Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum Starting My 6 Year Old

"If anyone else has real advice for me on how to do this well, I am eager to read it."

This sentence is interesting to me. Do you mean that if somebody's opinion conflics with yours, it is not "real" advice?

My advice is pay for eight lessons for your child with a professional piano teacher, perhaps the most expensive one in your area. Sit in on the lessons. If you feel everything she does is about the same as what you would do, discontinue and be the teacher. If on the other hand, you are learning a lot yourself, then continue with that teacher for your child.

The first year is the most important year to get an excellent teacher.

Sorry Candyman, I can't go with that. In a perfect world yes, but... I wouldn't advise engaging a college kid either (there was a thread about that last month). A famous pianist I spoke with years ago said his dad visited as many of the highly rated teachers in the area (Chicago) until he had found one he was happy with. I would advise plenty of legwork; after all, would you buy the first car/house/piano that you saw?

Elementary my dear Watson!!

Here are the facts?
We have a non-pianist single Mum who teaches band music
Acquires piano for school
Matronly motivation to teach her son (6 years)
Awareness of sparse keyboard experience
Tax rebate speculation
Advice sought to make the right move

“Well, go on Holmes ... I can’t begin to see a solution”.

“Let’s remove red herrings ... those factors which are accretions”...

We have a non-pianist single Mum who teaches band music
Acquires piano for school Matronly lust to teach son (6 years) Awareness of sparse keyboard experience Tax rebate hopes Advice sought to make the right move
Drop the bottom 5 scheming matronly quirks ... and the jolly old school band can continue it’s cacophonic disturbance of the airwaves (out of school time) to it’s heart’s content ... might even find in time some chappie to bang away at the ivories if the grand can’t be returned.

However ... should Mum dig in her avaricious heels ... the other Piano Teachers have wisely given warning of the Pandora’s box which will be opened if Mum takes the keyboard helm ... and doesn’t let the poor little lad have a few more years free of Mum’s studied ambitions.

“Care to listen to a little ditty I put together on my Violin, Watson?”

“Thanks Holmes ... but I must away. “

Mum? I was thinking more dad, Holmes.

Dads need to get out playing more golf, Watson.

I say Holmes, did you know in these modern times they allow mums to play as well!

So, does it make a difference is the parent "Yoofer" is a Mom or a Dad? I assumed it was a Dad's posting, and it bothered me just a little that the other parent was not mentioned as to their interest in the piano for the child..it seemed almost one person's decision to start. Now, I'm curious, do we get to know if the posting parent is the Mom or the Dad?

Anyway, there is a lot of interest in your topic, and responses are being given sincerely.
I bet you are a little miffed that no one has specifically answered your questions about method, practicing, etc. And, here we latched on to your posting in a more speculative manner about other things.

Sorry if this has been a bother to you, but you can see that other things got our attention moreso. I wonder why that is? Do you wonder, Yoofer?

I have been teaching my kids for about a year. This has gone okay, but thankfully, they will be starting with another teacher this fall. This will be the best motivation for them.

It's not a big deal to get lessons from mom, I am just mom to them, not a teacher. Lessons from a different teacher will give them more motivation I think to do well.

Lessons with my own kids are like torture. I try to treat them the same as the others, but you just can't, and they don't want me to teach them. They want me to be mom and stand back while they show me what they have accomplished on their own(even if it is with a teacher's help).

Which is the very reason my two studied with another teacher in town. Thanks for stating the case so well, mjelle.

OK - here's practical advice:

Purchase Primer books from the Faber series (or any equivalent series). Get the lesson book, theory, performance, and technique book. (Each book is about $5). They're pretty self explanatory and you'll soon see how they all work together. Also, purchase flash cards of the notes . Purchase a kitchen timer for timing practice sessions and naming notes. Expect your child to practice 15 to 20 minutes per day - 5 days of the week. Your child should get one day off from practicing and the 7th day is lesson day. Expect to practice with your child full time for at least a year. First part of lesson listen to assigned pieces and do flashcards; and second part - go over new pieces for next week. Get a lesson booklet that has a space for each day of the week to fill in practice time and what the assigned pieces are - a little booklet is fine. Finally, schedule recitals 2-3 times per year - simply have him play 2 or 3 pieces he is working on at the time for relatives, friends, etc. - maybe at another location. Plan to play duets with him, as there is a duet part written for many of the pieces.

Good Luck.

I'm the Dad. The Mom is a businesswoman, now a stay-at-home mom, and has no musical training. She appreciates music and really wants our kids to learn it. She supports learning piano and is eager to hear our kids play it.

