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my 6 year old daughter (had 1 year of lessons) enjoys playing the piano and i would love to get her to play more "musically," instead of just playing the notes. (she is playing some classical pieces,,, brahm's lullaby, waltzes, etc) Does being able to play musically come with age, practice, and exposure to music, or is it simply innate? Is there something we (teacher, parent) can do to help?

Think of a story. Think of Mozart's Sonata in c major K545. What do you imagine is happening. Is the song about someone walking down a dark alley or skipping down the beach or a peaceful lakeside? Lets say you think of a peaceful lake when you here this piece. Don't play the notes on the page, play the lakeside.

Matt

Great post! Some kids do play more musically than others, but everyone can get better. Here are a few things I use. I'd love to hear more.

1. Encourage listening, to all kinds of music.
2. Imitation. Does her teacher have her echo back music? This can really help with some kids who just don't really understand what we mean by "musical."
3. Story. Debussy20 is so on track here. Once or twice a year with their main recital pieces, after they've learned notes/rhythm/fingering, my students come up with a story about their piece. I usually ask, "If you were at the movie theatre, and heard this music, what would you see on the screen?" Anything they say is perfect! All students are uncomfortable doing this at first, but when they see there really is no wrong answer, they grow to like it. Last year, a girl told a story about her dead pet chicken. A little bizarre to me, but she played the most beautiful Vandall Consolation I've ever heard. We write the basic story outline right on the music. Usually just takes a few questions like, "What happens next?" or "What do you see on the screen now?" to get the kids excited about it.
4. Play for students. Let them hold the music and critique the teacher.
5. Finally, listen...listen...listen.

She's 6 years old--hmm--she's 6 years old--that means she was born in 2001. I can remember a meal I ate in 2001--like it's yesterday. I have kids 14 and 10, and I witness their musical abilities--no matter how they're taught, or what they're exposed to, they're still kids. To say your daughter is already playing Brahms is amazing. I wouldn't expect her to play much more than the notes. Her 6 year old brain cannot possibly take in and put out more than computing which notes need to be played. At that age, (unless she is Midori at age 6), getting the notes and rhythm is not so bad. Give her a chance. The hardest thing for kids to do is not rush and play too fast. Personally, there are other pieces to explore to spur musical responses. Kullak's Scenes from Childhood are short and each tells a short story--if you can find them. They are through Schirmer--perhaps available somewhere. Expecting her to play Brahms in a way we are used to hearing it may be asking too much. There are plenty of pieces that are geared to produce whet you think is missing. There's Schumann's Album for the Young, and the tome Piano Pieces for Children grades 1-4--perhaps check with a local music store or see online what's available. Did she go through any particular method book series? How about David Hirschberg's Scales and Chords are Fun--with a short piece after each scale or corresponding chord group? I just want to make sure there aren't any holes in the process. I always tell the parents: if you make the very young child think they aren't meeting your expectations, they may close in and not produce, and decide to stop taking lessons. Musicality is a very personal thing--and one needs to develop this from the inside out, without intervention. People need to connect this innate release of feeling on their own time, not because a teacher assigns the piece and expects it of them, but because there's a definite musical response from the player. Give it time.

When my kids were in preschool, the preschool told all the parents that at this age it's the process not the end result that counts. For example, as parents, we shouldn't worry about how our child's artwork looks because it was the process of experimenting and creating with the materials that's important at that age.

I have a 5 and 7 year old and have taught my 7 yr. old some things on the piano although my 5 yr. old is not ready yet but she loves to sing and I'm suprised at how well she can hit the notes and it sounds like she's attempting to make the the songs sound musical.

I sing to them around the house, in the car, at bed time, etc. (of course, not constantly but when there's an opportunity). I try to sing my favorite melodies and tunes and sing in a musical way. My 7 yr. old right now has learned a tune on the piano of one of our favorite songs I've been singing to them for a long time and she is putting the musicality into it as she is automatically trying to play it in the manner as we have sung it.

I have so many favorite children's songs. I would like to pass my favorite songs down in my children's memory so that's why I'm always singing to them or putting on cd's of children's music so they will learn and remember those songs. I also bought them each their own cd player and they have their own little set of children's cd's that they can put on and listen to.

