Piano for Kids

Right now I am working with my graduating senior piano student on the music she is preparing for her Senior Recital.  She has selected a wonderful program of music that cares the listener through the historic development of music.  It has given us both a great opportunity to discuss the development of music through time, including changes in music education.

When I started teaching some 40 years ago I used the same beginning books as I used when I started lessons in the third grade twenty years earlier.  I still use some of the Schaum method as my students move from the Animal method into standard notation.  The basic method of this series of music education books has changed little since I studied them as a child.  Historically, changes in music education have evolved slowly.

Because standard notation is difficult to for most students to understand at first, a lot of music teachers do not accept a student until they are 8 and/or in the third grade of school.  The Suzuki method of teaching does work with very young music students by developing their listening skills, but does not start note reading until later in the student’s musical training.  There are so many advantages for children to have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument early in life.  However, for most instruments note reading is at the very basis of becoming an accomplished musician.  The Animal Note method is the “new kid on the block” of music education.  It is one of those steps in the history of music education that allows children as young as 3 to become acquainted with music notes, and by 4 years, play simple pieces on the piano.  This is really a new idea, but I have worked with it for 15 years with positive successes.  With the word clues that are fun for the children and the Animal Note/standard note flash cards moving to standard notation is not a problem.  It does take longer for the youngest children to make the transition; that is why I am working on “fun music” similar to the Christmas Book.  This allows a child to have fun playing songs while growing more comfortable with note reading and spending time  reviewing the word clues, and the flash cards.  It is great; give it a try!

Last week I received the following from one of my 8 year old students along with a request that I put his letter in my blog because he wanted to share it with my readers.

“Ms. Glenna is the best piano or guitar teacher that you will ever know, and she has so much patience and she doesn’t just do the normal notes.  She does them as animal notes for better understanding of students and she is very, very nice.” Kyle

Yes, this makes me feel really good and I thank the Animal Note method for making this possible.  Because of them , children can succeed and feel good about themselves and the music they are learning. I can have fun with my students because they are not frustrated and are learning.  I can also be patient and kind for the same reasons.  The flash cards and word clues make the transition to standard notes almost like playing a game that the child feels good about because they know they have won it “fair and square.” 

Note reading and basic timing are the foundation stones for any musical training.  For children 9 and under the Animal Note method makes learning easier and fun.  Because of them, I have a student who wanted to share the good news with you.
 

I started working with a friend’s granddaughter when she was three.  As she only came to Grandma’s house about four times a year, we never made a lot of progress, but we had fun working with the animal notes, and she was always anxious for me to work with her when she was in town.

Three weeks ago the young family moved next door to my friend, and I started working with the child on a weekly basis.  She has just celebrated her fifth birthday.  She is so excited about having a “real piano lesson.”  It amazes me how much she has retained from our previous  work.  She has not forgotten the stories that go with the notes we had studied earlier, and now she has fun identifying the “back side” of the Animal Notes (I.e. the standard notes) that she knows on the flash cards. Last week when she arrived for her lesson she announced, “I learned the next animal and its songs, I hope you don’t mind.”  Of course I didn’t mind, but I wondered how well she had been able to accomplish this task.  To my delight, and hers, she told me the word story for the new animal and played each song perfectly as well as the songs I had assigned her.  Of course her Mom had helped her read about the new note, but the fact that a five year old is comfortable enough with the music she is learning that she would want to move ahead is amazing.  I am thrilled and excited for her and the wonderful Animal Note method of teaching music to young children.

To have a method of music instruction that enables a child of three to learn music notes and retain that information is very special in my opinion.  Then, to have the same system allow a child to work ahead with a little assistance from her Mom makes the system even more “note” worthy.  If you are a teacher that works with children 9 and under, I hope you will give the Animal Notes a try.  They could very easily make the lesson time and achievement of your young students a real joy.

The Animal Notes have made such a tremendous difference to so many of my young beginning piano students over the years; students that today play and enjoy their music to the fullest.  I have been so very thankful to have this unique, yet simple way of introducing the note reading to them when they were young.  I realize it has helped each of them in more ways than just music accomplishment and that brings great joy to my heart.  Animal Notes are not only a fun and easy way for them to learn notes; they are fun to work with as a teacher.  The Animal Notes can elicit some great comments from the children that bring laughter and joy to a simple music lesson.

I have had many requests to teach young children guitar, especially young boys.  Chord positions can be memorized, but they do not help the child play the melody of a song.  I find children are anxious to play a song that they, their family, and their friends recognize.  To do this on a guitar requires learning the note placement and the logic behind it.  Wow, that is not easy for some adults.

To meet the challenge I decided to try the Animal Notes.  It is working!    I have four students who are working with me on this.  We have even gone to my computer together and arranged songs to help them learn.  We are having a great time and most important, the children are successfully learning the note placement on the guitar and are playing simple melodies.  I know, my next book for guitar will need to be simple chords for the 6 to 12 year old age groups using the Animal Notes.  The great part of this new adventure is that the Animal Note Flash Cards, Timing, and fun music books written for the piano work as well for the guitar.

The Note Reading Guitar book is not quite ready, but it should be on this site in a couple of weeks.