How It Works
A Spiralling Journey Through Music Learning
Piano Umbrella is built around a spiral curriculum, a proven teaching method where each new unit builds on what students already know. Concepts are introduced gradually, revisited often, and explored in more depth over time.
This means your pupils gain confidence as they go, with each unit reinforcing key skills while gently introducing new ones. The result? A secure foundation in musical literacy, technique, and creativity, all delivered in a format that supports learning between lessons too.
The 3-Step Video Process
Each video in the course follows the same simple structure, designed to guide learners from first listen to confident performance.
Step 1: Watch
Get to know the piece before you play.
Students begin by simply watching and listening. The music is displayed on screen, while coloured notes and finger numbers highlight key elements to notice. It’s an engaging first encounter with the piece — no pressure, just musical immersion.
Step 2: Learn
Play along with colour guidance for confidence and accuracy.
Now it’s time to play. Notes and finger numbers are still colour-coded to help students stay on track. They can follow along at their own pace — and teachers can encourage them to slow the video down if needed.
Step 3: Perform
Play with confidence — no more colours, just you and the music.
In the final step, the colour-coding disappears. Students play the piece as it appears on the page, now guided by their growing knowledge of notation and muscle memory. It's a satisfying way to show progress and build independence.
Printable Resources
Alongside the videos, each unit includes printable PDFs to reinforce key concepts and extend learning. You can print these if you prefer working on paper, or use them directly on a tablet to keep the curriculum completely digital. Composition tasks can be completed on an iPad or tablet for a fully paper-free option.
Sight Reading Sheets
Building confident, fluent sight-readers, one step at a time.
Sight reading is introduced gently and progressively. Rather than focusing on identifying individual note names straight away, students are encouraged to "read the shape" of the music, recognising the direction and distance between notes as they move across the stave.
In the first units, all movement is conjunct (stepwise), helping students spot patterns and build fluency by following familiar shapes. Once they’re secure in this, skips (intervals of a third) are introduced to extend their reading vocabulary and develop a more flexible visual understanding of music.
Each sight-reading sheet directly links to the pieces in the unit, reinforcing key patterns and giving students practical, achievable challenges that develop real independence.
Composition Sheets
Creative confidence through guided composition.
Each unit includes a composition activity designed to consolidate the musical concepts just introduced. These tasks encourage students to apply what they've learnt, not only reinforcing their understanding of pitch, rhythm, and form, but also giving them the chance to make musical decisions and express their creativity.
The composition sheets provide clear frameworks that are achievable even for beginners, gradually increasing in complexity as the course progresses. They often use material from the unit’s pieces as a starting point, helping students explore familiar ideas in new ways and build their own short pieces using the same rhythms, notes, or structures.
Over time, this approach nurtures confident young musicians who understand music from the inside out, supporting improvisation, notation reading, and independent music-making.
A Curriculum That Grows With Your Students
Each unit gradually builds on the last, introducing new notes, rhythms, or techniques, while always revisiting what’s already been learned. This gentle layering of knowledge and skills makes the course feel supportive and achievable for every learner.
Ready to See It in Action?
Start your 7-day free trial today and explore the full Piano Umbrella course.
You’ll get instant access to step-by-step video lessons, printable (or tablet-friendly) resources, and a structured curriculum that makes teaching beginner piano students easier, more engaging, and more effective.