LESSON #2
WHAT A CHILD SHOULD EXPECT FROM PIANO LESSONS
Many parents have a rude awakening some time after beginning conventional piano lessons. It seems that all of a sudden, the child is no longer interested in the piano.
A child unhappy with piano lessons is a sign that something has gone seriously awry. My own experience is that a clever, experienced teacher can find a way to interest any child if they are patient enough. That's the truth. There is no magic formula. It's just good old patience, common sense and child psychology
Let's take a look at the usual reasons a child becomes disenchanted with piano lessons.
I find that conventional piano teachers are, on the whole, too strict. To most children nowadays, the piano is an elective after school activity. Repetition seems fun at first, but grows stale quickly to most kids if not refreshed by the teacher. Both teachers and children tend to be impatient, the teachers for achievement, and the children for free play and a respite from study.
Strangely enough, most conventional kids piano teachers adopt a one-size-fits-all attitude, never really attempting to examine what gentle touch might unlock the child's musical imagination. These teachers teach their method, and you either succeed or quit, regardless of who or what age you are. They move aside for no one, moving from one page to the next, teaching more or less how they were taught as children, because they know of no other way.
The general idea of this branch of academe is that all pianists, even four year old would-be hobbyists, are taught as if they were headed for Carnegie Hall. They are taught the same exercises and teaching pieces, without general reference to the real world of music the child is experiencing on the radio, computer and television.
It's agreed that you want a musical education for your child, or you wouldn't be reading this, but what do you really want for your child? Do you want to expose them to the competitive nature of the piano teaching business, with its conflicting methods and recitals and measurements, or do you want your child to grow up appreciating music and playing it happily as best they can?
Although it's clear that each child is a completely individual being, the "legitimate" piano teaching business has changed little since the early 1800s and the days of Beethoven's prize student, Carl Czerny. Czerny set a standard that is valid in many ways, certainly for some children, but perhaps not for all.
What the conventional methods do not consider is what the ultimate interest of the child in the piano will be. In other words, only a fool would ask the avearge child to become a professional musician. A wise man would allow this child to understand music in their own way. Everyone is not Einstein at the piano. They may good be at something else, but conventional piano teachers expect too much achievement and do too little to get it.
And the problems of learning the piano are the same, regardless of the method and the point in history. A human hand has five fingers and we're going to use them like a basketball team, as an integrated group. An easy concept for an adult to grasp, but how about five year olds?
In view of the difficulties involved in physically pressing the correct piano keys, might it not be appropriate to consider the manner of the teacher in this equation?
It may be acceptable for a piano teacher to drive a proven talent harder than the other children, but does this approach work with kids who have an interest in the piano but perhaps more modest talents? Don't these kids deserve a shot at learning the piano, even though they are the slowest hikers in the pack?
Common sense tells you to tailor your presentation to this young, general audience, and this audience wants fun and cannot stand repetition until they have a taste of why repetition is necessary. You have to allow them what I call a honeymoon period, in which the piano is in essence brought to them rather than making them struggle up a mountain for no apparent reward.
The reward must always be present, even if it is only the teacher's warm, appreciative manner. In the beginning of piano studies, praise and warmth are worth more than any method, and will get you farther.
With this in mind, there are several things that a parent or teacher needs to remember before embarking on teaching a child the piano. Here is what a child can reasonably expect from a clever, creative and intelligent piano teacher:
First, children are entitled to a piano lesson that is an engaging and enlightening experience. A piano lesson is not a boxing match for the child to win or lose, according to the teacher's view. It should be a forum for the child to be allowed to hone whatever humble talents they may have. And the piano teacher's assigment is to be patient and clever enough to nurture that individual child's talents on that day, at that hour.
Second, children respond much better if the music they play if familiar to them. Use whatever songs they naturally hear around them, from church to television to computer to school. Find the tunes they know and use them to teach. This requires much more effort on the teacher's part, when they may, somewhat lazily, want to go from page to page in a text, which is easier for the teacher.
Use familiar tunes to increase the bond with the instrument. Use the "pretend music" book exercises (such as the Bastien series) ONLY when teaching the later stages of how to read music. A child knows psychologically when the music has been written for some purpose other than musical enjoyment. Be clever enough to distinguish between real music, which inspires, and teaching pieces, which have a necessary but secondary place. Mix their usage or risk burn-out.
Third, not every lesson will be their best. We all have off days. Use a giant human thermometer to take their emotional temperature and act accordingly on that day alone. Because they do not do well today does not define who they are at the piano. I'm not saying to let them do anything they want. I'm telling that you can try to herd cats or you can develop a more understanding relationship with your cat, as it were. Children are hard to predict and harder to force to learn anything. Play piano games or music history games as a first resort, not a last resort. Use any device but make the mood fun, light and informative. As soon as the lesson becomes a critical arena fraught with negativity and guilt, the child will start to subconsciously hate the piano for causing them pain, such as a teacher's disapproval.
