| Playing the piano is a wonderful activity for children | | | | break through the mechanics of piano and bring the |
| because it not only provides hours of fun for kids, it | | | | music to life in an interesting and creative way.Inverting |
| utilizes all of the human creative processes. These | | | | - "How would this look if I turned it upside |
| include Seeing (visualization), Observing, Forming | | | | down?"Inverting affects perspective as well by turning |
| Analogies, Inverting, and Simplification. Effective piano | | | | things upside down, or by taking them to extremes. |
| lessons apply teaching strategies that utilize these | | | | Einstein did this when he obsessed over a beam of |
| processes to exercise students' creative abilities and | | | | light and discovered his theory of relativity. Like his |
| expand their potential. Below are some examples of | | | | theory of relativity, many things are hidden beyond our |
| how this happens.Visualization - "What would it look | | | | understanding as they're counter-intuitive to the logic of |
| like if I could do it?"Visualization is probably the most | | | | our first assumptions. I don't pretend to understand |
| difficult creative skill to develop. Having a keyboard in | | | | Einstein's theory, but I know that Einstein also loved |
| the imagination, however, gives a powerful boost to | | | | music and that many of the piano techniques students |
| students' playing ability. So it's worth it to work at | | | | need to play well are indeed counter-intuitive. That's |
| developing this creative application. Here's a way | | | | why students may resist them at first.One way to |
| young piano students can begin to literally draw on | | | | break through our natural logic and bring other |
| their mind's "eye".The piano has groups of two and | | | | possibilities into view is by asking,What would this look |
| three black keys. There are three white keys around | | | | like if I turned it upside down?Here's a creative |
| each group of two black keys. Students close their | | | | suggestion I give students for polishing a recital piece |
| eyes and pretend to draw, for example, two very | | | | when they'e having difficulty with the last section of a |
| large black keys in the air. Asking questions like these | | | | longer piece of music.Play it backwards! Like this.Play |
| helps kids begin to see the keyboard in their mind.Can | | | | the last measure. Then play the last two measures, |
| you see the white key on the left of the two black | | | | the last three, the last four, etc., all the way back to the |
| keys? It's a C. Can you see the one on the right? It's | | | | beginning. Then play the song all the way through and |
| an E. Can you see the white key in the middle of the | | | | see how it has improved. |
| two black keys? It's a D.Over time visualization | | | | This is a great way for students to more thoroughly |
| techniques help students develop a keyboard in their | | | | learn a piece of music.Simplifying - "I've seen this some |
| imaginations and begin to read notes as locations on | | | | place before?"Simplifying can yield creative solutions to |
| the piano, interpreting the Grand Staff as a Map of the | | | | difficult challenges by eliminating what is unnecessary. |
| keyboard. In addition to hearing visualization is an | | | | Ever try too hard? Here's a tip. Sometimes less is |
| important part of learning scales, chords, and playing | | | | more. Before trying to re-invent the wheel, look back |
| and interpreting music.Once students begin to develop | | | | through history to see where this problem has been |
| their visualization muscles they can apply this creative | | | | solved before by someone else, or by you.Piano |
| skill to see the possibilities and imagine solutions in other | | | | students can do this by asking,Where have I seen this |
| areas of their life and education by asking,What would | | | | in music before?How did I play it then?What strategy |
| a solution to this challenge look like?Observation - | | | | can I use to break this down and make it easier?What |
| "Eureka! I've never noticed that before!" Observation is | | | | playing strategies has my piano teacher shown me |
| about carefully noticing the little things to find similarities | | | | that I can apply here?Is there a book I could read to |
| and differences. For example, the difference between | | | | find out what other pianists have tried.As a piano |
| staccato and legato marks, or accents and tenutos, | | | | teacher I want to follow a creative plan that simplifies |
| and listening to observe the differences. Piano students | | | | learning and achieves more positive results faster, |
| use their observational skills when they ask questions | | | | even if I have to turn things up-side-down! And I have! |
| like these.How are these notes the same? How are | | | | Just as piano lessons for children increase their overall |
| they different? Hey, is that a triplet or three eighth | | | | educational progress, the reverse is also true! |
| notes? Is this melody the same or new? Is it repeated | | | | Literature, visual arts, and sciences can help children in |
| anywhere in the music?Piano students use the | | | | piano lessons achieve their musical goals.That's why I |
| creative process of observation just as scientists do | | | | wrote the Piano Adventure Bears Stories - To help |
| to find surprises in nature that were always there, | | | | piano students expand their creative potential. These |
| waiting to be discovered, and by experimenting with | | | | beautifully illustrated books use language, art and |
| different techniques and expressive ideas to find what | | | | science to help kids in piano see the possibilities, avoid |
| works best in different styles of music.Analogies - | | | | frustrations, and create a plan for achieving their piano |
| "How Can I Gain Perspective/Change | | | | dreams.My stories use all of the foundational creative |
| Perspective?"Analogies are helpful for gaining or | | | | skills I discussed above and more, because they |
| changing perspective, and for making us laugh! Here | | | | feature the loveable and endearing characters Mrs. |
| are some examples of how analogies provide learning | | | | Treble Beary and her passionate, new student, Albeart |
| aids for young piano students. To play legato, pretend | | | | Littlebud, who everyone calls Little Bear. You'll enjoy |
| your fingers are an eeeentsy-weeensty spider. Curve | | | | the time you spend reading these stories with your |
| the spider's legs and walk your fingers on the piano | | | | children as they laugh and learn from Little Bear's Piano |
| keys. To play staccato notes, imagine the piano keys | | | | Adventures. |
| are hot! Analogies are wonderful for helping students | | | | |