Walden Pond Press

HOMESCHOOLING - USING PIANO BY NUMBER

START YOUR HOMESCHOOL MUSIC PROGRAM USING PIANO BY NUMBER

by John Aschenbrenner

(See also PRESCHOOL PIANO PACKAGE)

Many homeschooling parents are finding that our "piano by number" books make an excellent basis for a home school music program.

Starting with PIANO IS EASY, THE CHRISTMAS CAROL KIT or THE BIG BOOK OF SONGS BY NUMBER, all our books are designed as stand-alone teaching tools that will allow you and your kids to get started playing piano and studying music.

In many cases, homeschooling parents become piano teachers in order to get the child started.

It's actually not hard to teach a small child the rudiments of piano. Half the battle is showing kids what can be done with a piano. Once a child has an ideal of what the piano can be, they will pursue this goal even if their talents and abilities are rather humble. Giving them that ideal can be as easy as playing a CD of a great pianist and listening to it with them.

TEACH YOURSELF PIANO STEP BY STEP (ISBN # 0-9718936-3-2) is a good place to start for parents that wish to prepare themselves to teach their kids. This book will teach you to play simple songs with both hands in a few days or hours. The curriculum is broken down into such tiny steps that anyone catches on.

Still, TEACH YOURSELF PIANO STEP BY STEP is not a book for children to explore alone. The concepts involved in chords (three piano keys played with the left hand) are readily understandable to almost all adults, but kids need help to get the idea of chords.

We suggest that you use this book to prepare yourself, and then perhaps return to it when the kids have mastered playing many songs by themselves, and are ready for chords with the left hand.

Click here to read the entire tutorial HOW TO TEACH YOUR CHILD TO READ MUSIC

Where should kids start?

Here's what I say to every parent: "Start by using PIANO IS EASY (or THE CHRISTMAS CAROL KIT, identical in format but using different songs.) Launch the book together, putting the stickers on with the kids, and then let them loose after everyone has tried a few songs. (Or, you can start with THE BIG BOOK OF SONGS BY NUMBER, which has more songs but no pictures.)

Let them do it on their own, and, if they show no interest, you should keep playing yourself, until they come back. And believe me, if you set up a piano with numbered stickers and let kids alone with it, eventually they will embrace it and try to play. It ALWAYS happens."

Do I tell them to practice?

Not if you've set it up correctly. If you have to force them to play, you're already lost. The trick is to get them to want to do it themselves. And the reason they will want to play piano is this: piano by number is so easy that there is no negative emotion associated with it.

So let the kids find it themselves. My hard and fast rule is: let the book sit there for two weeks and see if the children go to the piano by themselves. If you don't push and insist, 99% of kids will take a try and end up liking it. But give it a couple of weeks.

In actual practice, about 80% of kids have no hesitation about trying piano by number and are hooked on the first lesson: but that's because we've lowered the bar, temporarily, to let them try it without failure, give them confidence and get them started.

What do I do next?

It depends on the child, but generally, I wait until the child is utterly comfortable with every song in PIANO IS EASY before I attempt to move forward. When they are ready, a little bored perhaps with numbers, I introduce THE BIG BOOK OF SONGS BY NUMBER.

This book introduces the use of the black keys of the piano, and is easy to master once the child is facile with songs on the white keys (PIANO IS EASY has all its songs on the white keys.)

I'd let the kids try the BIG BOOK for quite a while before I tried to introduce anything else. The following curriculum, chords, will depend heavily on what is learned in the BIG BOOK, so I'd caution you to let them try the songs with black piano keys before attempting teaching chords.

Finally, when I was certain that the kids understood playing one note at a time, I would introduce chords for the left hand, using TEACH YOURSELF PIANO STEP BY STEP. The video makes it easy to understand, but still, kids will need guidance and perhaps a little pushing. Almost all kids like chords, but some don't, and resist the leap to playing with both hands.

My solution to this ancient problem of getting kids to play with two hands is this: keep trying again and again, so patiently that the child simply gives in because you've repeated the simple elements. I back off as soon as the child shows resistance, because often a child's desire to learn new ideas in music is directly related to their own maturity. In many ways, kids learn when they're good and ready!

