Piano for Kids

A lot of four year olds can sing the “Alphabet Song” perfectly, and some can give you all the names of the alphabet letters in order without the song, some of the time.  However, they do not have much concept of how these letters are used and only a few can recognize them on the printed page.  Yes, we do have the few who are starting to read at four, but they are the “exception not the rule.”

Music training in many parts of the world is based on the first seven letters of the alphabet, so when a four year old starts piano lessons without the basic knowledge and recognition of these letters, the teacher must first teach this skill and then associate it with the notes.  Many times the child becomes so frustrated with this process they will not pay attention and do not want to cooperate with you.

Notes can be called by any name; it is the recognition of their placement on the Grand Staff and the location of that note on an instrument that is important in developing musical skills. Animals are not only familiar to a child; they are also something they enjoy.  Fun stories, that give memory clues, can be associated with the animals and where they are located on the staff. These memory clues help the child build a basis for future reference as they move on to standard notes; thus enabling the child to concentrate on learning to play the piano even before they have entered kindergarten and formal training in reading. 

The seven basic musical tones go by several names.  Here in American they are given the names of the first seven letters of the alphabet.  In many European countries they are named do, re, me, fa, sol, la, ti.  What they are called is only a tool that enables an individual to learn where they are located on the Grand Staff of music and how to find them on an instrument or vocally.  This sounds logical enough, but it is not all that easy, especially for young children.

In piano, learning begins with the nine notes, middle C and the four notes below and above it.  To make note reading easier for my young students I started giving each of these notes names starting with the letter of the relative note.  Each animal has a story with it that helps to identify where it is located on the Grand Staff.  To further help the children I started drawing little caricatures of each animal’s head and in the case of the fish, the whole body.  With the help of my niece and one of my sons, we were able to produce the books you see on this site.  What a blessing they have been for the last twelve years of my teaching.  They have not only made note reading simple for my young students, but the children have fun while learning to play. The animals and their stories can be used to assist in the child’s learning of the basic and important elements of music theory.

There are many methods available for teachers to start their students.  Young students, ages four to eight, usually need books developed to match their stage on the developmental curve.  Yes, some young children do develop faster than others the same age, but even these fast developers need to start with methods and books that makes music fun, thus helping them progress faster and develop better techniques. 

I have found the Animal Notes to be such a blessing with very young children, but I have used them for older students that were having trouble learning the notes.  I have even used them for adults that have become frustrated by not being able to easily read the notes.  The Animal Notes give them that extra boost that pushes them over the wall to success.  For some individuals, regardless of age, reading music seems like an unsolvable mystery.  Many years ago I had a piano student’s father tell me he would love to learn to play the piano.  I told him it was never too late.  His reply, “It is for me, I tried once and the bass notes were just too confusing, why can’t they be in the same place as the treble notes.” 

So many potential pianists are lost before they have a chance to truly enjoy the beauty and satisfaction of playing.  Since the development of the Animal Notes, I have not lost a student because they failed note reading.  What a joy that has been to me. 

Yes, you’re right, piano students in the early days of taking lessons do not practice at home, at least very much.  For young students the Animal Notes do help because the children can read the notes easily.  However, there is often no point of reference at this point in their young lives to link the importance of practicing at home.  As a teacher, it is like starting from “ground zero.”

Here is one method I use.  I talk to my young student about what he/she does during the day.  From this I find a time that they could easily remember to go to the piano and play their assigned pieces.  Right after a meal is often a good starting point.  Doing it after a meal means they do not have to interrupt some other activity.  I then talk to the child about how they would feel if their Mommy or Daddy did not do the jobs for which they are responsible.  What would it mean if Mommy just “didn’t take time” to fix you something to eat or get you a snack, or Daddy “didn’t take time” to go to work to earn money for the family?  They usually agree that would not be pleasant.  I can then stress that playing their piano pieces one time every day is one of their jobs, and it is not pleasant when they don’t do their job, just as it is not a good idea for anyone not to do their jobs. I stress that it is their “job” to practice their piano.

If this information does not soak in the first time, it must be repeated in different forms, but patience and persistence pay off.  I do ask that my young students play each assigned piece once a day.  That is not much.  It only takes a few short minutes, but it is enough that the child makes satisfactory progress.  What I am trying to do at this point is to give them the great gift of “developing good practice habits”.

Young children are very sensitive and perceptive.  They are like small dry sponges ready to soak up knowledge and feelings.  That is why it is so important to their overall development that you handle their education in music carefully and with wisdom.  Starting them out using the Animal Notes is a positive move.  Very young children learn best by association.  Being able to link new knowledge to what they are already familiar with helps lay a strong base on which to build their music education.  Since you are likely to work with this child for several years, you want to lay the foundation carefully.

Some of the “stones” used to build that foundation are the way you address situations.  For example a child has just played the song you assigned last week and has done a very good job in accomplishing the assignment. You can reward the child’s effort with positivism or with words of praise. .There is a difference between these two approaches.  For example consider these two statements.  “I told you that you could do a good job with that song.”  Or, “That is great!”  The first tells the child you believe in his/her ability to do well.  That is a strong statement.  As you develop a good teacher-student relationship with the child, these words build confidence and a desire to please you.  The second statement is also strong and beneficial, but must be used sparingly.  It should be a true reward for outstanding work that they have put effort into accomplishing beyond your expectations.

