How the Animal Notes Help Teach Timing to Young Piano Students
Our own musical experiences help shape the type of teacher we might become. For me, note reading and timing did not come naturally; therefore I struggled with these two concepts for most of my youth. I think that is why I have tried so hard to find ways to help my students overcome the difficulties I faced in these two areas. I know when I was trying to get the timing correct, my teacher would keep telling me to count and keep my count even. Counting was easy if I was not trying so hard to figure out the next note. I could hang on to any number for as long as it took me to figure out that note. My counting went something like this: 1 2——–34, not very good for a standard four count measure.
The creation of the Animal Notes has not only helped my young students learn their notes easier, but by recognizing the notes, they can count evenly. This enables them to hear the difference between a quarter note, half note, dotted half note and whole note. I also find that having them say quick for the eight notes is easier for them to understand and get a better sense of its value in proportion to the other notes. Older students can use the “one and, two and” counting for eight note timing without difficulty, but younger students truly struggle with this standard counting method for the eighth note.
In order to have music flow smoothly with the notes held down the correct amount of time relative to each other, one must be able to hear the difference in each of their values. To develop that skill the child must be able to recognize the notes and the Animal Notes make that possible.
Many of us were taught in the old fashion style of music and accepting something as different as Animal Notes just does not seem proper, but the real importance in our teaching is doing all we can to make it possible for the students we accept to become good musicians. To do this we must be willing to consider something different. I did, and I have found a wonderful helping hand in the Animal Notes when I agree to teach a young child.
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March 12th, 2007 at 9:13 am
You talk about animal notes but what exactly is it?
March 13th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
Thank you for your question Aubrey.
Since Standard Notes are quite hard for young children to relate to, I have made each note an animal, in most cases its head. Each of the animals’ names starts with the letter that the Standard Note is normally identified by, C is a Cat, etcetera.
In beginning piano, we normally teach nine notes, from the F below middle C to the G above middle C. This means we have two Fs and two Gs. So the child can differentiate between the lower F and G and the high F and G, I have made them different animals. For example, the lower F is a Fish that is down in the lake and the upper F is a frog that can sit on a log or lilly pad.
It is amazing how much this helps my young students learn to read notes and timing, enabling them to play the piano and enjoy music.
May 5th, 2007 at 12:06 am
That’s amazing! WOW!! What a creative teaching strategy!!
I have a question though: I see how this helps reading the notes, but how exactly does it help with timing?? Like a white cat? a black frog? like that?