I'm glad my posting has had so much interest. Everyone's feedback and perspectives are valuable to me. The more information I get, the more likely I am to make better decisions in this matter.

Hi Yoofer -

I think one of your main considerations in deciding whether or not to teach your son piano would be to determine what caliber of pianistic education you would like for him. If you would like for him to study with a teacher whose major instrument is piano, has years of teaching experience, has a thriving studio with many performance opportunities, has a degree/degrees in piano, then you should find a professional teacher in your area. If finances are a large enough concern, and it is acceptable for him to study with a teacher that only has had a couple of years of piano lessons in college, and no piano teaching experience, then you should teach him yourself.

Another note -- I had a student whose parent played the piano at a late intermediate level who was started in lessons for about six months at home before they decided to come to me. (the student was home-schooled as well). This was just fine because the student had a bit of a foundation in the "basics" (and the parent had been using a thorough beginner method). When the student came to me, she had been studying for a short enough time so that incorrect technique and other problems could be corrected. The little "jump start" was beneficial to this student, and she continues to progress very well after 2 years.

Sorry if I'm chiming in late, I just got back from holidays

If you are adamant on trying to teach your child yourself, I would recommend having your wife supervise practicing in-between the lessons. That way you"ll not wanting to jump in everytime you hear something incorrect. As much as we would like to treat our own children the same as our other students I don't know if it is possible. I have seen situations where teachers have taught their own children and done very well, and situations that have crashed and burned. It all depends on the personalities involved.

Also, make sure you are watching for things that can easily escape notice, such as posture, hand position, memorizing finger numbers rather than reading, etc. If you go back through these pages there is a lot of advice on how to start teaching that is worthwhile.

For whose benefit would that be? Dad may not have the energy but it would benefit junior. Initially whoever supervises practice should know exactly what is to be achieved and pay close attention that EVERY instance of bad technique is attended to. In a matter weeks, if you know what your doing, good habits will have become second nature.

The dynamics of every family is different. With our family, I had another teacher in town do the instruction, and for the most part, I supervised the practice. That way, my children & I remained on speaking terms! My wife, who studied organ in college, sometimes oversaw practice when I couldn't.

What I know now, that I didn't know 25 or 30 years ago, is that if you can start with a reallly top-notch teacher right off the bat, your students will be not only ahead of the class technique-wise, they will be much more inspired and enjoy music more. And that, it seems to me, is what you really want for your children.

The problem for most parents is finding that teacher. Your son is 6; you've got time to really dig in and find that special teacher.

John's right (and it takes a piano teacher to know). It is the crucial first few months which form a pianist. It's not university or college level that need the genius teachers, it's the beginner level.

For many students having their "teacher" there day in and day out supervising their practicing so that they can correct mistakes would be too much pressure and can lead to arguments (especially with a parent). Care needs to be taken so that bad habits do not form and practicing gets accomplished, but it is also important that the student doesn't resent the parent/teacher. It depends so much on the personalities involved.

I am not in agreement with a parent with little piano training trying to teach their own child. But that was already clearly covered by everyone else here on the board. Usually musicians realize most that how important it is to have good training when starting on an instrument. I took a woodwind class in university to learn basics on a few different wind instruments and I would never even consider teaching those.

First of all, let me say I am sorry this is lengthy, but I think this is an appropriate place to write it.

I think orientation of the student (playing apparatus, if you will) to the piano keyboard (a mechanical apparatus)requires a simple handdrawn diagrams every step of the way in basic notation teaching.

For me, the orientation first includes A-G and reverse, said aloud over and over. Then starting at the bottom of the piano the student touches each white key in order, saying the alphabet ascending. Then we find all "D", ("D is in the middle of the 2 black keys" is a rhythmic "rap").
What comes before D? (C!) What comes after D? (E)
Freehand draw the diagram of 3 white notes, 2 black notes by itself. If this is C-D-E what is this one? (F) ?(G) (A may be a little puzzling because they are tempted to say "H").

If the student is having a problem show the similarity to the starting note on the bottom (A)- I say, this was a 3 black key group too, but they had to end the piano because it was getting too long, so now we have only 1 group of 1 black key, then 2 black keys, and 3 black keys take turns filling up the keyboard.

If a student seems perplexed, I will draw a white keyboard only UUUUUUUUUU and say, the black keys help us name the white notes because they separate all the notes into groups for us.
Then start piling on the black notes one at a time starting from the LH end of the diagram, and making sure to show the crack where two black notes come together. Their names are B-C and E-F. This is being written here because I am trying to say, that any age new beginner responds to the keyboard much better if he is part of the drawing of the diagram - (it's conceptual for him). Looking at a diagram in a lesson book is not the same experience.

