Basic Skills - Geography of the Keyboard.
Music is more accessible to listen to today than ever before, and many people wish they could play an instrument themselves or want their children to learn. The most popular and versatile instrument from which to learn more about music is the piano. Yet, even after years of study, very few know enough about the piano for it to be practical and useful. To solve this problem, we have given much thought to how piano is taught.
Music is a serious subject for study, but in America, much of how music is taught is not educational at all. Over the years, it has become more recreational and tailored to what the student wants to learn. Because the piano is so accessible, this idea has spread more specifically for piano lessons than for other instruments; and many teachers promote tailoring lessons to the student's personal interests or learning styles. However, they are not doing these things because they actually want to teach to the student's wishes, or because they are qualified to diagnose learning styles. In reality, they are forced to say these things because music is not considered a mandatory subject and they have no choice but to appeal to the student in order to encourage them to start or stay in lessons. With good intentions, this attempt to please students will create an imbalance and ceiling for what can be learned. To become musically trained enough for it to be useful and more enjoyable, we need a direct path from the beginning to the end without diversions. We know you are at the beginning, but where is the end? This is what Beethoven said at the end of his life, "I feel as though I as yet at the beginning."
Music is a complicated subject that can become overwhelming if not taught carefully. To solve this problem, we have produced a method, along with a process, that works for everyone and has proven to keep the interest of students from Kindergarten age to adult. The way it works is by teaching music in the order in which musical ideas were discovered and training physical movements similar to those in sports. By carefully follow these two principles, we have created order out an otherwise disorganized system and a better way of learning for everyone.
There are nine levels in the Conservatory Course, each level is expected to last one year for those who start lessons in Kindergarten. The first book is Level 0 or Budding. In the Budding Music Book, there are 3 Courses or units, A B and C. This book is special because it explains the basic aspects of piano study in small details, rather than simplifying them with tricks and shortcuts that cannot be carried through to higher learning. The Music Book is suitable for every age beginner. There are no pictures for young students that distract from their musical imaginations; which they do not miss at all.
Pace the Budding Music Book by age. For example, the youngest beginner in pre Kindergarten will need sixteen weeks to finish Course A. Older beginners in grade 5 and up may complete Course A in one or two lessons. The curriculum includes a chart in how to pace it by age.
PLAYLIST:
Assign titles from the Playlist after they have been introduced in the Music Book. When they have been assigned, play them at every lesson, 2x not stopping.
PAGE BY PAGE:
Read and play the Music Book, page-by-page. Date stamp the page that is read.
LESSON LIST:
When the page includes a Lesson List, play Pattern 1, Pattern 2, and the Passage and highlight them in the student's Course Book. Pace appropriate for each age. For students who need more to do, work on the additional Classic Pieces. They are found in the Favorite Song section of the Music Book.
PERFORMANCE LIST:
Use the First Performance section of the Music Book to assign extra songs starting in Course B.
"Every student is a good student. Every lesson is a good lesson."
Lesson 1 - Prep Example
INSTRUMENTS
Look at the diagram of the various kinds of instruments. This diagram is used at the lesson to teach low and high, but it can be expanded by any teacher or parent to talk about the different sizes, range, and construction of different instruments. However, at the lesson, we only learn which ones are low sounding and which ones are high sounding, and that the piano is special because it can play both low and high. No other method of teaching piano compares other instruments and the piano in this way.
What can go wrong...
Showing the comparison of instruments is easy and fun for the first lesson. However, because it is not normally taught, even after years of lessons very few music students realize the large range of the piano as compared to other instruments. Also, many other music studios have gone to electronic keyboards to teach lessons. This is a big mistake and diminishes the value of piano lessons. At all our studios we use acoustical pianos will full size keyboards. Especially if you do not have a full size piano at home, young students feel unique and special sitting at, listening to, and learning how to control a big piano.
LOW AND HIGH ON THE KEYBOARD
Low and high on the keyboard: There is a purpose for everything we do. Facing the piano, low sounds are on the left and high sounds are on the right. At the lesson, students reach to find the lowest and highest keys on the piano. They respond correcting without more explanation because the visual suggestion from the diagram in their Music Book gives the correct answer by showing low sounding instruments on the left and high sounding on the right. Also, finding lowest and highest is an extreme contrast that is easy to identify.
