Schoenhut Piano

by john aschenbrenner August 6, 2023

The Schoenhut Piano is a great choice for toddlers and preschoolers. They are colorful, cute and very child-friendly. If you are researching this instrument, here's a page you should check out. But there's an important question you haven't asked.

The question is, how will your child play music once they have a Schoenhut Piano? On the page mentioned above, you will note that Schoenhut offers a songbook and color strip to put behind the keys.

Piano Is Easy

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The method offered by Schoenhut is "Piano By Color." So, C is green, D is yellow, and on up the keys using all the colors. Here's the problem: color has nothing to do with music theory. It is a temporary starter system that allows you to use the product you just purchased, but it has no future in your child's musical education.

In another example, if you purchase a Roland electronic keyboard for your child, you will be offered a "songbook" using conventional music notation. The truth is, no child will be able to read music without careful professional guidance.

A Better Way To Use Your Schoenhut Toy Piano

Numbers, on the other hand, have everything to do with music theory. And they are utterly familiar with kids. I've taught many kids who started out on Schoenhut Pianos, and here's what I do. I number the keys using removable stickers. Look at the drawing below.

Familiar Songs In A Transparent Format

Numbers allow kids to explore thousands of songs without the need to use colors, or struggle with reading music. Piano By Number has the largest collection of songs by number anywhere. It's a great way to start kids at the piano. Try a few songs on the piano keyboard below.

Easy Songs On The White Keys

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
| 1 1 5 5 | 6 6 5 * | 4 4 3 3 | 2 2 1 * |

Jingle Bells
| 3 3 3 * 3 3 3 * | 3 5 1 2 | 3 * * * |

Get Started The Easy Way

Ignore the "songbooks" that come with toy pianos and electronic instruments. They are either irrelevant (colors, animals) or far too complex (reading music) for your child to get an enjoyable start at the piano. Start with numbers!