Is your toddler eager to play the piano, but you are unsure of how to
start?
Through my experience with working with toddlers, I have found that
they are usually not able to cope with sitting at the piano for long
periods of time. They tend to show tones of curiosity in the
anticipation of playing and then it disappears quickly when it's time
for a turn. Through my experience with working with toddlers, I have
found that they are usually not able to cope with sitting at the piano
for long periods of time. They tend to show tones of curiosity in the
anticipation of playing and then it disappears quickly when it's time
for a turn. It is quite normal at this age to have less than two
minutes playing the piano, before you move on to something else. If
your toddler doesn't play for long, it is not an indication that they
are not enjoying the activity or music, it's just being a toddler!
Here are two playing ideas and tips for the first sessions together
with your child.
You may not need all the activities that I have written down in the
exact order, so feel free to use the ones that suit you best in any
order that suits your children and change and adapt the ideas as you
need.
Idea 1. Little Bear, Big Bear and Mummy Bear.
This activity will encourage a toddler to get started with their
playing. This idea lets a toddler do that, but in a controlled way so
that they understand some boundaries about playing the instrument.
Step 1: Sit on the piano seat closely together as if you are about to
read a book together, and just have a little tinkle, positively
reinforcing all of the sounds that your child makes. Loads of children
are naturally worried to hear themselves make a sound on the piano at
first until they know its alright. If your child gets too heavy, just
show them how to play a note gently and just say "gently" as you show
him/her.
Step 2: Once you know that your child is playing gently, you may enjoy
making up a little story. You could call all the high top notes "Little
Bear" all the bottom notes "Big Bear" and all the middle notes "Mummy
Bear". (Calling all the top notes "High Notes", all the bottom notes
"Low notes" and all the middle ones"Middle Notes" also works well.)
Step 3: Children love their independence. Sometimes they will make a
gesture to move off the seat or will tell you. Just move aside and
either stand or sit away a little bit, but still be close so that you
can positively reinforce gentle playing. If you want to keep your child
playing for longer, just sing along a favorite song as they play.
Something like "5 Little Ducks" or "Baa Baa" should work well and just
sing along to whatever notes are coming out.
Toddler can enjoy this activity on the piano for many sessions. In fact
encouraging this as part of a regular routine can really build their
confidence and self esteem.
Idea 2. The Wheels on the Bus
This song lends itself to being a great first song on the piano and
children usually already know the words and actions, which makes it
easier for them to play.
Follow these easy steps to help your child succeed quickly at playing
it.
Step 1. Do the actions to the music. You probably already know how the
song starts. It's like this:
Verse 1 The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round,
round and round, The wheels on the bus go round and round all day long
Verse 2 The horn on the bus goes Beep Beep Beep, Beep Beep Beep, Beep
Beep Beep, The horn on the bus goes Beep Beep Beep all day long
I've included only two verses because these are the most important ones
use in order to play the piece. Verse 2 is the is best suited to use in
order to help children to play it. The children play on the beeps.
You could practice playing at the right time by singing the verses and
clapping your hands or use an instrument like a maraca or drum to play
on the beeps. This helps children achieve the rhythm and timing without
the distraction all those keys on the piano.
Step 2. Getting your fingers ready. The fingers you need to use for the
song are your pointer finger and middle finger of your right hand and
you play them at the same time. When you play my recorded version,
you'll hear the beeps played on the piano. This confirms to a toddler
when to play and gets them used to hearing the sound.
Practice first together with your toddler on the floor playing with the
correct fingers at the appropriate time and without any sound. Toddlers
get overwhelmed if they go up to the piano too quickly and make a
mistake.
Step 3.Finding the notes and playing along on the piano. You'll see
groups of 2 black notes together and then groups of 3 black notes
together. For this song, you'll need to play the two black notes
closest to the center of the piano.Help your child find the notes and
sing along and play together.
Article Source:
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/
two-ways-to-introduce-your-toddler-to-the-piano-473701.html About the Author
Janice Tuck together with her husband Kevin, are
dedicated parents, and business owners. They are committed to providing
the best in educational resources and advice for parents and teachers
wanting to make music learning fun. To obtain a free play along audio
recording of the piano materials mentioned in this article, just visit
their music
resources website. |
