Key Shapes & Exploding “FACEs”
Combining a gradually expanding warm-up routine with 5 concise Topic Area lessons, Key Shapes allows learners to master the connections between each of the 15 key signatures and the shapes they create on the instrument while mastering the logic behind the shapes. Mastery time can take from one semester to one year, depending upon the learner’s age and background, classroom schedule, and teacher priorities.
Exploding “FACEs” uses an innovative adaptation of a widely used trick to teach note placement, through which learners gain mastery of pitch placement in, above, and below all clefs. Mastery time can take one hour or less.
Goals
Efficiently and comprehensively train musicians in fundamental topic areas that comprise basic musicianship.
Provide a common vocabulary and a common approach to musical problem-solving for all of the fundamental knowledge-based challenges in music performance.
Provide a curriculum to individualize learning, leading to stronger student outcomes. Data can be easily gathered from this work and used for program development within a PLC program.
Greatly reduce the need for in-rehearsal remediation, leading to more productive and enjoyable rehearsals, ongoing improvement of performance quality, lower dropout rate, and significant reduction in discipline issues.
Major Components
Standard pedagogical practices from the classical and jazz traditions
Concise and comprehensive Learning Topic Areas
Free introductory videos for each topic area
Helpful written guides for each Learning Topic
Mastery activities for individualized assessment and support
Applicable for all instruments with special activities for string instrumentalists
Specifications
Using primarily standard pedagogy from classical and jazz traditions along with efficient organization and a few “CCMP only” activities, significant improvements can be made in student enrichment and program development over the course of a semester to a year.
The Exploding FACEs lesson uses the “FACE” trick, common for learning the spaces in treble clef, to quickly identify notes in, above, and below all clefs.
Key Shapes leads to mastery of important topics of core musicianship:
Keyboard note identification, including all 5 accidental types
Major and minor scale construction
Key signatures, including an introduction to the circles of 4ths and 5ths
Key Shapes. For string players, this means playing beyond the scales: mastering the hand shape sequences within each position, in every key. For winds and keyboards, it means playing from the bottom to the top of the range in every key, not just “do to do.”
Chaffee Core Musicianship Project Resources
Free instructional videos for each step in the process
Over a dozen free videos are available for use as in-class initial presentations. Links to the videos can be embedded into your online curriculum for easy at-home learner review. There are helpful introductory videos for both teachers and learners. The instructional videos vary from 4 to 11 minutes in length, whereas the Topic Overview videos are about 2 minutes.
Print materials and program information available for download
The complete Rhythm Workshop Student Pack, the complete Key Shapes Student Pack, and the Key Shapes Teacher Guide are all available for a modest fee. They are all downloadable PDFs which are easy to print for student use in class or to load into your online grading software for digital use. Using Notability or other apps, all the work can be completed and submitted digitally.
In-person support
In-person support is available from Mr. Chaffee and the Core Musicianship Project team. For prices and options to fit your needs, please contact Lori Rosolowsky at Open Sky Artists or Clark Chaffee at clarkchaffee@gmail.com.