Fourth, no child wants a lesson that is completely consumed with reading sheet music and complex technical tasks, such as fingering and exercise pieces. You have to teach these things eventually, but have the good sense to look in the child's eye, and when enough is enough, pull back and play a game. In fact, during some intense sight reading game, I always quietly whisper, "And then we're gonna play a fun game when you're done!" so they know the reward is coming. There are lots of ways to stimulate musical interest including playing by ear and improvising.
Lastly, children have a natural learning speed limit. Obey that limit or you will run over their enthusiasm, flattening it. Just because some other student learned that piece in two minutes is no reason that another child should be expected to do the same. Gauge their endurance like a runner. When they sweat and are out of breath, take a break. Reading music exhausts children very quickly, five minutes being the limit for most kids. You actually want to stop just before they reach their limit, and sweep them on to something else much more fun, and THEN come back to that same difficult music reading spot and try again. Refresh and exhaust, refresh and exhaust.
Remember every second of the lesson belongs to the child. It's not your opportunity to expound and prove your method and theories. It's about them, not you.
A piano lesson is a child's chance to start speaking the language of music.
Course One
TEACHING TOOLS
#1 TEACHING CHILDREN'S PIANO
#2 WHAT A CHILD SHOULD EXPECT FROM PIANO LESSONS
#3 WHAT IS FINGERING AND WHEN DO WE USE IT
#4 PIANO BY NUMBER AND OTHER STARTING METHODS
#5 THE FIRST PIANO LESSON
#6 MINUTE BY MINUTE PIANO LESSON
#7 TOYS AND ACCESORIES FOR FUN PIANO LESSONS
#8 READING MUSIC FOR KIDS STEP BY STEP
#9 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WORST AND BEST TEACHER
#10 A CHILD'S CLASSICAL MUSIC LISTENING LIST
Course Two
TEACHING BACKGROUND
#11 A SHORT HISTORY OF THE PIANO
#12 A SHORT HISTORY OF PIANO METHODS
#13 A PLEASANT PIANO LESSON ATMOSPHERE
#14 ADVICE TO A YOUNG PIANO TEACHER
#15 WHY I TEACH PIANO
#16 A PIANO TEACHER'S EMOTIONS
#17 PACE AND CHILDREN'S PIANO LESSONS
#18 CHILDREN'S PIANO MOTOR SKILLS DEFINED BY AGE
#19 CHILDREN'S PIANO FINGERING OVERVIEW
#20 GUILT IS THE WRONG WAY TO BUY ATTENTION
Course Three
PIANO GAMES
#21 FOURS, A PIANO COUNTING GAME
#22 THE PIANO DICE GAME
#23 PIANO HAND POSITION GAMES
#24 THE USE OF HUMOR IN PIANO LESSONS
#25 HAPPY OR SAD: EAR TRAINING FOR KIDS
#26 FOLLOW THE LEADER: VISUAL PIANO GAMES
#27 PIANO GAMES TO PLAY WHEN ALL GOES WRONG
#28 PRECURSOR SKILL PIANO GAMES
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
See also: PIANO BY NUMBER, a series of fun books for beginning piano students of all ages.
See also: EZINE ARTICLES, a list of publications which include John Aschenbrenner's writings about the piano.
See also: ARCHIVES at pianoiseasy.com, which contains a large collection of games and articles about children and the piano. Below is a list you will find on that site:
ARTICLES ABOUT CHILDREN AND PIANO
Click here for the FREE EBOOK, a good place to start.
Click here to read the NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES, including lots of valuable information from teachers and parents from various sources.
Click here to read ARTICLES FROM NEWSWEEK and other periodicals regarding children and piano study.
Click here to read an INTERVIEW with the author of PIANO IS EASY.
Click here to read the essay, HOW CAN I HELP MY CHILD READ MUSIC?
Click here to read the entire tutorial HOW TO TEACH YOUR CHILD TO READ MUSIC
Click here to read the report WHAT IS A GOOD AGE TO START PIANO LESSONS?
Click here to read the essay PIANO LESSONS: A CHILD'S POINT OF VIEW
Click here to read the essay WHEN IS LEARNING FINGERING NECESSARY?
Click here to read the article A CHILD'S BILL OF RIGHTS FOR PIANO LESSONS
Click here to read the article IS PRESCHOOL A GOOD AGE TO START PIANO?
