Two Year Olds Learn to Play the Piano

I hope you’ll welcome the new changes in my blogs about Noteimals. For years, I have blogged in third person about the importance of music in a child’s life, but very little about teaching itself. After teaching for more than 45 years, I have changed a lot in my teaching techniques, as well as my thinking about teaching. Now I think it is about time I share some of this adventure with you. Hopefully, you might learn something you like and feel might help you with your teaching, whether you are a parent teaching your children or a music teacher. I also hope we can have some fun, and share some laughs. Please, if you have questions or comments, please e-mail me at [email protected].

The new Noteimals app for the iPhones and iPads has opened a whole new page in my teaching experience. Because of the Noteimals new app, I am now teaching four little girls that are only two. Wait a minute, “two year” olds are just too young to start playing a keyboard, even one as small as the one on the app for the iPhone. At least that is what I thought. Boy, have these little girls taught this old teacher a thing or two. They can handle it and truly enjoy doing so. Yes, it would probably not be possible for a child this young using standard music notation, but the Animal Note Method, published by Noteimals LLC Company has opened this door for them. And they can be introduced gradually to the standard notes. The children have faces, right? Is there a face on the back of their heads? The girls all laugh at this though and tell me, “NO.” Then I show them the back side of the Animal Note Flash card we are studying and ask them who’s back of the animal it belongs to. With the help of the word clues they will correctly identify the note correctly with good repetition. They can even find the note correctly on the keyboard. YES, their lessons are short and they girls have trouble using more than one finger on each hand to play the keys, but play they do, and love it. Gradually they learn to use all their fingers, using both of their hands. WOW what a great experience this is!

Last week the oldest of the group, she turns three this month” asked to play “Jingle Bell.” I posted her success on Noteimals Facebook page. I think it is amazing for a child this age! She is also using more than one finger, plays two notes together correctly in the beginning of the song and is trying to curve her little fingers. That is really difficult for a child this age.