When I first taught my boys to play the piano they were 6 and 7 years old (no, not as young as the photo on the left). It was my choice, not theirs, that they learn. I went to a local music store and searched through many primers until I found one that seemed to best match my boys' learning style, had notes that were easy to read (font/graphic size and quality), and with bright and colorful pictures to capture their visual interest.
We got through the primer quite smoothly. It's amazing what young kids will do for a sticker or a small coin! (Yes, parents use bribery to get their way, but it was for something good - my children were learning to play the piano!).
We then moved on to Level 1 (songs went from 10c to 25c to master) and eventually got into Level 2. But with the interest being mine and not theirs', my boys "quit" many times throughout those years.
I have not pushed them too hard to stick with something that they did not choose to take on in the first place. Though they could be in level four books by now, my goal is to simply keep them at a maintenance level so they do not lose what they have learned and to slowly progress them as they are willing to make mom happy. They even played at my first recital! Of course my youngest played "Axel F" on a keyboard vs. a classical piece on the piano, but hey, compromise is a dear thing.
How to I keep them motivated?
Yes, I could try to force my children to learn to play the piano and try to make them play X minutes/day, but that would not help them become good musicians. Good musicians appreciate music and want to create it, listen to it, understand it. So I will continue to encourage my children to learn new songs and about music theory, maintain what they have learned, listen to the background songs while playing video games like Minecraft or watching old Tom and Jerry reruns, and appreciate what comes with that.
We got through the primer quite smoothly. It's amazing what young kids will do for a sticker or a small coin! (Yes, parents use bribery to get their way, but it was for something good - my children were learning to play the piano!).
We then moved on to Level 1 (songs went from 10c to 25c to master) and eventually got into Level 2. But with the interest being mine and not theirs', my boys "quit" many times throughout those years.
I have not pushed them too hard to stick with something that they did not choose to take on in the first place. Though they could be in level four books by now, my goal is to simply keep them at a maintenance level so they do not lose what they have learned and to slowly progress them as they are willing to make mom happy. They even played at my first recital! Of course my youngest played "Axel F" on a keyboard vs. a classical piece on the piano, but hey, compromise is a dear thing.
How to I keep them motivated?
- Incentives: They are now beyond stickers; and coins are nearly worthless. Luckily they enjoy the sweets and challenges of the board game style competitions I create for my students.
- Song Choice: I also don't give them songs that will take too much effort to learn or RE-learn. And a big thing is finding music that they will enjoy playing for fun. My youngest is learning Fox NFL Theme Song and my older son is waiting for me to re-write Minecraft background songs for him. (If you're not an XBOX or PC-gamer and have not heard of Minecraft, you must listen to Calm - that's exactly what it is - who knew video games could increase the appreciate for piano music in such ways!).
- Practice Time:
- Time of the day: The best time for my boys to focus on the piano is quite late at night. Often, my time on the piano ends up in the evening. If I'm playing later in the evening, 9:00-10:00 at night, my boys, having had their fill of everything else that consumes their days, sometimes wander over to the piano to practice. If they are willing to practice I get out of the way and let them have it to themselves, offering to help if they want me to. If they both want to play at the exact same time (they are kids, and siblings to boot!) I have one go to the keyboard with headphones and the other stay at the piano, switching after a given time.
- What to practice: I let them practice scales, chords, music, or just be creative. Lately just playing around with the chords-side of the Heart and Soul duet makes them happy. And hearing them play, really play, makes me happy!
Yes, I could try to force my children to learn to play the piano and try to make them play X minutes/day, but that would not help them become good musicians. Good musicians appreciate music and want to create it, listen to it, understand it. So I will continue to encourage my children to learn new songs and about music theory, maintain what they have learned, listen to the background songs while playing video games like Minecraft or watching old Tom and Jerry reruns, and appreciate what comes with that.
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