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Piano Learning Games
Piano learning games gently introduce the child to the rudimentary skills of playing the piano. In conventional piano lessons, these skills are introduced immediately, and they are the primary focus of a child's first few piano lessons.
This is too much for most children, and a gentler approach is required.
Think Outside The Box
Suppose, instead of immediately introducing musical notation, the child's lessons began with games involving left/right at the piano? Left/right is the most basic skill at the piano, and everything follows from that.
You'd be surprised how many six year-olds are hazy about left/right.
Suppose, instead of insisting on fingering in the first few lessons, you played abstract fingering games designed to make the child aware of their fingers in a new way?
Games for the Piano Printed Book
Basic Piano Skills Remain the Same
One will always be required to learn certain exact skills to play the piano. The question is, in what order and in what concentration are these skills to be presented and acquired?
Conventional lessons insist that reading music is first on the list, and beginning piano lessons will concentrate on the skill of reading music 100%.
But this is entirely in contradiction to the nature of a child. A child needs to be led gently from where they are at the moment, to where they should be. Forcing them to immediately adopt a totally foreign graphic language (reading music) is a recipe for disaster.
Start With A Simplified Language
A better way to start is to delay complications, and start with a very simple musical language. Reading music is not a good starting platform for most young people. It contains so many levels, dimensions, rules and symbols that kids are thoroughly intimidated by it.
We suggest you number the keys at first, since numbers are already second-nature to a child.
Try A Song With Numbers
I'm A Little Teacup
| 1 * 2 | 3 * 4 | 5 * * | 8 * * | 6 * * | 8 * * | 5 * * |
It is easy to play many piano learning games on a numbered keyboard because kids are already comfortable with numbers. They can concentrate on the concept of the game and not fumble with reading notes in order to play the game.
Here are some games you can play:
2. FOURS, A PIANO COUNTING GAME
USE GAMES TO SOFTEN THE WORKLOAD
Piano learning games are an essential tool of the creative piano teacher. You will often find the child gets bored with most musical tasks, but if you make it into a game, the child cannot help but respond.
Just as I advocate restricting the portion of a lesson devoted to reading music (a ratio of 1 (reading) out of 5 (fun) seems right for most kids) you should always leave room for games.
Any musical concept can be happily presented to a child if it is done with humor and a fun approach, even reading music.
