The First Step in Children's Piano

[Isabella Kelly]

The first thing a child should learn at the piano is the grouping of
two and three black keys. It is the spine of visual recognition at the
piano. You may have to keep coming back to it, but at first make the
task be to find C, the white key to the left of any group of two black
keys.
Ask the child to find every C on the piano. As you point out the two
blacks, gesture for them to find the white key to the left of the
group you have selected.
This will immediately bring up the subject of left and right, a
concept that children 4 to 6 are just starting to grab hold of. In
other words, discerning left and right is the root skill of finding
notes at the piano, and thus no training in finding particular notes
can be undertaken until the left/right skill is broached and then
mastered.
If the child has trouble finding the notes you ask for, it may well be
that lack of the left/right skill alone that accounts for their
difficulty.
The time tested method for kids finding left and right is the
question, "With which hand do you hold your pencil?" But many kids are
unsure of even that, and some are only presently forming the habits
that will lead to one hand dominance.
Next, the white key Middle C, in the middle of the piano, should be
identified and marked with a sticker to remind the child of Middle C
as the "starting place" of the piano. This provides a sense of
security, in that all songs or exercises at the beginning of piano
study start on Middle C, which becomes their first "comfort zone."
Then start playing games on the white keys of the piano using a game
such as my FOURS. Using any finger, start ascending the white keys
beginning with Middle C. I start by trying to get the child to play a
multiple, say 2s or 3s, as they ascend. They may only comprehend "1s"
so go with what they are comfortable with.
Our real goal is to increase their "piano comfort zone" inch by inch,
patiently going over the ground again and again while disguising the
repetition cleverly as a series of games.
Next you should get a sense of how they are doing. After the game
FOURS, they should be warming up, realizing that this is not going to
be a painful, intellectual process. It's a fun game you play on that
great big piano.
I would not introduce reading music, fingering, hand position or
anything else at this time. First I would let them play at least
several familiar songs using PIANO BY NUMBER so that their first
experience at the piano is an easy-going one, wherein they feel proud
that they could play Jingle Bells, or Twinkle Twinkle, and can play it
for Mom and Dad.
That's enough for a first lesson. If they are older and can go
further, do so.
But for the youngest ones, set them loose with a PIANO BY NUMBER book
for a while and watch their confidence and skills grow before
embarking on learning standard musical notation at the piano.
Start with this slower approach at the beginning of piano lessons, and
you will be repaid with enthusiasm and confidence.
By John Aschenbrenner Copyright 2000 Walden Pond Press. Visit
http://www.pianoiseasy.com to see the fun PIANO BY NUMBER method for
kids.

Rocket Piano - The Ultimate Piano Learning Kit: http://www.pianomihv.tk/

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