Staccato articulation. Slurs vs. ties. Guideposts C, F and G.
- Improvisation
- What is improvisation? Licks and motifs. 3 licks based off of known rhythms and notes C and Eb.
- Bonus
- F major 5-finger scale, complete F major scale. F major and minor triads.
Unit 2 C 5-finger major and minor scales hands together. Continuous 5-finger scale (crossing between the hands). Controlling dynamics.
- Technique
- C 5-finger major and minor scales hands together. Continuous 5-finger scale (crossing between the hands). Controlling dynamics.
- Rhythm
- Dotted notes explanation. Dotted half-note. Half rest.
- Reading/Song
- Stepping on the staff. Finding notes around your guideposts. Mezzo-piano dynamic. Crescendo. Longer song form and more interaction between the hands. Preparing your fingers to be ready to play, incomplete measures.
- Improvisation
- Creating melody vs. chords. Using chords in your improvisation. Writing music without a staff. Improvising using notes C, D and Eb.
- Bonus
- Focus on accompaniment. Introducing the steady bassline with simple licks in the right hand.
Unit 3 5-finger C minor scale with left hand accompaniment.
- Technique
- 5-finger C minor scale with left hand accompaniment.
- Rhythm
- Introducing eighth notes (dee-ba's).
- Reading/Song
- Whole note rhythm. Introducing ties. Root-5 (R5) left-hand chord pattern. Staccato articulation. F-clef G note "the ground" and G-clef F note "fly away."
- Improvisation
- Preparing the C minor pentatonic scale. Incorporating eighth notes into our improvisation. Improvising using notes C, Eb, F and G.
- Bonus
- The full C minor pentatonic scale and scale blocks.
Unit 4 5-finger C blues scale with drums hands together, in contrary motion and with a bassline.
- Technique
- 5-finger C blues scale with drums hands together, in contrary motion and with a bassline.
- Rhythm
- Introducing the eighth note rest vocalization "uh."
- Reading/Song
- Steady bassline accompaniment. Term similie.
- Improvisation
- Creating licks with the partial C minor pentatonic scale and C 5-finger blues scale.
- Bonus
- Improvising over the steady bassline. 3 improvisation exercises.
Unit 5 C major scale hands together. C blues scale with bassline.
- Technique
- C major scale hands together. C blues scale with bassline.
- Rhythm
- Syncopated rhythm, dee ba–ba.
- Reading/Song
- New bass accompaniment pattern in C major.
- Improvisation
- Licks from rhythmic blocks.
- Bonus
- C major pentatonic scale and lick. C major scale with bassline accompaniment.
Unit 6 A minor 5-finger scale. A major triad and 5-finger scale.
- Technique
- A minor 5-finger scale. A major triad and 5-finger scale.
- Rhythm
- Using the breath for an eighth rest.
- Reading/Song
- New accompaniment bassline in A minor. Moving to a new key, A minor.
- Improvisation
- Play licks along with bassline. Vocalize rhythm, then play lick.
- Bonus
- Minor flowing piano pattern.
Book 2 — Building a Foundation
Continuing where Book 1 left off, you will continue working through rhythm, technique, music reading, songs and improvisation. If you are coming to HomeSchoolPiano with some piano training under your belt, Book 2 is a great place to start.
Unit 1 Focus on the left-hand bassline and left hand exercise. Building left hand finger independence.
- Technique
- Focus on the left-hand bassline and left hand exercise. Building left hand finger independence.
- Rhythm
- Finding upbeats within the measure.
- Reading/Song
- New C major bassline accompaniment pattern. First and second endings.
- Improvisation
- Melodic and rhythmic embellishment over new bassline pattern.
- Bonus
- Improvisation over major and minor bassline pattern using pentatonic fragments, notes from the melody. C major and minor triads. Sliding between notes to create a bluesy sound.
Unit 2 Left hand oom-pah accompaniment pattern. Broken chords.
- Technique
- Left hand oom-pah accompaniment pattern. Broken chords.
- Rhythm
- Three different ways to write out a syncopated dee ba–ba rhythm.
- Reading/Song
- Oom-pah accompaniment pattern. C two-octaves below middle C.
- Improvisation
- Breaking up chords C, F and G for improvisation.
- Bonus
- Mixing together songs Little Willie's Strut and Blues For You. Mash-ups.
Unit 3 Full C major scale. Blocking technique for the major scale.
- Technique
- Full C major scale. Blocking technique for the major scale.
- Rhythm
- Mixed syncopated rhythms.
- Reading/Song
- Mixed accompaniment patterns: triads, bassline and omm-pahs. New chords Dmin, A and G7 (dominant 7th chords).
- Improvisation
- Improvisation over triads. Introduction of form.
- Bonus
- Creating a contemporary arrangement using chords in the right hand and octaves in the left.
Unit 4 5-finger scale A minor and blues scales.
