It’s
difficult to say whether a five year old is ready to start the piano, for
every five year old is different.
But there
are common factors that link most preschool children and their attempts at
piano lessons.
Strangely
enough, it is the personality of the piano teacher that has the most
effect on piano lessons at this young age.
A sober,
serious child might stand a chance with a sober, serious piano teacher,
but the average child of four or five is exuberant, impatient and easily
bored.
What type of
piano teaching personality suits such preschool children?
First, one
must be realistic about what can be taught happily to a child of this age.
One of the primary obstacles is the natural personality of the child. Most
children at this age are a little silly and scattered, bouncing from one
interest to another, but a master teacher can teach children the piano
without dampening their natural personalities.
The process
of learning to read music will most likely be too attention-intensive for
these kids to learn happily at first, if reading music is the only medium
offered them. This is especially true if the teacher uses a conventional
method and is determined to push only a certain curriculum.
A looser
approach brings better results at this stage.
Instead of
launching into reading music immediately, try a more leisurely method of
getting started, using Piano by
Number.
In Piano by
Number, children delay reading music, starting instead with the piano
keyboard numbered from 1-12. They can then immediately start playing
familiar tunes, and start getting their fingers and hands familiar with
the postures they will later need to play and read music.
Don’t
forget that, ultimately, playing the piano requires two broad categories
of skill. One, reading music, is largely mental. The second, playing the
keys, is largely physical. In my experience, starting with reading music
is a recipe for disaster in almost all children.
For this
reason, children make a better start at the piano if they are given the
chance to simply explore the piano in a physical, non-notated manner.
Piano by Number allows them this opportunity.
In the same
slow manner you can introduce the elements of reading music when the child
is comfortable and happy playing familiar songs at the piano. I CAN READ
MUSIC is an excellent introduction to these elements, presented as a game
that any child can enjoy.
You cannot
really make a misstep if you delay reading music until the child is
comfortable with the piano. This period is their “comfort zone,” to
which you and the child can retreat when learning to read music becomes
too tedious.
By John
Aschenbrenner Copyright 2008 Walden Pond Press All Rights Reserved
