Succeeding at the Piano, Theory and Activity Book - Grade 2A (2nd Edition): Piano Book

This theory book refuses the tired workbook formula of blank lines and fill-in-the-blank sentences. Instead, Marlais builds genuine engagement through varied activities that feel like play without sacrificing rigor. Students move between matching games, interval identification with actual drawing, composing their own melodies, and ear training, none of it feels like punishment, and all of it sticks.

Accessible and alive. Activities move quickly enough to hold attention while building genuine understanding of intervals, note names, and basic composition. The variety keeps both the student and the teacher engaged across a full unit of study.

Any piano teacher working with Grade 2A students who wants theory to reinforce what's happening at the keyboard, not exist as separate busywork. This is equally valuable for students who need extra reinforcement and those ready to think more deeply about what they're playing.

• Space the activities across the week rather than assigning the entire book at once. Three short exercises completed thoughtfully will teach more than a rushed page finished before the lesson.
• Use the ear training section during the first five minutes of the lesson when ears are freshest. Student attention to sound quality directly impacts how much they retain.
• Sit beside the student for the composing opportunities rather than simply assigning them. Your modeling of creative choices, why one note works better than another, teaches musicianship alongside theory.

Integrate one or two activities per week into regular lessons as a natural extension of the pieces and exercises students are learning. The composing section works especially well in mid-year when students have enough keyboard vocabulary to create something satisfying. Teachers can also assign specific activities to address patterns they're noticing (more interval work if intonation is fuzzy, more ear training if note-reading lags).

• Identifying and drawing intervals (seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths)
• Reading and notating notes on the grand staff with fluency
• Ear training for pitch recognition and basic interval hearing
• Creating simple melodies with awareness of phrase and direction
• Understanding the relationship between written notation and keyboard geography
• Pattern recognition in theory (matching exercises, finding intervals in real music)