Teaching Piano

[Mama Lori]

I want to teach piano to my daughter. I took lessons from age 7 to 17 and played flute from age 9 to 25, and used to teach flute. So I know music, but don't know where to begin on teaching piano since it's been so long. I can play reasonably well, but don't know what to teach. I want to do the Circle of 5ths, teach scales, teach rhythm, etc., but I'm not sure what books to get, etc. Any input is appreciated.

thanks,
Lori

[Ms. Mom]

My 7 yo is taking Guitar lessons. The first few lessons they went though the right names for everything on the guitar and practiced strumming. He's about 2 months into it now. They'll spend one lesson learning a song of ds's choice and the next one they'll do something like the chromatic scales.

Ds really LOVES his lessons, I think that's why it works so well. Is your daughter willing to learn? You may want to just get her comfortable with the piano and how it works. Then slowly move into the 'how to' part.

I love music and feel it's an important gift to give to our children - good luck to you sharing this gift with your daughter!

[owensmom]

I'd say find a music store (that sells instruments and music) - they have lots of books for beginners and stuff - I still have mine from my piano lessons and I was going to use those if ds is interested in learning. I think they come in a series, so you just move on up as they go!

[JaniceT]

John Thompson series is very good.

The Hanon and Czerny books work wonderfully for drills.

[Len]

I have the John Thompson books from when my sisters were little (many, many years ago) and I have planned to use it with ds I didn't know they were still around!! I will also make sure he is ready and no pushing at all. So far, he has not been very interested on playing himself, but I play (the piano) when he is playing (with his cars) around me, at least he will be involved somehow.

[flutemandolin]

Hi Mama Lori! I'm writing not because I can offer any ideas, I'm just very interested in this subject because I want to introduce my children to music, and I am a flutist. I also play guitar, mandolin and some piano. However, I could use some review on theory and teaching principles. I want to make music an enjoyable experience for them, not a chore. The guitar lessons Ms. Mom described sound like the best of both worlds: learning what the student wants to learn, plus working on the technical aspects and theory.

Good luck!

[Mama Lori]

Thanks everyone! These are some great ideas. I'm going to start looking into this this weekend. It is actually my stepdaughter but I'm very close to her and have been in her life since she was 2. She is 9 now and is sooooooo ready to learn piano. When she first said she wanted to learn I said we'd start looking for a teacher, but she insists that she only wants to do it if I teach her. So, the pressure's on I want to do it, just am a little intimidated.

[Ms. Mom]

Mama lori, that's fantastic! If she's geared toward you teaching her then you're all set!

You can't screw up music lessons! She'll pick up on your enthusiasm and love for it and use that to her advantage.

Ds's is doing so well now. I watch him play and the way he holds the guitar and strums has changed. I can see the love he has for the music now.

The piano is a great instrument to start on. She'll be able to take what she learned and apply it to so many things in her life. Enjoy this special time between the two of you.

[breathingmom]

Mama Lori, I would suggest taking your 9 year old with you to the music store and letting her look at music books with you. She may show a definite interest in one series over the other and including her in the decision may be fun for her!

Jill

[elnachick]

ee gads, I remember that book of Hanon exercises....

just wanted to second having her go along with you to pick out books - I was much more enthusiastic about my mom's books from 30 years earlier, than the brand new piano books I had when I was first learning. I took lessons for about, maybe 7-8 years.

Also wanted to send a big cheer for working with her yourself, heck even practice together, so it remains about having a fun, beautiful time together. I was so excited to learn when I was 6, we had an old piano and my mom had learned as a girl, but by the time I was seven and a first grader, I hated it. I learned, I played, but I clearly remember taking my reading workbook entitled "Seven is Magic" and writing in "n't" to reflect how I felt about my 7 pm piano practice time. Ugh. And that was only the second of 7-8 years of lessons.

Although I can still play most of Fur Elise from memory

My brother plays a lot on the piano, but he is 90% ear trained (he has a crazy ear for music) and he loves it - I'd also "hear hear!" the idea of helping her learn things she wants to play. He'd come home from high school and spend 3 hours teaching himself the piano part from "Don't Stop Believing," "Jump," "You're as cold as ice," etc. Can you tell it was the 80's...

Have fun together! I have this image of the great part in "Big" when Tom Hanks' character and his boss are playing music on the giant keyboard on the floor