Piano Playing

458 Views 4 Replies 5 Participants Last post by ShadowMom, Jun 2, 2005

rose angel

Discussion Starter · Jun 1, 2005

Hi mamas,
We are an unschooling family with a 5, 3.5 and 3 month old. I recently got my grandmothers piano out of storage and am excited to brush up on my mediocre skills, and my 5 year old has expressed an interest in learning how to play.
Here is my question. I have noticed that there seems to be two kinds of piano players. there are ones like me who can read music , study a piece and practice for a while and play the piece. Then there are those (often people from previous generations) who can sight read better, and have a much better feel for the music. They can often play chords as an accompanyment (sp) to singing. They just seem to have a better feel for the music.
I want my kids (and myself!)to be the latter type of player!
What is different about piano teaching these days that seems to produce less of these types of players? What materials and techniques can we use? What should we look for in a teacher?
Thanks for any input.

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User101

· #2 · Jun 1, 2005

My personal opinion (as a music ed grad and a certified teacher, who has taught piano as well as voice) is that piano shouldn't happen until a child can read. It's a symbolic representation, a whole new "language". I know what you are saying- I want my kids to be able to do both. I'm not quite sure how I am going to accomplish that, though.

I learned with the John Schaum books, and I like to teach from them as well.

Have you looked at the Music for Little Mozarts series? One of the other methods has an "improv" (I think) book that supplements the program.

I guess I don't have all that much to add after all. I look forward to reading what others have to say!

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moominmamma

· #3 · Jun 1, 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by rose angel
Hi mamas,
Here is my question. I have noticed that there seems to be two kinds of piano players. there are ones like me who can read music , study a piece and practice for a while and play the piece. Then there are those (often people from previous generations) who can sight read better, and have a much better feel for the music. They can often play chords as an accompanyment (sp) to singing. They just seem to have a better feel for the music.

IMO this is mostly a difference in general playing ability combined with putting the energy into these "well-roundedness" skills. Piano students who study seriously and hard and long, and whose study includes ongoing practise at sight-reading, listening, accompaniment and improv skills, will become the latter type.

My dd just turned 11. Her new repertoire is at the level of simple Chopin and Schubert waltzes and she works hard to master them and does technique work like studies and scales. But her daily routine of practising also involves 10-20 minutes of sight-reading through albums of all sorts (including "Golden Oldies"), by-ear harmonization of melodies, "quick studies" (simpler pieces designed to be mastered in 3 days and then discarded), accompaniment projects (playing piano to accompany siblings and friends who play stringed instruments) and lots of listening to good recordings.

To become a good sight-reader, you have to practice sight-reading. Ditto for the other stuff. I don't think there's any more magic to it than that.

Miranda

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mandib50

· #4 · Jun 1, 2005

i think it can be learned. the more you practice, the better understanding you have of music and are able to pick up on those things and can develop that "feel". of course, some have a natural talent, but i don't think sight playing is better than ear playing or vice versa. just different, that's all.
mandi

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ShadowMom

· #5 · Jun 2, 2005

This is a very interesting question. I think that at least part of the reason has to do with the history of the piano.

Nowadays a piano mainly exists for the children to take lessons on and learn how to play at home. But, it used to be a big social tool - people didn't have tv, and they gathered around the piano and sung and played stuff.

My teacher was very good at both the structured classical side of piano, and also teaching me how to quickly play an accompianment to something when needed, and how to determine what chords fit where.

However, back to the original question, I think the reason has to do with the role piano used to play in our culture vs. today.

The key word here is "think", I can't say that I'm sure of that 100%.

It's just based on what I've learned.

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