What can go wrong...
Music teachers usually explain low and high by their sound. Or try to explain them too many ways at once; such as low on the keyboard, which played horizontally to the left, and at the same time low on the staff read vertically, up and down. While there are a few students who can make order out of disorder, most will be confused and need lengthy explanations for clarification. The solution is to teach one until familiar. . . And then the other. Another example, the visual in many music books shows high first, and on the left side of the diagram. This reverse order causes needless additional explanation by the teacher, who assumes it is inevitable that left and right is confusing for young students without considering it could be an error in the way they were taught.
LEFT AND RIGHT HANDS
At lessons, students learn that left is below middle C and right is above middle C. They are also reminded to use their left hand or their right hand several times during the lesson. A significant proportion of people struggle to think of which way is left and which way is right, even as adults. Left-right decisions involve (neurological) functions that we address every week at lessons. For our students left and right eventually becomes second nature. Everything we do at the lesson has a purpose. By continuous use at the lesson, the orientation of left and right is easily learned without lengthy explanation.
What can go wrong...
The teacher may spend time explaining left and right and even think that the student struggles with their left and right. We don't have this problem because left and right is used at every lesson and students eventually learn left and right by their frequent use. Teachers who try "easy" ways to teach left and right actually confuse the student with too much information and prevent the natural orientation that made just by playing the piano.
THE ALPHABET
Students learn to say the music alphabet A B C D E F G which repeats seven times to name all the white keys on the piano. Young children probably already know the alphabet by singing. But, singing the alphabet does not leave a permanent imprint on the brain as proven by children who can sing the alphabet with confidence, but slow way down and change to a completely different demeanor to say the alphabet without singing. Right from the start, on the first lesson, our students learn to say the alphabet.
What can go wrong...
There is a purpose to everything we do. Most methods for beginners don't show the entire keyboard so students have no concept of how the keys repeat. For this reason, when they say G, they will want to say H and need correction saying, "Remember in the music alphabet A comes after G." We never have this problem because at our first lesson students repeat the music alphabet A through G seven times up the keyboard without saying H and; as a result, they will not make this common mistake.New Paragraph
Lesson 1 - Prep Example
POSTURE, THE FIRST TECHNIQUE
Sitting correctly at the piano is just as important as starting from a ready position in any sport. At the first lesson, we teach the correct position at the piano. Plant the feet on the floor or a stool for balance, as you would plant your feet playing golf. Adjust the bench distance so the arms are extended as if playing ping pong or batting a ball; and adjust the bench height so the forearm is parallel to the floor when the hands are on the keys, as a balance beam is level in gymnastics.
What can go wrong in technique...
At home the bench should be set in the same way as at lessons, not too high or too low, and not too close. Most students will naturally want to sit too close as if at a desk or a table. Unlike instruments that are fragile to hold and require special instruction just to create a sound, the piano is not fragile, and it is accessible to play at any age in any way. For this reason, most students often come to lessons with bad habits for posture. In piano, just as in sports, the first step in training is get in a ready position from which to start.
SIT STILL
At lessons, students must sit still with their minds completely focused on the activities of the lesson. Accomplish this control by keeping the brain, arms, and fingers always active from one activity to the other and not stopping. This fast pace of the lesson helps students keep their mind off themselves and unto the things they are learning. During the lesson students should not get off the bench or leave the studio except in an emergency.
What can go wrong with sitting still...
Before playing, the first step technically is to eliminate all movements
that are spontaneous, untrained, and uncontrolled. Younger students may wiggle on the bench or resist directions. Redirect them by moving the lesson along so quickly that students have no time to think of themselves or misbehave. Some teachers try to explain to students how they should act at lessons; and others will ask parents for help. These are not good solutions. Teachers can keep the attention of even the youngest student by following the directions in the Music Book to train the fingers and arms athletically, just as they are trained in sports and dance. All children are interested in things athletic such as jumping higher, throwing further, and running faster.
