Piano prep for preschoolers.
A joyful, age-appropriate first step into music at the keyboard — built for the boundless curiosity of ages 3 to 4.
Made for this Stage.
Pre-Notes is our piano prep program designed especially for preschoolers — children at a stage of boundless curiosity, imagination, and discovery.
At this age, music learning isn’t about formal instruction; it’s about building the foundation for musical understanding through play, movement, and exploration.
Each lesson combines singing, movement, and exploratory piano in a carefully sequenced curriculum that nurtures nine key pre-piano skills, including rhythm and pulse, pitch awareness, listening, fine motor skills, and early understanding of musical patterns, letters, and numbers.
Our goal is to meet children where they are — helping them develop musical awareness, coordination, and confidence in a joyful, age-appropriate way.
Learning in Action.
Our Pre-Notes lessons are dynamic, focused, and collaborative. Children learn through doing — analyzing, experimenting, performing, and reflecting — building the independence and musicianship that drive engagement, motivation, and progress.
What we're building.
Understanding
- Recognizing highs and lows, fast and slow, loud and soft
- Exploring how sounds can express feelings and stories
- Discovering musical patterns, pulse, and pitch through exploration
- Building aural awareness long before reading notation
Skills
- Developing coordination and fine motor control for future piano playing
- Strengthening listening and imitation skills through songs and echo games
- Moving in time and responding to rhythm with the whole body
- Experimenting at the piano with confidence and curiosity
Mindset
- Growing confidence through creative success and self-expression
- Learning to listen, take turns, and work cooperatively with others
- Cultivating curiosity and imagination through open-ended activities
- Building a joyful, can-do attitude toward music and learning
The KeyNotes Difference.
What makes Pre-Notes unique is the balance of structure and freedom.
Our curriculum is:
Sequential yet flexible
Each concept is introduced, reinforced, and revisited through varied, creative experiences.
Research-informed
Rooted in early childhood learning theory and music pedagogy, designed to align with how young children actually learn.
Integrated
Singing, movement, and piano work together to develop the whole musician — mind, body, and imagination.
Thematic and engaging
Seasonal topics keep learning relevant and joyful, inviting children to connect music with their world.
Topic-based learning.
Our year-long curriculum is based around the four seasons, with three cycles of three lessons within each one, as well as one-off lessons for events such as Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day.
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
The skills we develop.
Every activity, song, and game nurtures and develops the following nine pre-piano skills.
Exploratory Piano
Improvisation and development of hand and arm technique in relation to themes and characters.
Rhythm & Pulse
Responding to music through various activities develops a strong sense of inner pulse, and the ability to imitate and make new rhythms.
Movement
Movement activities help with body co-ordination and experiencing inner pulse — essential for this age and stage and how they learn.
Letters & Numbers
Musical literacy uses letters & numbers, so we develop understanding and application of these in music.
Fine Motor Skills
Using manipulatives and arts & crafts to work on fine motor skills helps prepare for finger dexterity.
Listening
Listening to a wide range of music genres develops awareness of music and intention, exposing children to various musical elements.
Patterns
Music is built on patterns, so we provide opportunities to work with patterns in a variety of ways — playing instruments and games.
Singing
Singing activities include songs for learning, such as the musical alphabet, nursery rhymes, and echo songs for the development of aural skills.
Pitch Awareness
Echo songs and tuned percussion instruments help develop a sense of pitch — moving up and down, as well as highs and lows.
Piano at the center.
There are many wonderful Early Years Music classes which develop general musicianship skills; however, we offer a unique program that really does put the piano front and center of everything.
Our Pre-Notes children have opportunities to listen, play, dance, and engage with the piano in so many ways. We have improvisation both in terms of soundscapes (making the hedgehog hide away) and as pieces of music — black key improvisations with an accompaniment to illustrate elements such as a rainbow, snow falling, and jellyfish.
They are also asked to move in various ways to different extracts (a ladybug resting, crawling, and flying), responding as the music changes. Finally, we have story pieces where the piano narrates and illustrates our Spring or Winter walk.
All our piano songs and accompaniments are original and created with specific intention — like our icicles improvisation accompaniment, where children are encouraged to play short notes, lifting their hands off each one.
Your child’s first notes start here.
A joyful, age-appropriate first step into music at the keyboard. See available classes or email us to find the right group.