But if a child has difficulty with playing two hands simultaneously, do not insist, as most kids this age have some difficulty with complex two handed maneuvers.
It is enough to expose them to the idea that two hands are involved, eventually simultaneously.
At this age, you can start with piano by number to build confidence, and readily move on to sheet music a little bit at a time within a few months.
First graders seem magically wired to try the piano! All the physical perceptions necessary are in place; numbers are no problem, playing with two hands is no problem.
But if a child has difficulty with playing two hands simultaneously, do not insist, as most kids this age have great difficulty with two handed maneuvers. It is enough to expose them to the idea that two hands are involved, eventually simultaneously.
With piano by numbers and chords (two or three piano keys played with the left hand) under their belt, first graders are ready to conquer the right hand of sheet music, and engage in a study of chords.
At this age kids are emotionally ready to play the game called "happy and sad" wherein the teacher plays chords and has the child try to guess their (the chords) emotional or dramatic quality, happy or sad.
Kids love this silly game, almost like a game show, and never tire of trying to listen and assess the emotional quality of the chord. Earlier than this age, many children seem to have difficulty grasping the idea of a sound (the piano chord) having a certain emotional quality (happy or sad.)
At this point it also becomes possible to introduce "finger games," that is, games that teach a child to move beyond using the index finger. I always allow kids to start with the index finger, if that's what comfortable.
It may take a long time to get a child to use all the ten fingers properly, but it is worth waiting for, especially if in the meantime you are teaching them other valuable things.
Believe it or not, kids will let you know when they are ready to use all five fingers.
I'll tell you the formula for success. It has three stages:
1. Teach the notes, the numbers, get the kids to decipher the commands and play the correct keys as best they can, with whatever finger comes to their mind
2. Introduce the idea of five fingers, slowly, as a game, as a joke. I always say, when they play with only their index finger, "Oh, you were born with only one finger on each hand! Wait! I see other fingers under there, all curled up!" Try that 50 times and they will start using more fingers all by themselves, I guarantee it.
3. Rhythm is best left to last. The only thing I do at this point is to play rhythm games. I never, ever insist on rhythm in a piece of printed music, numbers or sheet.
Don't even think of rhythm in the usual sense for first graders. Better to try simple rhythm games like "fours" that give children the idea of regularity, of pattern, of repetition.
To start the process of learning fingering, I begin with a game called "threesies," in which they play, starting from Middle C; 123, 234, 345 456, etc using the right hand thumb, index and third finger in ascending order. Kids love the complexity of this, but if it is too difficult after several tries, then try something else for a while.
Two more "rules:"
1. Keep coming back to ideas, again and again.
2. Never acknowledge a child's failure to grasp these ideas, just show comic surprise and move on.
Children at the piano have an uncanny knack of showing you an honest effort if the task is not incomprehensibly difficult. Break down complex motions into easily grasped bits. |