POINT TO THE WHITE KEYS AND REACH
Middle C is the key in the middle of the keyboard. At the first lesson we point to all the white keys to the highest above middle C and to the lowest below middle C. Everything we do at the lesson has a purpose. In this exercise, students find middle C and point in the direction of high with the right hand and low with the left hand. Thus reviewing again, which way is left and which way is right; which way is low and which way is high. Students must reach with their arms while staying seated in the middle of the bench, not sliding on the bench or standing. And, while pointing, carefully play one key at a time with a steady beat and not randomly without thought or banging.
What can go wrong pointing and reaching...
Without instruction, students may want to stand up to play or slide on the bench to reach. Just imagine a pianist sliding on the bench and how silly that would look! This is the simplest technique to observe, if it is right or wrong; yet, many teacher do not correct students if they slide on the bench! In the Music Book, we pay attention to training good habits
right from the start.
Lesson 1 - Prep Example
LIFT THE WHOLE ARM
Everything is done with a purpose. To reach high and low, students learn to smoothly control the large muscles of the arm, which are used all the time in piano playing. The whole arm drop is the first technical movement that should be learned since it is easier to control than the fine motor skills of the hand. To practice the whole arm drop, students grip the hand to make a fist. This pulling action uses the correct muscle action for playing, as opposed to pushing. And, making a fist brings the wrist raised in the correct position to play.
What can go wrong...
In piano playing, as in sports, technique is of primary importance but is often neglected. The technique in piano playing is not only in the fingers, it is predominantly in the arm. This whole arm drop is the easiest technique and fun to do, but practically no other teaching method introduces this fundamental skill.
REACH TO FIND TWO BLACK KEYS
In piano playing the whole arm produces strength and power for the player, similar to using the whole arm in swimming. With a fist, find the 2 black keys reaching with the arm. Sit straight using the arms to reach lower and higher, not sliding on the bench. Hang the arm loose from the shoulders like a heavy cable and play the keys gently and relaxed, not pounding. When using the whole arm, students will more easily keep the beat and avoid learning bad habits of rushing and jerking as they play. Also, with the repeating actions made by the whole arm, students develop physical stamina.
What can go wrong...
You should not let students make and fix mistakes. Preempt mistakes by physically taking the student's arm to help find the two black keys with a steady beat at one per second, then let go. Watch carefully to jump over the three black keys, don't pound or miss the jump
Lesson 1
FINGER STRENGTH
The fingers are numbered, the thumb is number 1 and the pinkie is number 5. Piano playing is athletic. In piano playing, the fingers do the walking and running and they must be strong and not collapse or flatten while playing. At the first lesson, students learn to pull their lower joints to make them strong. To describe this action we "pull like a cat". Another way to describe this pulling action is to grip like holding a ball or bat. This exercise combines pulling the fingers, lifting the whole arm and landing strong on finger 2.
What can go wrong with finger strength...
Most teachers neglect taking the time to strength the lower joint of the fingers in a pulling action. This action uses the same muscles as holding a clarinet. While holding a clarinet, the hand makes a gripping action
around the instrument to hold it up. If players lose their grip, the clarinet falls. In the same way, if you lose your grip at the piano, your hands fall. On the piano, the same gripping action is needed to strengthen the finger joints, to avoid sliding around on the keys; and to hold the hand and wrist up so they do not fall down. During Budding, student's hands should gradually become stronger.
Lesson 2
PULL AND LIFT FROM THE KNUCKLE
Besides the large motor action of the whole arm drop, the next most basic skill in playing the piano to pull like a cat, and then lift the finger from the knuckle and land on the keys like little hammers. Since finger 2 is the easiest one to lift, we practice lifting finger 2 in both hands from the knuckle first. All the while keeping the unused fingers resting on the keys.
What can go wrong...
Instead of pulling, the untrained hand will push the keys and allow the finger joints to collapse or wobble. Or, instead of lifting from the knuckle, the fingers will lay flat. And, instead of resting on the keys, the unused fingers may fly up losing its grip. Most instruments if they are played incorrectly will squawk and squeak and everyone notices. And, if players lose their grip, the instrument will drop to the floor. However, the piano played wrongly is not as offensive, therefore it is tempting to neglect the proper techniques for playing it. Students can't teach technique to themselves, they are depend on the teacher to train them in the "gymnastics" of piano playing.