Click here to read the article BRAINS, CHILDREN AND PIANO
Click here to read the article WHY THE PIANO IS THE BEST CHILD'S MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
ARTICLES ABOUT PRESCHOOL CHILDREN AND PIANO
Click here to read the article TEACHING PRESCHOOL CHILDREN PIANO
Click here to read the article PRESCHOOL PIANO ACTIVITIES
ARTICLES ABOUT CHILDREN AND READING MUSIC
Click here to read the article HOW TO HELP KIDS FIND MIDDLE C
Click here to read the article WHAT KIDS REALLY UNDERSTAND ABOUT SHEET MUSIC
Click here to read the article WHY DELAY READING MUSIC
Click here to read the article AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR KIDS LEARNING TO READ MUSIC
SPECIAL EDUCATION AND PIANO
Click here to read the article AMAZING MUSICAL ABILITIES OF AUTISTIC AND ADHD CHILDREN
Click here to read the article HYPERACTIVE KIDS AND PIANO
Click here to read the article PIANO BY NUMBER FOR A SEVERELY DISABLED GIRL
Click here to read the article DOWN'S SYNDROME AND PIANO BY NUMBER
ARTICLES ABOUT CHILDREN AND PRACTICING
Click here to read the article WHY NAGGING YOUR CHILD TO PRACTICE WON'T WORK
Click here to read the article RULES FOR PIANO PRACTICE
Click here to read the article DON'T CALL IT PRACTICE, CALL IT PLAY
Click here to read the article SETTING UP A CHILD'S PIANO PRACTICE REGIME
Click here to read the article WHY CHILDREN SUCCEED AT THE PIANO
ARTICLES ABOUT CHILDREN AND PIANO BY NUMBER
Click here to read the essay THE PIANO WHISPERER
Click here to read the article STARTING TO PLAY PIANO BY NUMBER
Click here to read the report USE PIANO BY NUMBER WITH SCHOOL CHILDREN
Click here to read the article BUILDING A CHILD'S CONFIDENCE WITH NUMBERS
Click here to read the article TURN YOUR PIANO INTO A TOY
ARTICLES ABOUT ADULTS AND PIANO
Click here to read the introduction to EASY CLASSICAL PIANO BY NUMBER
Click here to read the introduction to TEACH YOURSELF PIANO, an excellent guide to important self-teaching points.
Click here to read the article RULES FOR PIANO PRACTICE
Click here to read the article TIPS FOR ADULT PIANISTS
Click here to read the article PIANO FINGER STRENGTH IS CUMULATIVE
Click here to read the article THE PIANO ZONE
Click here to read the article MAKING EVERY MINUTE OF ADULT PIANO PRACTICE COUNT
ARTICLES ABOUT THE PIANO
Click here to read the article HOW GOOD ARE TOY PIANOS?
Click here to read the article ORIGINS OF THE BLACK PIANO KEYS
Click here to read the article HOW TO BUY AN INEXPENSIVE PIANO OR KEYBOARD
Click here to read the essay WHY GRAND PIANOS ARE BETTER THAN UPRIGHTS
Click here to read the essay PIANO WARS: EVOLUTION OF THE PIANO IN AMERICA
Click here to read the essay THE GREAT PIANO CRAZE OF 1910
Click here to read the essay THE BALLET OF THE PIANO HANDS
Click here to read the essay A PIANIST'S MEANS OF EXPRESSION
Click here to read the report HUMIDITY AND YOUR PIANO
ARTICLES ABOUT PIANO TEACHING
Click here to read the article HOW TO FIND A GOOD PIANO TEACHER
Click here to read the article SO YOU WANT TO BE A PIANO TEACHER
Click here to read the article MY CHILD WANTS TO QUIT PIANO
Click here to read the article WHY KIDS NEED FREEDOM TO LEARN PIANO
Click here to read the article PSYCHOLOGY OF HOMESCHOOL PIANO
Click here to read the article THE PIANIST WITH TWO BRAINS
Click here to read the article YOU CAN ONLY ENJOY PIANO MY WAY
Click here to read the article TEN WAYS TO BE A BAD CHILDREN'S PIANO TEACHER
Click here to read the article KIDS SONGS FOR PIANO
Click here to read the article TEACH YOUR CHILDREN PIANO
Click here to read the article ARE KIDS PIANO RECITALS HARMFUL?
ARTICLES ABOUT PIANO LESSONS
Click here to read the article DISGUISING REPETITION IN KID'S PIANO LESSONS
Click here to read the article PIANO LESSONS FOR CHILDREN: HOME OR TRAVEL
Click here to read the article PIANO METHOD BOOKS FOR CHILDREN
Click here to read the article GUITAR OR PIANO: WHAT'S BEST FOR A SIX YEAR OLD?
Click here to read the article TEACHING GUIDE DOGS IS JUST LIKE TEACHING KIDS PIANO
Click here to read the article HOW COME MY KID HATES PIANO?