So music listening is what I think probably helps a lot: singing to them, listening to music - recordings, concerts, church, etc.

I'd encourage the story-telling approach - have you talked with your daughter about what a lullaby is for? Maybe you can find an English translation of the German lyrics for Brahms' lullaby (we are talking THE famous lullaby here, aren't we?), so she has something to start her imagination. She might know the feeling of being sung to sleep - so she may well be able to "translate" it in music - playing softer and softer, calmer and calmer etc. With regard to the waltzes: You could try dancing a waltz with her so she gets the idea of swirling, swinging couples bobbing up and down on their toes with the rhythm ...

Expanding on that--the Bach Minuets, March etc might be a good way to get your daughter to relate to the various styles through dance forms of music--that opens a door to many thoughts.

Another thought to the excellent suggestions already given:

Musicality can increase, even in younger kids, when the "work" of the music (reading notes & rhythm, finger placement) becomes more comfortable and known. When the music reading can become slightly more background, and the enjoyment of playing becomes more foreground, and kids' natural musicality just comes right out.

Lots of listening helps this (would her teacher be willing to record the pieces she's learning for her to listen to?) as does playing a piece long enough that the mechanics of it become almost second nature.

Best,

Kim

I have a question about coming up with a story...

If the story fits the music it must mean that the kid who comes up with the story already feels the structure of the piece pretty well. If the kid doesn't have any idea about the piece, then the story that he (she) comes up wouldn't make sense, would it?

I guess what I'm trying to say is that a story helps one formulate what he feels about a piece, but it won't help if he doesn't feel it. Am I wrong?

childofparadise,

Good point. The story idea helps the student to discover what they feel. I think everyone feels it, but we're often nervous and uncomfortable expressing it. Creating a story somehow lets kids (and adults) give themselves permission to let their feelings out. Hmmm, this sounds a bit hokey and sentimental. Sorry for that. The experience doesn't have this same kind of tone.

You're right that the story would be senseless if the kid doesn't already have an idea about the piece. They can't just do this with every song. They need to know the piece very well. They've passed notes/rhythm/fingering and have been learning for a number of weeks. Sometimes, it's even memorized. Quite a few kids start doing this on their own and come to lesson excited to tell me the story.

hi Stella

For a student who is 6 I am wondering if some of the suggestions here are too advanced for the beginning concept that you are trying to get across: that being, playing with feeling as opposed to without. If I wanted to demonstrate Feeling 101, I would not start with Beethoven's 6th symphony and the story of the storm.

I would first demonstrate the piece with NO shading whatsoever, then add some. A great way to do this is to find a MIDI file and let the computer play it and let the child listen. There is no shading in a MIDI file, the note is either ON or OFF. Then you demonstrate what happens when a "human" plays it with feeling. After the student gets the difference between "none" and "some," then you can proceed from there to the quality of the "some" and introduce them to the idea of "subtle degree." After that, you can initiate a discussion (or not with a 6 YO) of how much is too much. Taste 101... (getting ahead of myself here but that of course would eventually get to Touch 101 as in how to produce what you want others to hear.)

If you can't find a MIDI file but have a program like Finale, enter it in Finale and let Finale play it. Again, no shading, no dynamics unless you put some in the written score.

My kids all think the "without shading" version sounds fine until they hear me play it "with shading" then they hear what I am demonstrating. Well, most of them do. For those who don't, I am thinking of recording 2 versions, the computer version and my version and playing them both back and asking if they can tell which one the computer played. This removes any visual bias (they don't see which one I play). Haven't tried that yet.

Kate

Believe it or not, I do this on the college level--either to add to, or take away from too much or too little 'feeling'. When the wood is stripped, you get a better view of the basic material, and then you can appropriately add what needs to be added to make the piece work. This works for the pedal as well.

Finding images and stories in the music is a great way of adding musicality and expression. Instead of thinking of the dynamic markings simply as dynamic markings try associating them with the rise and fall of the story. I actually did a podcast on this subject. You can check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9P8Ni1SuSE

You might find that the student also gets very excited about a piece when you give it a story. I always did. And one of the best ways to play musically is simply to enjoy the piece you are playing.