You may have to wait it out, but I have countless stories of kids on whom I used this strategy, and who eventually played happily with two hands (many of them "quitters" who would have never continued with the old methods.)

Had I not used this patient approach, and had I defined these students as failures, I would have lost them forever, for they would feel indeed like failures.

The point is not how fast kids learn piano, but that they want to learn piano. Who cares how fast they go?

Once a child wants to learn something, you will not be able to stop them.

Why is this method different?

Our books are designed to provide kids with preparation for kids piano lessons, a fun process kids can do at home, before they start regular piano lessons.

All other piano methods start kids far too quickly, causing early frustration and eventually leading most kids to quit.

We've found this failure can be prevented by starting your child playing piano "by number" at home, and then making a slow, smooth transition to reading sheet music using our newest book, I CAN READ MUSIC!.

This "Fun Method" has proven results, turning kids into happy, interested experimenters who enjoy tinkering with the piano.

Our method was created by a leading children's music educator, Emmy Award winning composer and Broadway veteran John Aschenbrenner, whose distinguished academic background includes the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Southern California, and Trinity College of Music, London.

PIANO IS EASY and I CAN READ MUSIC have demonstrated far higher than average results in motivating children to continue and enjoy their piano studies.

Here's a comment from music legend Herbie Hancock: "John is an extraordinary pianist-composer. His music has touched all my friends who have had the fortune to hear him."

If you have questions, you'll get a prompt and courteous response by phone or email. With real people handling your order, you'll find out why everyone is happy with our fun "piano by number" books!.

Here's a comment from a recent customer: "Just wanted to let you know that we received our book! What a blast! My 9-year old briefly had piano lessons in the past, but she couldn't motivate herself to practice much. Since I gave her this book, I can hardly get her away from the piano! What a great product! Thanks!"

What about sheet music?

I begin sowing the seeds of sheet music as soon as possible. As soon as the child is launched playing numbers, I begin, in later lessons, never the first, to show some of the ideas in I CAN READ MUSIC. But only for a minute or two at most, every lesson.

Children are exhausted by sheet music and you have to be careful not to burn them out with it. So when they burn a little too hot from sheet music, I switch right back to numbers, much to their relief. Ten minutes later, when they have had fun with numbers for a while, I try I CAN READ MUSIC again.

If they fail, or get tired, I never let on, I just smile and move on to other things we need to learn. Never express disapproval, ever.

Using this procedure, I have taught almost every single child to read sheet music. The key is to be ultra patient, never aggressive, and understand how difficult sheet music really is, especially to younger children.

Allow kids the comfort of piano by number and they will reward you by taking an interest in the piano, will go to the piano on their own and will perhaps find piano is something they like.

Push children to the piano and they will most likely reject it out of hand. I've found that almost every child has some interest in piano and music. True, some don't, or are at a stage where they have other interests.

Piano by number is a logical choice for children who are home schooled, because it is an activity they can pursue on their own, setting a firm foundation of interest that may later take shape as private lessons and further study.

The object of home music study, in my view, is to spark an interest. The obvious, documented benefits such as rocketing math scores are great in themselves, but it is the childhood discovery of music as a fun and deep activity that is most valuable.

By John Aschenbrenner Copyright 2008 Walden Pond Press All Rights Reserved

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SEE ALSO:

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

CHORDS GAMES FOR CHILDREN

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

VISIT OUR READING ARCHIVE FOR ARTICLES ABOUT CHILDREN AND PIANO

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

Piano Is Easy and the Piano by Number series are written by John Aschenbrenner, a noted children's music educator, Emmy Award winning composer, and Broadway veteran.

Click here to view his distinguished academic background.

John is actively involved every day in inspiring children to take a happy interest in the piano using Piano by Number and simple piano games. You can, too!

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TOPICS OF INTEREST TO PARENTS:

"What is a good age to start piano lessons?"

"What are the benefits of playing piano for my child?"

"How can I help my child read sheet music at the piano?"