Click here to read the article USING FAMILIAR SONGS IN CHILDREN'S PIANO LESSONS
Click here to read the article HOW KID'S COMPUTER TIME AFFECTS PIANO LESSONS
Click here to read the article PIANO SOFTWARE OR PRINT BOOKS: WHICH IS BETTER
Click here to read the article FOLLOW THE CHILD'S PACE WITH PIANO LESSONS
Click here to read the article TOYS YOU SHOULD BRING TO A CHILD'S PIANO LESSON
Click here to read the article THE TRANSPARENT PIANO LESSON STRATEGY
Click here to read the article WHAT KIDS LIKE ABOUT PIANO LESSONS
Click here to read the article WHY CHILDREN FAIL AT PIANO LESSONS
Click here to read the article ATTENTION SPAN, CHILDREN AND PIANO
Click here to read the article PIANO FOR KIDS
Click here to read the article CHILDREN'S HIDDEN PIANO TALENT
Click here to read the article SELECTING CHILDREN'S SONGS FOR PIANO
Click here to read the article KIDS MUSIC AND THE PIANO
Click here to read the article CHILDREN'S PIANO POSTURE
Click here to read the article SHOULD PARENTS FORCE CHILDREN TO TAKE PIANO LESSONS?
ARTICLES ABOUT PIANO STICKERS
Click here to read the article WHY PIANO NUMBER STICKERS WORK FOR CHILDREN
Click here to read the article WHY PIANO STICKERS WORK FOR READING MUSIC
ARTICLES ABOUT PIANO GAMES
Click here to see the game QUARTERS: A PIANO GAME KIDS LOVE
Click here to see the piano game FUN PIANO GAME WITH A PAIR OF DICE
Click here to see the piano game MOZART'S FAVORITE MOVIE
Click here to see the essay BASEBALL, KIDS AND PIANO
Click here to read about PIANO CHORD GAMES FOR KIDS
Click here to read about VISUAL PIANO GAMES
Click here to read about THE FUTURE EFFECT OF KIDS PIANO GAMES
MUSIC HISTORY AND HUMOR
Click here to read the article PIANO LESSONS WITH PAPA BACH
Click here to read the article PIANO LESSONS WITH FREDERIC CHOPIN
Click here to read the story HECTOR BERLIOZ AND THE TRAIN WRECK
Click here to read the story TCHAIKOVSKY'S GREATEST FAN
Click here to read the story STRAVINSKY'S GOOD LUCK
Click here to read the article CHOPIN'S SINGING TONE
Click here to read the article MUSICAL FEUDS
Click here to read the article MUSICAL GENIUS
Click here to read the story FRANZ SCHUBERT: THE FIRST BOHEMIAN
Click here to read the story BEETHOVEN'S RAGE OVER A LOST PENNY
Click here to read the story MOZART'S LAST DAYS
Click here to read THE STORY OF HUGO WOLF
Click here to read the story THE WORLD'S LARGEST BLUE DANUBE WALTZ
Click here to read the story BEETHOVEN WAS NO BEAUTY
Click here to read the story VLADIMIR HOROWITZ GOES TO THE RACETRACK
Click here to read the story EINSTEIN'S GYPSY VIOLIN
Click here to read the story IGOR STRAVINSKY LOSES HIS COOL
Click here to read the story ARTUR RUBINSTEIN WAS A VAMPIRE
Click here to read the story EINSTEIN'S PIANO
Click here to read the essay WHY BRAHMS MUST HAVE BEEN FAT
Click here to read the article PIANO HANDS
Click here to read the article THE MASTER'S HANDS
Click here to see the article TAKE YOUR KIDS TO THE OPERA
Click here to see the article GEORGE SAND KILLED CHOPIN
Click here to see the article I MEET AARON COPLAND
Click here to see the story CARL TAUSIG COOKS HIS CAT
CULTURAL CRITICISM
Click here to read the op-ed opinion column WHY AMERICA IS LOSING THE CULTURE RACE
Click here to read the op-ed opinion column WHAT KILLED THE GOLDEN AGE OF PIANO
Click here to read the op-ed opinion column AGAINST FILM MUSIC
Click here to read the op-ed opinion column CARNEGIE HALL STARTS IN YOUR LIVING ROOM
CHORDS AND MUSIC THEORY TUTORIALS
Click here to read the tutorial ROOT POSITION CHORDS
Click here to read the tutorial FIRST INVERSION CHORDS
Click here to read the tutorial SECOND INVERSION CHORDS
Click here to read the tutorial THE SIX BASIC CHORDS FOR CHILDREN
Click here to read the tutorial TWO NOTE CHORDS FOR KIDS
Click here to read about PIANO CHORD GAMES FOR KIDS
Click here to read the article WHY CHILDREN SHOULD LEARN ABOUT PIANO CHORDS
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