| What are some practical games a piano teacher can | | | | and say, "Play Jingle Bells that way, bub," and you |
| use? That's a frequent question that piano teachers | | | | have a child primed for an unusual, witty experiment in |
| and parents write me and ask about. | | | | dexterity. |
| I'd like to discuss a time-worn classic piano game that I | | | | Yes, the quarter will drop on the floor. Yes, it will roll |
| have updated. | | | | under the piano. Have several ready. Just laugh and |
| Games are an indispensable resource of the inventive, | | | | continue. It's worth 75 cents. |
| patient piano teacher. The reasons are several. | | | | If it's all right with the parents, give them the quarter for |
| Children's psychology demands that you adopt a | | | | particularly good work. This game has led to indifferent |
| light-hearted approach to learning, in order to gain their | | | | kids showing me how they can play with all sorts of |
| trust and interest. Attention spans are short, and the | | | | things balanced on their hands, a piece of gum, a Tic |
| teacher must know when to let the student rest and | | | | Tac, a rock. |
| then later seize the right moment for learning. | | | | One brilliant kid was also an eight-year-old magician, |
| Another reason for piano games is pacing. Piano | | | | who, unknown to me, sprayed his hand before the |
| lessons can grow tedious quickly while difficult parts | | | | lesson with a magician's trick powder which sticks |
| are refined and repeated. A wise teacher will try his | | | | metal to the hand. I was mystified by his expertise |
| student's patience with care and as little as possible, | | | | during Fur Elise until he slyly turned his hands upside |
| and after doing so will reward them with playful | | | | down and the quarters remained! |
| learning. | | | | Who cares how kids arrive at the correct hand |
| QUARTERS | | | | position as long as they do so willingly and without |
| Quarters is derived from an old piano teacher's trick, | | | | tension? |
| wherein a student must play with a coin balanced on | | | | Be aware that some kids will raise their right shoulder |
| the back of their hand to teach the hand to lay flat. | | | | to compensate for the coin, so gently push the |
| This may sound difficult, but it's not, and in fact kids find | | | | shoulder down and say quietly, "Relax." |
| it fascinating. | | | | This game works best when the child has started to |
| The truth is that I have kids who could care less about | | | | use the fingers as a group. Even a small group such |
| 'hand position' and resist all patient, erudite attempts to | | | | as three fingers makes use of this game quite well, |
| explain and demonstrate it to them: they are simply not | | | | and will help the child comfortably and quickly adopt a |
| interested. | | | | flatter hand position instinctively. |
| But put a quarter on the back of the same child's hand | | | | Make a game of everything at the piano. |