Piano Lessons: A Child's Point of View

Visit the WALDEN POND PRESS ARCHIVES and read articles about children and piano

Click here to read the entire tutorial HOW TO TEACH YOUR CHILD TO READ MUSIC

LET US HELP YOU FIND AN INEXPENSIVE ELECTRONIC KEYBOARD TO GET YOUR CHILD STARTED!

THE COMPLETE PACKAGE

THE COMPLETE BOOK PACKAGE: ALL 6 BASIC BOOKS

#WCS 001 Price: $89.95

THE COMPLETE BOOK PACKAGE:

1. 107 page illustrated THE CHRISTMAS CAROL KIT Book with 44 songs, Play Along Audio CD, and removable stickers

2. 107 page illustrated PIANO IS EASY Book with 44 songs, Play Along Audio CD, and removable stickers

3. 50 page I CAN READ MUSIC Book

4. 132 page TEACH YOURSELF PIANO STEP BY STEP Book, 56 minute DVD Video and removable stickers

5. 141 page THE BIG BOOK OF SONGS BY NUMBER Book with 130 songs, and removable stickers

6. 88 page EASY CLASSICAL PIANO BY NUMBER Book with 10 songs, and removable stickers, and 29 minute Play Along Audio CD

6 BOOKS, DVD AND 3 PLAY ALONG AUDIO CDS

Our BOOK PACKAGE price: $89.95

Free USA Shipping and Handling!

You can also purchase individual books with CD $24.95

Download and print any book. $9.95 Start playing today!

Click Here to Play Piano by Number Online Using Your Computer's Mouse!

PIANO BY NUMBER® BOOKS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE HERE IN OUR ONLINE STORE

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Our most popular book package!

Everything you and your child need to start having fun at the piano:

PIANO IS EASY BOOK PACKAGE

INCLUDES:

PIANO IS EASY (ISBN # 0-9718936-1-6) Sturdily bound, durable, colorful 107 page illustrated song book with 44 songs such as Jingle Bells and London Bridge, Play Along Audio CD and removable numbered stickers

PLUS

Every order of a PIANO IS EASY book package includes a copy of I CAN READ MUSIC! This fun, easy-to-understand music activity book is the best way to start children reading music.

PLUS

·         Every order of a PIANO IS EASY book package also includes a FREE copy of the 56 minute DVD video from TEACH YOURSELF PIANO This video will have you playing chords (three piano keys played with the left hand) and fun, familiar songs with both hands right away! That's a $16.95 value free!

2 BOOKS, PLAY ALONG AUDIO CD and DVD
Click here for a list of songs.    Click here for sample pages.
PIANO IS EASY BOOK PACKAGE $39.95

Free USA Shipping and Handling!

You can also purchase individual books with CD $24.95

Download and print any book. $9.95 Start playing today!

Click Here to Play Piano by Number Online Using Your Computer's Mouse!

PIANO BY NUMBER® BOOKS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE HERE IN OUR ONLINE STORE

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Our Play Along Audio CDs are an important element in making the piano fun for kids, and are produced by Grammy Award winner (Sesame Street) Joe Castellon.

Our colorful books and videos have been created by Emmy Award winning composer and teacher John Aschenbrenner and are guaranteed to get your child happily started at the piano.

Digitally engineered and mastered, these high quality educational recordings include fun, familiar songs that children love to hear and play along with, and are sure to give hours of musical enjoyment, entertainment and guidance to your child.

Special thanks to these schools recently joining our growing list of organizations using PIANO BY NUMBER:

Primrose Day School, Jumping Jacks Preschool, Valley Elementary, Kid's Korner, Play All Day Nursery School, Children's Development Center, Springfield Child Time

If you're not sure what book is right for your child, email us at info@pianoiseasy.com and we will be glad to help you.

Click Here to Play Piano by Number Online Using Your Computer's Mouse!

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THE CHRISTMAS CAROL KIT

Makes a great gift for any child!

Download and print any book. $9.95 Start playing today!

PIANO BY NUMBER® BOOKS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE HERE IN OUR ONLINE STORE


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