DEXTERITY AND INTELLIGENCE
Educators have recognized that the hand is a means to increasing intelligence and that training the hands is of primary importance. This is why in the early years it is so important for children to spend time making things by gluing, drawing, and painting to develop motor skills. However, piano playing develops finger dexterity more than any of these. And, the restrictive moves of computer games that are so well-liked by children do little to support cognitive development. To us, more important than learning to play the piano is developing the fine motor skills of the fingers and fast thinking of the mind that enhances learning.
What can go wrong...
Children with clumsy hands are at a disadvantage in exploring ideas, but with a good teacher, the hand is made more dexterous and skillful at every lesson. In addition reading in precise time on every note that is played, creates an instantaneous flash of intelligence that helps students in all they do.
Lesson 3 - Prep Example
OCTAVES
At the first lesson, students learn to find middle C, which is the white key to the left of the two black keys in the middle of the keyboard. Using middle C as a starting point, students look at the keys and point to C by octave names. We continue to use the concept that has already been studied, to the lowest and to the highest. This little exercise helps students breaks down the keyboard into recognizable sections.
What can go wrong...
Did you know after years of lessons, most students don't know how to separate the keyboard into octaves by name or even that there are seven complete octaves on the piano keyboard? Right from the start we teach students to separate the keyboard in octaves and learn how to jump around the full range of the piano.
Lesson 3
PLAYING A SONG
Get ready to play "Hot Cross Buns". Read the instructions above the excerpt. Students should read the directions and follow the directions without help. It says to, "Place R1 on middle C." Then, place one finger on each key following. Next, we remind students to pull like a cat and lift like a hammer to play fingers 3 2 1. To control accuracy, we point to the music with a steady beat and make sure students observe the rest. With careful observation and help by the teacher, students should play with perfect accuracy and technique the first time.
Get ready to play "Old MacDonald" the same way. This time, shape the melody by holding the key down during the dashes and say, "Hold, hold, hold."
What can go wrong...
Without the control of the teacher helping students concentrate on the music, students will play familiar songs without mental control and by guessing or by ear. Too much of our educational system, especially in music, relies on these automatic reactions that do not educate at all, since they do not compel concentration. While it may be possible to play as you wish without thinking, it is merely strumming and neither musical nor educational.
HOLD THE DASHES
As we introduce melodies, students learn to play rhythmically. Rhythm is the arrangement of musical sounds held long and short to create a recognizable tune. In this example of Hot Cross Buns, we create rhythm by waiting silently on the quarter rest. In the example of Old MacDonald we create rhythm using dashes to indicate holding the tone.
What can go wrong...
Everything we do has more than one purpose. We hold the dashes to play rhythmically. But there is another reason for holding. By holding students are also developing finger strength. It takes strength to hold the fingers down and many times students are tempted to release the keys right away to avoid the effort of holding. At lessons we say "hold" during the dashes, and physically help students hold by gently pressing the top of the finger as a reminder.
LOOK UP AND NEVER DOWN
The habit of looking at the music and never down at the keys must be established at the first lesson of reading. Students who shift their eyes away from the music, or memorize their music in order to look at the keys, will never learn to read. To prevent students from looking down, we point to the music and insist that they follow the pencil. This helps students play perfect with a steady beat and not rush ahead or lag behind. They may say the line of numbers aloud as needed to help them concentrate. This effort is done at the lesson. It cannot be duplicated at home.
What can go wrong...
The teacher must insist that students keep their eyes on the music. They should not play by memory or by ear to avoid reading; or glance up and down to decide what key for help, as a result, lose the sense of touch. The temptation to look up and down is great, but will result in confusion and a lost opportunity to learn how to read and the loss of . Sometimes students insist on looking down. In this case cover the hands to prevent them from looking. .. And they will play better right away.
Lesson 4 - Prep Example
NAME THE KEYS ABOVE AND BELOW MIDDLE C
So far we have been playing by finger number notation. Now, we are ready to play by the letter names of the keys above and below middle C. It is important in this exercise that students look up and never down to learn the relationship of the keys alphabetically by touch and not sight. As needed the teacher should help students decide what key to play by lightly tapping the correct finger.
