Find the Right Piano Class for Your Child!
Learn piano with Merit School of Music! Piano classes give music-lovers a creative outlet and are a fun way to learn to read music and build strong practice habits.
Merit’s celebrated faculty create a supportive, fun, and challenging environment for kids and teens of all ages and experience levels. Our small class sizes provide a group experience while also allowing for individual attention.
New to Merit? Or not quite sure where your skills fit? Use our handy piano placement quiz below to find the right class level based on your child’s skill and experience. Returning Merit piano students should reference their teacher recommendation when selecting a Continuing Piano class.
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Merit Piano Placement Quiz
Need help? Contact Merit’s Piano Program Manager, Sarah Forbes, at sforbes@meritmusic.org
Is your child a beginner with no experience?
We recommend signing up for Beginning Piano (Unit 1 – 4 All in One Book A).
- Beginning Piano – Section A
- Beginning Piano – Section B
- Beginning Piano – Section C
- Beginning Piano – Section D
- Beginning Piano – Section E
- Beginning Piano – Section F
- Beginning Piano – Section G
- Beginning Piano – Section H
- Beginning Piano – Section I
- Beginning Piano – Section J
- Beginning Piano – Section K
- Beginning Piano – Section L
Does your child know the material covered in Hal Leonard Book A?
If your child knows….
- Numbering fingers
- How to identify and count quarter notes, half notes, whole notes, quarter
- rests, half rests
- How to read and count the 4/4 time signature
- How to identify and play dynamics such as piano (p) and forte (f)
- How to identify and play repeat signs
…then we recommend signing up for Continuing Piano (Unit 5 – 8 All in One Book B).
Choose from the following course codes when registering:
- Continuing Piano – Section M
- Continuing Piano – Section N
- Continuing Piano – Section O
- Continuing Piano – Section P
- Continuing Piano – Section Q
- Continuing Piano – Section R
- Continuing Piano – Section S
- Continuing Piano – Section T
- Continuing Piano – Section U
- Continuing Piano – Section DD
- Continuing Piano – Section EE
Example of a piece studied at this level – “Dreaming and Drifting”
Does your child know the material covered in Hal Leonard Book A & B?
If your child knows….
- Numbering fingers
- How to identify and count quarter notes, half notes, whole notes, quarter rests, half rests
- How to read and count the 4/4 time signature
- How to identify and play dynamics such as piano (p) and forte (f)
- How to identify and play repeat signs
- How to identify the grand staff (I.e. treble clef and bass clef)
- How to identify middle C and C-position 5-finger patterns
- How to identify and playing steps vs. skips
- How to identify and playing tied notes
- How to identify a Da Capo al Fine sign
- How to identify and play ¾ time signature.
…then we recommend signing up for Continuing Piano (Unit 9 – 11 All in One Book C).
Choose from the following course codes when registering:
- Continuing Piano – Section V
- Continuing Piano – Section W
- Continuing Piano – Section X
- Continuing Piano – Section Y
- Continuing Piano – Section Z
- Continuing Piano – Section AA
Example of a piece studied at this level – “Circle Dance”
Does your child know the material covered in Hal Leonard Book A, B, & C?
If your child knows….
- Numbering fingers
- How to identify and count quarter notes, half notes, whole notes, quarter rests, half rests
- How to read and count the 4/4 time signature
- How to identify and play dynamics such as piano (p) and forte (f)
- How to identify and play repeat signs
- How to identify the grand staff (I.e. treble clef and bass clef)
- How to identify middle C and C-position 5-finger patterns
- How to identify and playing steps vs. skips
- How to identify and playing tied notes
- How to identify a Da Capo al Fine sign
- How to identify and play ¾ time signature.
- How to identify and play articulations (i.e., staccato, legato, and slurs)
- How to identify and play intervals of 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th
…then we recommend signing up for Continuing Piano (Unit 12 – 14 All in One Book D).
Choose from the following course codes when registering:
- Continuing Piano – Section PP
- Continuing Piano – Section QQ
- Continuing Piano – Section RR
- Continuing Piano – Section SS
Example of a piece studied at this level – “Stompin” p. 24
Does your child know the material covered in Hal Leonard Book A, B, C, & D?
If your child knows….
- Numbering fingers
- How to identify and count quarter notes, half notes, whole notes, quarter rests, half rests
- How to read and count the 4/4 time signature
- How to identify and play dynamics such as piano (p) and forte (f)
- How to identify and play repeat signs
- How to identify the grand staff (I.e. treble clef and bass clef
- How to identify middle C and C-position 5-finger patterns
- How to identify and playing steps vs. skips
- How to identify and playing tied notes
- How to identify a Da Capo al Fine sign
- How to identify and play ¾ time signature
- How to identify and play articulations (i.e., staccato, legato, and slurs
- How to identify and play intervals of 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5t
- How to identify and play accidentals (sharps and flats)
…then we recommend signing up for Continuing Piano (Unit 15 – 19 Book 3).
Choose from the following course codes when registering:
- Continuing Piano – Section II
- Continuing Piano – Section JJ
- Continuing Piano – Section LL
Example of a piece studied at this level – “March”
Does your child know the material covered in Hal Leonard Book A, B, C, D, & Book 3?
If your child knows….
- Numbering fingers
- How to identify and count quarter notes, half notes, whole notes, quarter rests, half rests
- How to read and count the 4/4 time signature
- How to identify and play dynamics such as piano (p) and forte (f)
- How to identify and play repeat signs
- How to identify the grand staff (I.e. treble clef and bass clef)
- How to identify middle C and C-position 5-finger patterns
- How to identify and playing steps vs. skips
- How to identify and playing tied notes
- How to identify a Da Capo al Fine sign
- How to identify and play ¾ time signature.
- How to identify and play articulations (i.e., staccato, legato, and slurs)
- How to identify and play intervals of 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th
- How to identify and play accidentals (sharps and flats)
- How to identify and reading more complex rhythms such as dotted quarter notes, dotted half notes, eighth notes and eighth rests
- How to identify more complex dynamics such as mezzo forte (mf) and mezzo piano (mp) and dynamic markings such as crescendos and decrescendos
- How to identify and play C, G, and D major scales
…then we recommend signing up for Continuing Piano (Unit 20 – 23 Book 4).
Choose from the following course codes when registering:
- Continuing Piano – Section KK
- Continuing Piano – Section MM
Example of a piece studied at this level – “The Bass Singer” Book 4 p. 39
Does your child know the material covered in Hal Leonard Book A, B, C, D, & Book 3 & 4?
We recommend joining Units 24+.
Students will study piano duet and piano ensemble literature in these classes, in addition to music theory, music history, and ear training. These classes are available to students by teacher recommendation or a placement audition. Please contact sforbes@meritmusic.org if you need to complete a placement audition.
