Shared Piano Teaching Ideas
From the very beginning...
So often I would hear from fellow teachers, (and found it very common among my own pupils) that pupils struggled with sight reading, often disliking it, finding it nerve-racking, and most would avoid it where they could. Thus, the learning of new material was also made a slow and arduous process too, and they often became fed up with pieces before they were even half learnt.
It’s a shame, for while not everyone can be a brilliant sight reader (I was one!) it can be improved, in a fun way, and a door opened to the reading of new material and exploring, as being as exciting as reading a new book.“There must be a better way”, I thought. What, I thought, if those problems were never there from the start? I began to wonder… and over the years seemed to devise a way of teaching the reading of notation that had way better, and lasting, results. This meant that beginners could devote more time to listening to their own playing, and in lessons we had more time to devote to technique, listening skills, and everything else to do with general musicianship, other than grinding though pieces where pupils struggled with every note, so…
I now use this completely different method in fact, right from the start, with all beginner pupils, and it also works with those who struggle. It makes them all into quite reasonable sight readers (and ones who are fearless and enjoy it!)
Eventually, I put all these ideas into a book, for a family member’s little boy, with the gorgeous little character illustrations drawn by my second cousin, his mum. I shared the book with other teachers and subsequently, I decided as there was such a demand for it, to share the book here, as well.
I’ll briefly outline below, but all is included in the Piano Explorer book for those who would like it, based on all those ideas that worked so well.
Geography of the keyboard
For the first weeks (the number depending on the individual) I don’t use music at all. They learn the geography of the keyboard by dipping coloured notes from a bag (which they adore!) a few at a time, and as they find them, placing them on the music stand, and then playing back, turning the little “dipped tune” around, playing it backwards, and having fun. At the same time, I use little characters (which I also added into my book), ready to cut out and use) to teach skips / hops and steps on the keys. Dynamics are introduced too, at this very critical stage: the beginning, of learning, and this is something they find absolutely fascinating too. They are in control of what the piano can do!
Introducing notation...
When they are finding notes easily on the keys, and can easily identify hops and steps, a giant stave is introduced (again, printed in the book) and they learn to move on that in steps or hops, using the characters. I place it at right angles on the piano stool, so the “up” and “down” are in line with the keys. Within a week, we use a stave on the music stand…
…and then the best bit (well, I think so!) – the introduction of notes on the stave… but with one difference: no clefs. They simply start where they like, but reading in steps and jumps, which focuses them in reading in shapes and patterns. They read small tunes really easily. The following week, I simply tell them the starting note… and easily they read the tune. Quite soon, they are able to recognise the starting notes too… they are reading easily! We also work a lot with chords, so they begin to identify those and see the patterns of broken chords. They also love doing this!
All these ideas are in the book Piano Explorer.
COLOURED NOTES AND LARGE STAVE
This is another resource that I made, that I thought may be useful to share here… children love placing the notes on the giant stave, and again, it can be used to encourage invention, as well as looking for, and creating “patterns” to aid reading.
Helping with explanation of the simple structure of triads, using different colours has proven invaluable over the years.
I tend to use this once they have the concept of reading, for which I use my “Piano Explorer” book.
Coloured notes and giant stave can be downloaded FREE rom this page
