How to Teach the Piano to Kindergarteners
Learning a musical instrument such as the piano can be a mentally stimulating hobby for kindergarteners. It can provide cognitive development, as well as produce confidence in a young child. The best part about teaching a kindergartener instead of an adult is that a kindergartener's brain is more malleable and better suited to soak up information. In order to teach the piano to kindergarteners, it's important to have patience and make learning fun. Following some simple steps should help most people in this endeavor.
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Instructions
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Allow kindergarteners to familiarize themselves with the piano before attempting to teach them formally. Doing so should help the children get used to the layout of a piano and the different sounds it produces.
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Develop a regular practice routine for each week. In order for newly learned piano techniques to stick, it's important to practice on a consistent basis. In general, having three practice sessions for approximately one hour each week should suffice.
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Use flash cards to teach the piano notes of the treble and bass clefs. These will provide kindergarteners with an efficient strategy for learning the basics. By repeatedly going through the flash cards, a child should be able to get a grasp of the piano notes. Flash cards can be purchased at music stores or online. You can also make your own set with index cards.
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Teach kindergarteners the scales once they have a basic grasp of the piano notes. Doing so should get the children comfortable with moving their hands along the keys.
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Teach the children to play some simple songs initially. Some possibilities include "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "Mary had a Little Lamb." Once the children have mastered these, you can move on to more complex songs.
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Praise the kindergarteners every time they successfully learn a new lesson. Doing so should increase their confidence, which will hopefully encourage them to learn more and keep improving. If a child is struggling with a particular lesson, don't scold him. Instead, you should be patient and keep working at it. This type of attitude should maximize the fun level for a child and make learning piano less arduous.
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Tips & Warnings
Using a piano lesson book in addition to lessons can also be helpful.
Letting a kindergartener listen to classical piano solos can promote a deeper interest in learning piano.
References
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