We have a new-to-us piano that has been gifted to us! (Thank you and thank you, you know who you are!)
I am very excited as I have long wanted a piano in our home (even though I was never taught to play and don't know how). I really want music in our home. Above, the kids grabbed a story book because John wanted to "play the story." He began plinking keys in a way to try to put music to story.
Mary does not like the low notes.
My favorite lines of John's are: "Hhhhmmm. I wish this had a CD player." And, in response to Mary wanting to play "crazy sounds," John admonished her, "I don't want crazy sounds in my choir."
The new den layout
For those of you who play piano or are having your children take lessons, please share any information for me to research. I know almost nothing. Feel free to leave blog comments or email me privately: I'll be appreciative!
1. What method do you use? I know only of Suzuki. So there must be methods that are not Suzuki. I know that one criticism of Suzuki is that the students don't learn to read music, but I hear from Suzuki proponents that that is a ridiculous assertion. That's all I know.
2. What is your opinion of the age at which a child (boy versus girl?) starts taking lessons? I know that some teachers will not start teaching until something like seven or eight years old. Some start earlier. Pros? Cons?
3. What about an adult taking lessons? I'd really like to try my hand at it. I was told that some teachers won't teach adults because adults are busy and don't bother practicing.
4. What about lessons at a studio versus the teacher coming to the student's home? As a mother of little ones, and expecting more (debilitating) pregnancies to come (God willing!), it is my dream of dreams to have a teacher come to our home. I seriously do not need another reason to pack up all the kids and leave the house again every week. I know that in-home teachers cost more.
5. How to find a teacher? I understand that I can call the Registrar of Piano Teachers for our city and tell her my desires (my location, ages of people taking lessons, in-home versus in-studio) and she will give me a list of possible teachers.
I am not a huge Suzuki proponent for a few reasons:
ReplyDelete1. It is hard to find a GOOD WELL TRAINED Suzuki program (and potentially expensive)
2. It is a big commitment for YOU...you will be expected to be IN the lessons with your child (for a TRUE Suzuki program)
3. They do learn to read music but not at first. They start off playing by ear. This is great, however if they don't continue IN Suzuki until that point and instead switch to a conventional method, in MY experience, they are very reticent about learning to read music, want to write the notes in and end up falling behind and get frustrated.
Since John is a beginner reader I would just as soon start him in a conventional method where he is learning to read music. (Generally I recommend for non Suzuki methods that once they start reading is a good time to start music lessons).
My favorite beginner method is the Alfred series. The books are pretty cheap and there are lots of fun suplemental materials. The books are definitely young child friendly with fun songs, lots of kid friendly pictures etc etc. You can find them at any music store and on Amazon etc etc. This is what I have always used and plan to use with my kids.
Bastien is another good series for beginners. But I think Alfred is better for early beginners.
So there is my opinion from a former music teacher. keep in mind, however, that I was/am a woodwind/brass specialist and so a piano specialist may have better advice for you.
Leo's godmother, Erin, (you met her) is a piano teacher. She teaches people in their homes...sometimes entire families from our church. I can ask her her thoughts.
ReplyDeleteRebecca: Yes, I remember that about Chrissy. Please forward her this post!
ReplyDeleteJamie: Thank you for your professional opinion. It's worth a lot! I was given two first books for learning piano: one is Alfred's and one is Thompson.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I knw Thompson. But wanted you to know that if the Alfred is Book/Level 1 there is even PRE-1 stuff you can get to start John on. And then there are corresponding music history/theory books and supplemental "recital" books to correspond to each level as well. So like Level 1 may have a book of Christmas tunes you can get or recitals tunes or something like that. You have to look, but that was one of the reasons I really liked this series..not to mention it is a really easy to follow method. You could probably start him on the first several lessons without a teacher.
ReplyDeleteSarah Hodges directed me towards your blog- I'm a piano teacher with 5 years of experience and nearly 30 students currently.
ReplyDelete1. I use Faber because it's easy on the students: they learn at a slower pace, and therefore better. Suzuki requires some extra training for the teacher, and it's harder to teach in my opinion. And more expensive.
Faber is better than Alfred's. MUCH better!
2. Age doesn't matter so much as the student's maturity and ability to sit still and listen. (homeschoolers have the advantage here ;)
They also need to know right hand from left had, be able to count to 10, and know the alphabet from A to G.
I take boys or girls and young as three (after an 'interview' to determine their readiness). That being said, there have been a few students I refused to take at 6 years old...
Pros and Cons depend mostly on the teacher and the method. I'd say starting younger is better.
3. You should totally take lessons! See if you can find a teacher who will do a 'group' family lesson (I do! :). It's a great way to learn- at first. Later you'll have to split up and do individual lessons.
4. In-home teachers are great as long as the student doesn't get to 'comfortable'. Yes, they're more expensive. I have some co-workers that charge twice as much.
For some children, going somewhere that isn't home is better.
5. E-mail me at tatem@theharmonyhouse.net - let me know where you live and I can send you some ideas.
If you live near Kennesaw, I suggest The Harmony House. We have 13+ piano teachers ranging from $80/month and up.
Tatem Summer
My husband is an organist, pianist, and choir director and the son of a Suzuki trained piano teacher. I am a flutist and a moderately skilled pianist. We are teaching by ear FIRST. It's our opinion it's better for general musicality, especially at this young age. Our five year old is fairly skilled now at hearing a tune and recreating it on the piano. In a few years, we'll teach him to read music (but I suspect he'll figure it out on his own first). But then in this house, we are all about better late than early! He and his brothers pick and plunk and sing all day!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your new instrument! We roughly use Making Music Praying Twice, and you might like it as a way to introduce rhythm and other beginning musical skills while learning both standard childhood classics and Catholic hymns, prayers, and chants.
I was going to add that I took a workshop on teaching music at home at our homeschool conference last spring from a homeschool mom of four and professor of flute at the Eastman School of Music (and owner of Sing the Word CDs), and she had some really good ideas, especially regarding teaching an instrument. Email me of you want a summary, or I can send you my notes.
ReplyDeleteMy kids just take good old fashioned traditional piano lessons, whatever method that is ;) (There are all kinds of different authors for piano books but its not Suzuki, whatever it is) Liam started at age 4, but we took a break. He actually did really well at 4. We started back up for him at age 7 and he just took off flying. He reads music well. Clare we started at age 5 but her progress was much slower (but not non-existent). She is pretty heavily dependent on the numbered fingers method of playing music, rather than actually reading the musical notes. I don't really like that but as she ages she'll get it. We also only did 15 min lessons with Clare as opposed to the 30 min lessons Liam has. I think its a child-specific thing, some may be ready sooner than others.
ReplyDeleteOh and I did in-studio lessons at first with Liam, but nothing beats having the teacher come to your home so you don't have to haul all of your children out and about! Our teacher comes to our home for $25 per 30 min lesson. (half that for Clare's 15 min lesson) I would definitely pursue that route.
ReplyDelete