| Sometimes children in piano lessons can get stuck | | | | G,A,B-flat,C,D. On a piece of paper draw three black |
| playing well in one hand position where they feel | | | | keys, leave a space and draw 2 black keys, then fill in |
| secure, but become completely lost when presented | | | | the white keys around the black keys for a total of 7 |
| with music in another key. Learning a new hand | | | | white keys and three black keys. Label G,A,B-flat,C, |
| position doesn't have to be scary for students. There | | | | and D. |
| are simple and effective strategies for teaching | | | | 2. With their eyes on the picture and not looking down |
| children new hand positions that take only a few | | | | at their hands, students need to play and say the keys |
| minutes to learn. With these effective tools students | | | | under each finger. Start with the lowest note and going |
| quickly overcome their fear of learning new music in | | | | up and then starting with the highest note and coming |
| new hand positions. | | | | back down. Do this for each hand. |
| The Grand Staff for piano music is a map of the piano | | | | 3. Now students need to play and say each note in |
| keyboard. Just as students study different regions of | | | | the new hand position again, but with their eyes |
| the globe in social studies class they can learn the | | | | completely closed. This is an essential step for |
| different "regions" of the piano keyboard. Each line or | | | | visualizing the keyboard. Students need to see they |
| space note on the Grand Staff is one location on the | | | | keyboard in their mind's eye before learning to read |
| piano, just like your hometown is one location on the | | | | the new notes. |
| world globe. Each new hand position young students | | | | Once students have done this they are secure with |
| learn in piano lessons is another "region" on the Map of | | | | what keys are under each finger and can go on to |
| "Piano Land." Learning a new hand position can be | | | | learn to read these notes on the staff. Teaching |
| compared to identifying a new country with a particular | | | | students to read new notes on the staff without first |
| geography. | | | | learning to visualize the corresponding keys creates a |
| Here are the steps involved in learning to visualize the | | | | learning roadblock. Follow the steps above to remove |
| keyboard from the Grand Staff. | | | | this roadblock to playing in different hand positions and |
| 1. Draw a piano land picture of the five-finger hand | | | | your child will learn to play new music and enjoy piano |
| position of the new key. The key of G for example is | | | | more. |