- Technique
- 5-finger scale A minor and blues scales.
- Rhythm
- Alternating between left and right hand syncopated rhythms.
- Reading/Song
- New minor bassline accompaniment. Chord symbols Amin7, F7 and E7.
- Improvisation
- Introduction of A harmonic minor scale. Complete A blues scale. Concept of vamp and improvisation springboards. Harmonic minor and blues scale blocks.
- Bonus
- Call-and-response improvisation. Head-solo-head soloing.
Unit 5 Different methods to create a triad. Inversions of triads. Arpeggiating triads.
- Technique
- Different methods to create a triad. Inversions of triads. Arpeggiating triads.
- Rhythm
- Alternating between left and right hand syncopated rhythms.
- Reading/Song
- Triads and melody in the right hand. Active left hand bassline.
- Improvisation
- Comping chords along with a steady bassline.
- Bonus
- Improvising over the improvisation section bassline using licks and lines.
Unit 6 R-5-R left hand patterns.
- Technique
- R-5-R left hand patterns.
- Rhythm
- Two-hand rhythms. Introducing style markings.
- Reading/Song
- R-5-R accompaniment pattern. Moving between a minor and major key. Staccato left hand. D.C. al Coda.
- Improvisation
- D harmonic minor scale improvisation over R-5-R bassline.
- Bonus
- Playing triads in inversions along with R-5-R bassline.
Book 3 — Unlocking the Pianist Within
You'll learn how to create rich piano arrangements using the techniques in book 3. By incorporating original pieces in a variety of musical styles, book 3 helps you to become a well-rounded pianist, ready for the next challenge.
Unit 1 All major and minor 5-finger scales in all 12 keys.
- Technique
- All major and minor 5-finger scales in all 12 keys.
- Rhythm
- Introducing triplets and their vocalization.
- Reading/Song
- Finding chord symbols. Determine the root. Creating 5-finger scales and R5 diads.
- Improvisation
- G blues scale broken into scale blocks. 2 new licks.
- Bonus
- Changes to the accompaniment: R5 bassline, R7 chord shells. Improvisation over the created bassline.
Unit 2 R5, R6, R7 chord arpeggios. R, 3, 5, 6 bassline.
- Technique
- R5, R6, R7 chord arpeggios. R, 3, 5, 6 bassline.
- Rhythm
- Style markings, triplets and syncopated rhythms.
- Reading/Song
- R6 chords, R-3-5-6 bass pattern. 12-bar blues in G with bassline and chords.
- Improvisation
- Blues notes, sliding and crushing. Creating blues licks over bass pattern.
- Bonus
- More advanced bassline pattern. Play new pattern with melody and chords.
Unit 3 R7 chord pattern with the octave in all 12 keys.
- Technique
- R7 chord pattern with the octave in all 12 keys.
- Rhythm
- Vocalizing rhythms that tie into other rhythms.
- Reading/Song
- R7 chord shells. Creating a bassline from R7 shells.
- Improvisation
- Complete F blues scale licks over R7 bassline. Breakdown of techniques used to create a 12-bar blues improvisation.
- Bonus
- Comping 7th (block) chords in the right hand along with bassline.
Unit 4 Broken triads C, F and G with rhythm in all inversions.
- Technique
- Broken triads C, F and G with rhythm in all inversions.
- Rhythm
- Introducing subdivision method of rhythmic vocalization.
- Reading/Song
- Montuno rhythmic pattern with quarter note and half note pulse; broken chords and melodic phrases.
- Improvisation
- 3 montuno patterns with half note bassline.
- Bonus
- How to create your own montuno patterns.
Unit 5 R-5-R patterns in the left hand. How to create a chord progression. Apply this new bass pattern to a chord progression that you create.
- Technique
- R-5-R patterns in the left hand. How to create a chord progression. Apply this new bass pattern to a chord progression that you create.
- Rhythm
- Subdivision of rhythms practice.
- Reading/Song
- R-5-R bass pattern in a ballad style. How to use the pedal to create a legato sound.
- Improvisation
- Introducing diatonic chords and how to create an improvisation using only the F major scale. Roman numeral chord analysis.
- Bonus
- Creating an active left and right hand pattern using R-5-R bass accompaniment and chords in the right hand.
Unit 6 Full triad arpeggios on D, A, Bmin and G. How to move the pinky with the rest of the hands for better technique.
- Technique
- Full triad arpeggios on D, A, Bmin and G. How to move the pinky with the rest of the hands for better technique.
- Rhythm
- Subdivision of syncopated rhythms.
- Reading/Song
- Introducing voice leading and moving between triads in inversions.
- Improvisation
- Diatonic in the key of D. Analysis of the chords and creating an improvisation using chord tones and the D major scale.
- Bonus
- Congratulations, you've finished! Where to go from here using the material that you've already learned and resources to check out next.
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