February 6th, 2009 by Lisa | 2 Comments »
I don’t encourage my students to use stickers. I can’t tell you of the countless times I have had a student rely on stickers too long and can’t play on any piano but their own. It truly is a handicap to you if you mark your keys in any way. It is true that it might help you play quicker and smoother, but the moment you take them away, the piano all of a sudden looks different and you are back to being confused again.
I recommend flashcards for note memorization, but for flash cards to be the most effective is to not only name the note when you see it, but play it as well. Time yourself and see how quickly you can go through a handful of flash cards by saying it and playing it.
February 6th, 2009 by Lisa | No Comments »
Piano lessons for the very young
I would only recommend a parent to teach a two year old how to play the piano. A LOT of patience
and repitition on a daily basis, is required. A two year old would not benefit from a weekly
lesson, and the parent would be paying for a lot of repetition.
So, I say it's doable, but I recommend that a parent does it. At this early stage, the parent
needs only to follow the curriculum, they don't need to know how to play the piano.
If a parent really wants their very young child in piano lessons, then I would do it with the
parent included, and explain that the lessons will not be effective without the parent at every
lesson, and that the parent is responsible for practicing with their student. Explain the nature
of repeat lessons/repetition at this young age, and that even though there will be progress, it
will be slow.
The youngest age I have found that can remember what the teacher tells him once a week is about
4 and a half years old - 5 years old. They are a joy to teach! So willing to learn and they
absorb everything you tell them! Again, there is responsibility for the parent to make sure they
practice at home.
Here is the curriculum I have developed for ages 2-7:
http://www.pianopatchkids.com
February 6th, 2009 by Lisa | No Comments »
Question from a student:
I am on Level 5 and happy with my progress. However, when I listen to your audio support the sound is lovely and “soft” – I seem to play the keys much stronger and harder. Do you have any tip(s) as to how I can train my fingers to be more gentle. (I work on a computer keyboard all day so I suppose I have learned to hit the keys hard!).
Lisa’s Answer:
When I was learning, my mom always yelled at me about “banging” on the keys. It’s a natural beginner tendency. It’s good you are aware of it, because you will naturally work on it. ~smile~ It’s being aware, controlling your muscles, and over time you will start to know how hard and soft to hit the keys to get the desired sound.
February 6th, 2009 by Lisa | 1 Comment »
Many students ask me if you can use the lessons to
learn the keyboard. The answer is absolutely! The piano and
keyboard have the same notation structure. The only difference is
in the weight of the keys and obviously, how many keys there are.
If you are using a keyboard for learning, then I recommend at least
61 keys and touch sensitivity. Touch sensitivity, sometimes also called
touch response, allows you to control the volume of each of the keys that
you play by playing it hard or soft. (Just like on a piano.)
I hope you are enjoying the lessons and making progress!
Lisa
