In September 2016 I started the Playground Sessions computer based piano lessons. Over time they’ve added content, new lessons and courses, and other tools to improve our piano skills. Their Social Media presence (Facebook at: Playground Sessions) has improved too. Late in 2018 they began “Challenges” to make learning more interesting and fun. They offered simple prizes awarded randomly among the participants. I won the Game of Thrones Vinyl LP (and a little LP turntable) in one of the challenges.
The first challenge of 2020 is the 30 Day Challenge. The idea is to develop a habit of playing every day. I just completed Day 5. A new lesson is loaded to the application every day, so you can’t work ahead, but if you’re behind, you can try to catch up. I started late on the first day, so I’m all good. Below is a capture of the screen showing the final exercise of the Day 5 Lesson. I’m not sure if they will offer a prize for this challenge, but the reward really is getting a daily practice habit.
The song, because you may or may not recognize it from the screen shot, is “The Entertainer” by Scott Joplin. At the end of the challenge we will be able to play a very simplified version of the song. For the very early, or raw, beginners, this will be a great introduction to the Playground Sessions system and help build learning skills. It will be good for those of us that have gotten some bad habits, too.