Another issue at the beginning lesson is the finger numbers. And I make sure they play using finger number (pre-charts) for 2-5 weeks before getting the music staff. What I am doing is putting the fingering impulse into their minds as an essential step that later comes between between reading the note from the music staff and CHOOSING A FINGER AT THIS POINT which will target the key needed on the keyboard.

This creates a note played on instant demand and avoids all the thinking and stumbling around and indecision. It is a very important issue that no one is noticing. Actually, all of these things mentioned here are very important and need to be formulated accurately in the first 10 lessons.

The prechart uses counting only when the hyphen entends the length of a finger number by one beat. ("Hold"). All other numbers are 1 beat.
Thumbs on C
RH ONLY: 1 3 5 5 2 3 4 - 1 3 5 5 4 3 2 -

RH
__________________________
LH 4 4 3 4 1 2 - 4 4 3 4

Note Value Counting is the way I build a counting system, and again it is hand drawn, and clapped while learning the counts. I start with the whole note, and add the half note emphasizing that it looks just like the whole note, and then gets the stem. The quarter note looks like the half note, and then gets the shading in of black. Eighths look like quarters, add the flag. (Don't overload too much at once.) It is better to show them only what they are using in their music.)I have a theory on how counting needs to be presented to, but I have said more than enough here.

The last issue would be the way you present the music staff to the student when you are ready for it. (Again, I spare you, but there is a sequence, and certain information used).

In the meantime, they get off to a good start and I have a collection of about 20 songs, increasing in difficulty slightly that start in various positions, but adjacent fingers. We don't have to do all 20 of them - just enough to hear the beat moving forward in time, and accurate fingers playing, and a musical, rhythmic piece. You can add phrasing for improvement, but as all songs have words, it is easy to emphasize accents, and 2 note or 3 note slurs by marking the paper with the symbols.

I would like to show teachers that they can do much of the preliminary work that is in method books much better themselves by devising their own methods and supplying the music that works at the beginning level.

If you are with them while developing their information system, you will know exactly where they are and what they might not be getting. I feel very strongly about this. It also helps you two bond together in this process - collaboration from here on out. When you use a method book I don't think we unify with our students - the wizard is the book itself - here you take your rightful position as their personal "authority" who opens the "magic door" of music making. (Hello, Mary Poppins!)(Sorry!)

A piano teacher needs to lead and over time the student will become more and more independent. As long as you are likable, interested in the student, and providing him or her access to the "playing field" of understanding, you will be a "keeper" and so will the student.

The piano is capable of great response if the playing apparatus becomes well-trained over time.

Betty

Betty can’t resist putting up a mirror of her own working routine ... but we’re counting chickens to presume that the parental mix is going to
provide a quality piano support for the unfortunate 6 year old pawn.

We had elsewhere concluded that parental (Mum or Dad/ both for a bonus) keyboard familiarity was a must in the success of piano lessons ... without qualified and sympathetic supervision of homework ... practising can become a mind-numbing chore ... marked off in distasteful minutes ... feeling-ful support from the sidelines adds rare purpose to practice.

It will be difficult enough for the 6-year old to make progress with the finest piano teacher in the world ... what hope with no backdrop of valid parental keyboard skills ... and trying to do it on the cheap from home base ... forgive stating the obvious ... “ a little learning is a (very) dangerous thing”.

And all because Dad went out and bought a grand piano for his Band.

Yoofer and btb:

I guess I overstated my case. I was trying to project for the teaching parent that there is a lot to do, it needs to be done with foresight, and simply turning the pages of some method does not do the trick. You have to be prepared in your own concepts about what teaching the piano to any student (and each individual one) needs to incorporate. Of course, this is all my opinion, but an experienced opinion, and one that produces students who do not have the same problems that others have in learning piano. They keep steady beats from the beginning and never loose track of it, they have great fingering skills because they know the rules, they acquire vocabularies, and they have some great music to inspire and motivate them specific to my "prescription". Now, if Yoofer does not have this preparation himself related to the piano, he needs to rethink his plans here - and acquire the skills himself. Perhaps he can find a piano teacher for himself if he does not want to put his child in study with someone else.

Sorry about the mirror I keep putting up, btb, I'm usually smiling in it, but I have a new haircut, perhaps you wouldn't recognize me now.
I think this mirror you are seeing me in is because I walk the walk and talk the talk with little deviation but to empower people to do their best, and I am a music literacy advocate, too. I just have to speak out. I don't know if I need a "muffler" or a "muzzle". (Don't be rude now!)

Betty