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Piano Is The Best Instrument for Kids
Piano is the best instrument for kids because you just push the finger down on a 3/4 inch wide space. The width of your finger fits the keys exactly. The piano is unlike any other conventional musical instrument. All one must do to play a piano, theoretically, is to push the right buttons, or keys.
The piano caused a revolution in music. For the first time, anyone could manage the physical task of pressing the buttons. This is not true of other musical instruments, all of which require strange and essentially uncomfortable postures.
Piano Is Easy
Most Instruments Require Uncomfortable Postures
The violin, for example, is physically difficult to hold in the proper position. The violin must be balanced under the chin. One of the first complaints of violinists is that their neck hurts. The cello is a little easier to hold, but all stringed instruments are very difficult to make a pleasing sound come forth.
This is not true of the piano. No matter who plays Middle C on a piano, an idiot or a genius, the sound is identical. Not true of a trumpet, a flute or any other instrument.
The First Instrument With Buttons
To play a violin and make it sound pleasing, one must press the left hand fingers onto tiny strings at precisely the correct spot on the fingerboard. How precise? A violinist cannot vary the position by a millimeter, or the sound wavers and appears untrue.
But a piano key is ¾ inch wide. That’s hard to miss even by the finger of a five year old. So the piano is the instrument of choice for a child because physically the musical process is very easy.
Piano Opens The World Of Chords
Next, the piano is the only musical instrument upon which one can view chords as tangible objects. Chords, at the simplest level, are groups of three keys. They are the DNA of all musical construction, regardless of style or era or ethnicity.
Thus the ability to be able to visualize and also play chords of considerable complexity puts the piano in a class of its own as a music teaching machine. Even a five year-old can understand and play a simple two-note chord, consisting of any white key, skipping the next white key, and playing the next white key. Such molecule-like constructions are the basis of all music. On the piano they are at a child’s fingertips.
Songs And Chords Are Easy On The Piano
With minimal effort a child can plunk out a tune that they recognize, giving them at least a preview of what playing music is actually like. For example, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star is a matter of a few moments for any child to learn in Piano by Number:
The same song on the violin or trumpet would take very complicated coordination between the hands and fingers. Plus you'll need the mental acuity and dexterity required to pull off the series of motions and thoughts required. Thus the piano becomes a sort of musical shorthand machine.
It allows rather complex musical thoughts to be simply stated directly on the keyboard in front of you. Because it is so simple and child friendly, the piano is an excellent choice for a child’s first musical instrument.
REFERENCES
Piano As An Instrument
Tongue Drum
Kids Piano Brands
A Short History of the Piano
Piano Pedals Explained to Kids
Which Is Best, Acoustic or Electronic?
Buy A Piano for Your Child
Humidity and Your Piano
Origins of the Black Piano Keys
How Good Are Toy Pianos?
Why Piano Is The Best Instrument for Kids
Why Grand Pianos Are Better Than Uprights
Piano Is The Greatest Learning Toy Of All
Guitar Or Piano: Which Is Best For My Child
How To Buy A Piano
Best Electronic Keyboard for Beginners
Melissa and Doug Piano
Child Size Baby Grand Piano
Schoenhut Piano
Children’s Musical Keyboard
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