Everyone likes receiving “Warm Fuzzes” in their lives.  Those words of praise for a job well done, when you feel you have truly worked hard on an assignment, really boost one’s ego and help to renew efforts. However, if given too often, these words lack meaning, or worse yet, cut back one’s effort because it is just too easy to think we are good enough and really don’t need to get better. 

The pattern of the keys on the piano keyboard is great when it comes to teaching very young children. There are sets of two black notes with a space on each side between them and the sets of three black notes. Associated with the two black notes are three white notes and there are four white notes associated with the three black notes. The pattern is repeated seven times on the keyboard with a few extra notes on each end.

When I start a young child in piano, I first organize their learning around the two black notes in the center of the keyboard and the three white notes that touch them. I talk to the child about Middle C or Middle Cat being the center note on the Grand Staff. I tell them the notes are hung on the grand staff like pictures on a wall. Every family member has its own special place where its picture belongs on the wall or Staff. We then find Middle Cat on the piano. From this note we play all the notes to the right. The sound becomes higher and higher. They love the top C that hardly has a sound at all. We then play all the sounds down from Middle Cat and listen to the sounds as they get deeper in tone.

We now talk about the location of Middle Cat in relations to the two black notes. It is located at the bottom of the two black notes. As they hit the key, I make a funny Meow sound, and let them hit the key several times and say Meow. I furnish a printed keyboard with the books that fits behind the keys with the pictures of each animal on the proper key for the children to refer to in the early stages of learning. This helps them learn the location of the notes. A child normally wants to look at their hands in action. By putting the Animal Notes behind the keys, not on the keys, the child’s eyes are diverted from their hands.

It is now time to go to the first song in the book that features Middle Cat. I tell them that each time they see the picture of Middle Cat on the music sheet; they should knock on the Cat key on the keyboard. In the first lesson, the child usually learns Cat and Dog and the songs associated with them. They are so proud of what they have accomplished, and I am so proud of them.

It has been my personal experience that teaching very young children is very rewarding, but also very challenging.  I want to share with you through this blog some of what I have learned in my own personal experience that might help you in teaching piano to very young children.

First I visit with the Mom (or in a few cases the Dad) at length about the child who will be starting lessons with me.  What is the child’s placement among the other children in the family or is he/she an only child? What is the child’s basic temperament?  What are his/her favorite things to do?  As you visit with the interested adult you will come up with other questions you might want to ask, but the ones I have mentioned provide a good starting point. All the information could be helpful in teaching this young individual.

One thing I have found true with almost all of my 4 and 5 year olds is that they have short attention spans. Therefore I tell the parent in the beginning that the first few lessons will probably be less than 30 minutes as I do not want to burn out the child before I have a chance to get his/her interest.  With the Animal Notes, I am able to increase the time fairly quickly by having the child play over the pieces already learned.  This strengthens the child’s ability and gives them a sense of pride in what they have accomplished. Since the Animal Notes are easy for them to read, they do not normally mind playing some, if not all, of the pieces they have already learned.  Should the child get frustrated, I talk to them about their interests, and then play word games with the Animal Notes. This usually works, but if it doesn’t, I cut the lesson short because I realize something besides music may be bothering them.

I just have to share with you what arrived in my e-mail box this last week. First let me tell you a little about Sean.  He came into my life when he was a tiny baby.  I was teaching his two older sisters, and his Mom often came in with him  when she brought the girls.  Later I baby sat him for his mother.  When the children lost their natural grandmother, I became his adopted grandma.  Because Sean was with me a lot, we started working on piano when he turned 5.  At that time I would draw the Animal Notes on hand drawn staffs to help him read the notes.  

He e-mailed me his recent English paper which tells his story in his own words.  Hopefully, it will encourage you to agree to teach young children.  The Animal Notes will help you, and you will have the opportunity to develop a wonderful talent for these youngsters.

Sean Dandurand
April 22, 2007
English Composition
Piano

Thanks to my adopted grandma, I am talented at playing the piano.
I¹ve been playing the piano since I was in kindergarten. Since I was young, my adopted grandma has been teaching me for several years. She was always telling me to practice, but I wasn¹t always that good about doing so. Every week I went to see her and I had not practiced. When I would finish playing, she would say, “Œ¹ Sean, you didn¹t practice this week, did you?” She didn¹t even have to ask me, she just knew.  She made me play the song seven times for every day I missed practicing. When I got older, I got tired of playing the same song over and over. I knew she was trying to teach me more than to play the piano. She was teaching me patience and concentration. The piano is really fun, but only when you play the song you like. Now that I am a lot older, I play bigger books and a little more advanced songs like Moonlight Sonata. The thing was my grandma moved away out of town. So, she asked my mom if she could teach at our house every Thursday. Mom agreed.  Now I have to admit that I would never have this talent if it wasn¹t for my adopted grandma.  I wouldn¹t even be thinking of playing the piano. Now I think I will try to play more songs and get more into piano. That is how I got my talent, all thanks to my adopted grandma.