Book 1
begins with C the Cat, D the Dog, and E the Elephant in treble and bass clef. The lessons include exercises that help develop finger movement and include a familiar song. The next lessons add F the Frog and G the Goat with finger movement songs, including Beethoven’s Ode to Joy and Jingle Bells. The last lesson introduces the C scale, adding A the Alligator and B the Bear. It also includes the C chord, and these are used to play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Book 1 is best used with the Animal Note Flash Cards and the Animal Note Stickers and can be purchased together at a reduced price as the Book 1 Bundle.
Animal Note Flash Cards
were created for fun location of the notes on the piano. Students love to mix them up and find the correct animal on the piano keys, as well as make up their own songs. They come in sizes 3.5 x 4 and 8.5 x 5.5. The Animal Note Flash Cards can be used with Books 1-3, along with the Interactive Dry Erase Magnet Board and the Animal Note Piano Game.
Animal Note Stickers for Piano Keys
for the Piano Keys help with locating the animal note on the piano in both clefs. It comes with 36 stickers and can be used with Piano Books 1-3. We also have longer-lasting Vinyl Animal Note Stickers for the Piano Keys.
Book 1 Bundle
includes Book 1 Piano Book, Animal Note Flash Cards and Animal Note Removable Stickers.
Book 2
covers C Major and its relative A Minor scales and their chords, as well as F Major and its relative D Minor scales and chords. These scales and chords go with the songs that are in the book, such as Brahms Lullaby, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Swan Lake, and more.
Book 3
introduces the G Major scale along with the chords G Major, D Major, and D7 using colorful animal notes. Before the transition into regular notation and rhythm, students will learn songs in G Major, such as Bach’s Minuet in G, Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Bonnie Pantely’s Blues in G, and Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. They will also be introduced to the relative E Minor, as well as the chords E Minor and B Minor, which help in learning the song Greensleeves.
Rhythm is introduced with the use of animal notes in quarter notes, half notes, and whole notes in a fun way, by saying their names as students clap and play. They will learn regular notes in treble and bass clef through the rhymes FACE, Every Good Boy Does Fine, All Cows Eat Green Beans, and Go Buy Dessert For All. Learning the regular notation is also helped by coloring the notes the same as the animals. The piano curriculum continues using these notes in the songs London Bridge, Mary Had a Little Lamb, and many more. Students will also learn the musical terms crescendo, diminuendo, forte, and piano, which help them better express themselves with the music.
Book 4
continues to teach regular notation using rhymes and colors. More rhythms are introduced through the book, such as quarter note, half note, whole note, and eighth note rests. The C major, F Major, G Major, A Minor, and B-flat Major scales are in whole notes for easy reading and can be colored the same as the animals if needed to help students make the transition.
Along with a review of whole notes, half notes, and quarter notes, dotted half, dotted quarter, eighth, and sixteeth notes are introduced, with exercises and practice pages that go along with the song that is being learned. Chords are reviewed from the Piano Books 1-3, as well as introducing the B-flat Major, E-flat Major, and E Major chords.
Songs in the book include Haydn’s Surprise Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty Waltz, Saint-Saens The Swan, Mousorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, and Scott Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag. Students will also learn additional musical terms, such as Time Signature, Octave, mp (mezzo piano), mf (mezzo forte), and Adagio et legato.
Interactive Animal Magnet Dry Erase Board
is a fun, interactive way to learn to read notes in both treble and bass clefs. By placing each animal on their line or space, students learn their location on the Grand Staff. It comes with four of each colorful animal, four sharp signs, four flat signs, and a dry erase black marker. The Interactive Dry Erase Magnet Board comes with the Animal Note Magnets and is ideal for classes or groups, and can be used with the Music Ditties Piano Books and the Animal Note Piano Game.
Animal Note Magnets
make it fun and easy for any age student to learn the location of all the notes on the Grand Staff. The magnets are 3/4″ for easy handling and fit perfectly on the Interactive Dry Erase Magnet Board. The glossy finish makes the animals clear and colorful. There are four of each colorful animal, four sharp signs, and four flat signs. They come in a reuseable bag for easy storage. The magnets should be supervised when used by ages four and under but are good for children 5 and up.
Animal Note Piano Chart Cards
fit on the back of the piano keys to help with location of notes. These are great for traveling teachers and for those who would like to use these in combination with the Animal Note Stickers. They come in a set of 7 that reaches 7 octaves.
Animal Note Piano Cards
are used as a game for location of notes and can be combined with the Animal Note Flash Cards and the Interactive Dry Erase Magnet Board. They come in a set of 4, 11 x 4.5 cards that can be placed on the floor or table. Students can choose an Animal Note Flash Card and then find it on the Animal Note Piano Card or locate it on the Interactive Dry Erase Board. They can be used in private or classroom settings.
Animal Note Piano Game
is a fun way to learn the location of the notes on the piano keys. The game includes the Animal Note Piano Cards, Animal Note Flash Cards, Interactive Dry Erase Magnet Board, and instructions for the game. There are 4 Animal Note Piano Cards that can be used for 4 players. Animal Note Piano Cards can be ordered separately if there are more students.
Animal Note Bulletin Board Border
is a great way to decorate your bulletin board and teach students the notes on the piano keys. It comes with a set of 16 cards.
Music Ditties Book Bag
is a cute book bag to keep your books, flash cards, etc. for storing and traveling.
About the Creator of Music Ditties
Bonnie received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Florida and received her Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan.
Teaching Experience
Bonnie has been teaching for over 25 years in both piano and oboe and is currently taking students
online through Skype or Take Lessons (www.takelessons.com). In 2012 she created a fun, new
beginning piano curriulum: The Pantely Piano Book series, which uses colorful animals in place of note
letters to teach note- reading and piano. The series includes four piano books, Animal Note Stickers,
Animal Flash Cards, and an Animal Note Dry-Erase Magnet Board. This piano curriculum has been
enjoyed and recommended by students and teachers nationally over the last six years, and in 2016 was
featured in the Music Teachers National Association Magazine, of which Bonnie is a member.
Performance Experience
Bonnie has been performing in various groups for over 25 years. She played with the Tampa Symphony
and the Detroit Symphony. Currently living in the Orlando area she has performed for such venues as
Universal studios, the Orlando Museum of Art, the Morse Museum, and the Winter Park Art Festival,
among others.
Recordings
Bonnie’s oboe and piano music can be found on CDBaby, Itunes, and Spotify, featuring different styles of
music, including pop, jazz, and rock along with her original works.