Piano for Kids

The Animal Note method is designed so anyone can learn the basis of note reading and timing without prior knowledge.  The Piano Note Reading Book introduces the first nine notes that are most used in early piano music.  They are placed on the keyboard and the Grand Staff.  Each note is introduced starting with middle C, which is a caricature of a cat’s face.  The cat has whiskers and likes to play in the box between the Treble and Bass Clef.  This fun story helps a student remember the note location on the Grand Staff and transfer that knowledge to standard music notation. There is only one song following the introduction of middle C and one with the introduction of D. More songs are used for each additional note introduced.

The Guitar Note Reading book has a large graph in the front of the book that shows the notes used on the guitar and their location on the upper neck of the instrument.  There is also a list of helpful word clues to help the student learn the note location on the grand staff, and to be used with the flash cards for easy transfer to standard music location. There is a small graph at the top of each song showing the notes used in the song in their appropriates location. The music is written on the normal Grand Staff allowing the student to learn note reading from the first lesson. 

A set of Flash Cards show the Animal Notes on one side and the corresponding standard note on the other.  By using the stories associated with each Animal Note, reviewing the notes learned with these word clues, and then using the word clue with the same standard note, it is amazing how quickly your children will learn the notes. A list of word clue ideas for all 21 Grand Staff notes is included with the cards to help learn all the notes in standard notation.

We also highly recommend the Timing Book, which is also written in the Animal Notes.  Because the notes are easily recognized the children can concentrate on the timing.  Note reading and timing are the basis of all music.  Any instrument can be learned with this knowledge. Note reading is also very valuable in singing.

We have two “Fun Song Books” to support learning and make it more fun.  Every child likes to play a song they recognize and others hearing it will enjoy and give favorable comment.  For a child six and under, it also gives more time to learn and feel comfortable with note reading and timing.

Many parents have already ordered the books and have told me of the fun and success they have experienced teaching their own children.  We hope you will seriously consider doing so as well.  Remember you can always e-mail us for help and support.

The last three weeks have been so exciting for me.  I was invited to introduce the Piano Note Reading Book to a third and fourth grade piano class at a Magnet Art Elementary School.  The Piano Studio has 25 electric pianos for the children’s use.  They have an excellent teacher with over thirty years of teaching experience, both in public school and private lessons.  It is a real joy to work with her, but what is exciting, for both of us, is how well the children are learning their notes.  We work with both the Flash Cards and the Note Reading books.  The Keyboard guide, which I include with each beginning book, is carefully placed in back of the black keys of each instrument.  Each lesson we review, using the Flash Cards, the notes we have already learned.   We then review a couple of old pieces, and learn a new song and sometimes a new note.  They have class twice a week. 

The fourth graders have mastered five notes and the third graders are close behind with four.   The Animal Note method enables the children to learn the location of a note on the Grand Staff, use the word clues to help recognize the standard note on the Grand Staff, find the note on the keyboard, and play a song from day one.  While they are practicing a song, I have time to walk around the room, helping and correcting any problems with each child.  I give extra help to the children I sense are having more difficulty once I have given all the children my undivided attention. 

It is so rewarding to watch the joy in the children’s eyes because they are successfully playing “music”.  It is also helpful and rewarding to be able to work in a classroom situation so I can learn what products I might be able to alter or create that will help the teacher provide the best instruction possible in beginning music classes.