What can go wrong...
The one and only problem naming the keys is looking down at the keys rather than up at the diagram. Just one glance at the keys while reading will result in lose of concentration and no real learning. Since the sense of sight is so much stronger than that of touch, one glance will take in the keys visually and take away from learning by the sense of touch.
Lesson 4
PRACTICE LIFTING THE WEAKEST FINGER
The weakest finger is 4, which is the ring finger. The strongest finger is 2, which is the pointer finger. We have already worked on lifting the strong finger 2, at this lesson we will work on lifting the weak finger 4. There is a purpose to everything we do. Now, we are playing "Twinkle Twinkle", which is fun; but the real teaching purpose is to help students notice that finger 2 is strong and finger 4 is weak.
What can go wrong...
Be sure students recognize which finger is easier and which finger is harder. This realization will give students the motivation to try harder to lift finger 4. Pull the lower joint and lift from the knuckle, and land on the fingertip. While lifting finger 4, finger 3 may come along to help, but the others should stay resting.
CONCENTRATE
You have probably heard that piano lessons provide many side benefits academically. A huge benefit during the lesson is the teacher helping students to focus their energy to concentrate on a task. In the studio, students are in a different world in which the teacher guides them to play their music in a professional-like manner and not child-like. This experience can't be duplicated at home or in a classroom. In the studio, children become little adults for 30 minutes every week. Parents often comment of how they can't believe their child is sitting so attentively for the half hour.
What can go wrong...
The lesson is actually a unique opportunity to challenge students to mentally think harder and physically play better. If students demonstrate resistance, a fast pace that does not stop to draw attention to behavior will eventually produce good results. Don't pause to explain how to behave or change expectations, but keep the lesson going. Physically help so students get the idea. Then, say, "Now you try." Small bites will help students manage learning without complaining. There are students who will yawn repeatedly at lessons. Students who yawn during the lesson are those who have difficulty concentrating and their breathing has slowed. They are not yawning because they are tired. Yawning is a physical effort to get more oxygen. Tell students to breath deeply and the yawning will quickly di
Lesson 4 - Prep Example
CONNECTING FINGERS AND HANDS
Students must hold the keys down to connect in order to learn the relationships between the keys, to gain finger strength, and to achieve a more beautiful tone. Right from the start our students learn to connect their fingers.
What can go wrong...
Without help from the teacher no student will on their own connect their fingers and hands. This skill is only learned under the supervision of the teacher helping to physically hold the fingers down and coaching "hold" as a reminder. To connect hold one key down while the other one begins without the slightest break between tones. Don't worry too much about holding the keys down too long so they overlapping. This little error will take care of itself as students play more and faster.
READ INSTRUCTIONS
Besides learning to read music, at the lesson students learn to read special instructions in the music. And at the first lesson, students learn to read the titles in the Playlist. We teach words to pre-reading students by sight, not phonetically; and eventually they will remember.
What can go wrong...
Teachers must wait for students to read the instructions. And, they must insist that students read the titles on the Playlist before playing them. If you don't teach students to read on their own, how will they read instructions and titles at home? If help is needed, say the phrase or title and right away ask students to repeat after you.
PLAY THE PLAY LIST BY MEMORY AND READING
Look in the Course Book for titles that are ready to play at home. The fist title in the Playlist is highlighted yellow and may be played at home if you have a piano or keyboard. The titles assigned the first lesson are "Point to the White Keys" and "Find Two Black Keys". They were memorized and students look at the keys while playing them. Other titles assigned in Course A are "Hot Cross Bun" and "Old MacDonald". They are played by reading. Anything that is read is played looking up and never down at the keys. The last title assigned in Course A is "First Technical Exercise". This title should be read.
What can go wrong...
When by memory students do not need to open the Music Book and read anything. When reading, students will concentrate better and play with more control if they say the numbers or letters as they play. Teachers must cover the hands right away if students attempt to look down while reading. After playing under this exact control, eventually students should play by reading faster and not saying.