A year of steady piano practice covers far more ground than most beginners realise. You started by finding middle C and sitting comfortably at the keyboard. By the end of the Academy's first year you are reading both staves, playing in three major keys and a minor one, counting dotted rhythms and pickups, shaping dynamics and phrases, and holding two voices or an Alberti bass under a tune. This review gathers it all together, with a checklist you can use at any piano to see what is secure and what needs another look.
Scales to play from memory
By now you should be able to play these scales smoothly, one octave, at a gentle steady speed:
- C major, each hand: thumb under after E in the right hand.
- G major, right hand: one sharp, F sharp; thumb under after B.
- F major, right hand: one flat, B flat; thumb under after B flat, and the top F is finger 4.
- A natural minor and A harmonic minor, left hand: the harmonic form raises G to G sharp.
Play each scale evenly, with every note the same length and volume. If one note bumps, it is usually the thumb crossing; slow down and practise just those three or four notes.
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Rhythms you should be able to count
Rhythm is where many players stay unsure for longest, so test yourself honestly. Tap or play this line on one key, counting "1 and 2 and" aloud.
You should also be comfortable with:
- quarter, half, dotted half and whole notes, and their rests;
- eighth notes and eighth rests, counted in half beats;
- ties, holding one sound for the combined length;
- the dotted quarter followed by an eighth: long, short;
- pickups, starting on the right beat before the first full bar;
- time signatures 4/4, 3/4 and 2/4.
Reading and keys
- Name notes on both staves, including ledger-line notes such as middle C, A5 and B5.
- Read a key signature: one sharp is G major, one flat is F major, none is C major or A minor.
- Understand sharps, flats and naturals written in the music, and that a sign lasts until the bar line.
- Hear whether a piece is major or minor.
Musical skills
- Play legato and staccato, and follow a slur.
- Use four dynamic levels, p, mp, mf and f, and get gradually louder or softer with a crescendo or diminuendo.
- Shape a phrase and breathe between phrases.
- Play two voices, one in each hand, each as a melody.
- Play an Alberti bass quietly under a tune.
- Recognise A–B–A form and use it when learning a piece.
A self-check routine
Set aside two or three practice sessions for an honest review. Work through it in this order.
- Warm up with a piece from early in the year that you know well, such as Lightly Row. Enjoy how easy it now feels.
- Scales. Play each scale above once. Mark any that stumble.
- Rhythm. Tap the review rhythm above, then make up two bars of your own using a tie or a pickup and tap them.
- Pieces. Play one piece from each of the later units: something in G major, something with a pickup, the Surprise theme or another piece with dynamics, the minuet and the sonatina.
- Listen. Record one or two pieces and listen as if you were someone else. Is the beat steady? Are the dynamics audible? Does the tune sing above the left hand?
- Write a short list of the three things that most need work. Not ten: three.
Fixing weak spots
If a topic on the checklist feels shaky, go back to the unit that taught it rather than pushing on regardless.
- Scales, sharps and G major: Unit 5.
- Ties, dotted rhythms, pickups and phrasing: Unit 6.
- Flats, F major, dynamics and eighth rests: Unit 7.
- Minor keys, naturals and two voices: Unit 8.
Earlier foundations, such as reading notes or counting basic note values, are covered in the guides on how to read notes and note lengths and rhythm.
Common mistakes in a review
- Rushing because the material is familiar. Old pieces still deserve a steady beat.
- Ignoring the left hand. Check the left-hand scales and accompaniments as carefully as the tunes.
- Judging yourself on one bad day. If something goes wrong, try it again tomorrow before deciding it needs work.
Try it in Pianuvo
The Academy's Year 1 review lesson gathers these skills into one session: scales, a rhythm check, sections of pieces from across the year and a mixed quiz, all scored as the app listens to you play on the on-screen keys, a MIDI keyboard or a real piano through the microphone. At the end you can take a five-minute practical check to confirm where Year 2 should begin. You will find it at the end of Unit 9: Toward the sonatina, and Year 1 review.