The Black and White of the Piano Keyboard
The piano is a complex instrument to learn. As a child advances in lessons, more symbols are required to create the lovely tones of the music. To make things more complicated, the symbols are required to play different notes and move up and down the keyboard. Wow, what a challenge.
For the young student, this is not only challenging; it is a very daunting task. Finding the notes and getting them together correctly can be frustrating for them, so it is important that it be simplified as much as possible.
The structure of the piano keyboard really helps with this task. The white keys are grouped around the black in a simple pattern; three white keys are with the set of two black keys and four white are around the set of three black keys. By focusing on this arrangement it is easier for a young child to learn the keys of the piano. When working with the Animal Note method stories can be associated with the animal that lives in each location, using the note grouping to help. For example the three white notes around the group of two black notes are Cat, Dog, and Elephant. Of these three animals, the Cat is usually the smallest, so it would be at the bottom of the set of notes. Dog is always trying to dig his way out from under the treble clef, and he is located between the two black notes that are his fence on the keyboard. The Elephant towers over the other two animals and makes his home on the top white key of the three; it is higher and suits him better.
The stories about the notes and their locations provide the visual and mental clues that help place the notes on the staff and the keyboard. The Animal Note Flash Cards provide the transition between the animal notes and standard musical notes. A young child learns best when learning is fun.
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