| Playing the piano is a wonderful activity
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| | through the mechanics of piano and bring
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| for children because it not only provides
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| | the music to life in an interesting and
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| hours of fun for kids, it utilizes all of
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| | creative way.Inverting - "How would this
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| the human creative processes. These
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| | look if I turned it upside
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| include Seeing (visualization),
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| | down?"Inverting affects perspective as
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| Observing, Forming Analogies, Inverting,
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| | well by turning things upside down, or by
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| and Simplification. Effective piano
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| | taking them to extremes. Einstein did
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| lessons apply teaching strategies that
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| | this when he obsessed over a beam of
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| utilize these processes to exercise
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| | light and discovered his theory of
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| students' creative abilities and expand
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| | relativity. Like his theory of
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| their potential. Below are some examples
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| | relativity, many things are hidden beyond
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| of how this happens.Visualization -
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| | our understanding as they're
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| "What would it look like if I could do
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| | counter-intuitive to the logic of our
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| it?"Visualization is probably the most
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| | first assumptions. I don't pretend to
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| difficult creative skill to develop.
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| | understand Einstein's theory, but I know
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| Having a keyboard in the imagination,
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| | that Einstein also loved music and that
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| however, gives a powerful boost to
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| | many of the piano techniques students
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| students' playing ability. So it's worth
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| | need to play well are indeed
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| it to work at developing this creative
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| | counter-intuitive. That's why students
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| application. Here's a way young piano
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| | may resist them at first.One way to break
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| students can begin to literally draw on
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| | through our natural logic and bring other
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| their mind's "eye".The piano has groups
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| | possibilities into view is by asking,What
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| of two and three black keys. There are
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| | would this look like if I turned it
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| three white keys around each group of two
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| | upside down?Here's a creative suggestion
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| black keys. Students close their eyes and
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| | I give students for polishing a recital
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| pretend to draw, for example, two very
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| | piece when they'e having difficulty with
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| large black keys in the air. Asking
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| | the last section of a longer piece of
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| questions like these helps kids begin to
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| | music.Play it backwards! Like this.Play
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| see the keyboard in their mind.Can you
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| | the last measure. Then play the last two
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| see the white key on the left of the two
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| | measures, the last three, the last four,
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| black keys? It's a C. Can you see the one
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| | etc., all the way back to the beginning.
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| on the right? It's an E. Can you see the
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| | Then play the song all the way through
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| white key in the middle of the two black
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| | and see how it has improved.
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| keys? It's a D.Over time visualization
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| | This is a great way for students to more
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| techniques help students develop a
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| | thoroughly learn a piece of
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| keyboard in their imaginations and begin
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| | music.Simplifying - "I've seen this some
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| to read notes as locations on the piano,
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| | place before?"Simplifying can yield
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| interpreting the Grand Staff as a Map of
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| | creative solutions to difficult
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| the keyboard. In addition to hearing
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| | challenges by eliminating what is
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| visualization is an important part of
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| | unnecessary. Ever try too hard? Here's a
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| learning scales, chords, and playing and
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| | tip. Sometimes less is more. Before
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| interpreting music.Once students begin to
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| | trying to re-invent the wheel, look back
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| develop their visualization muscles they
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| | through history to see where this problem
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| can apply this creative skill to see the
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| | has been solved before by someone else,
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| possibilities and imagine solutions in
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| | or by you.Piano students can do this by
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| other areas of their life and education
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| | asking,Where have I seen this in music
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| by asking,What would a solution to this
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| | before?How did I play it then?What
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| challenge look like?Observation -
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| | strategy can I use to break this down and
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| "Eureka! I've never noticed that
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| | make it easier?What playing strategies
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| before!" Observation is about carefully
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| | has my piano teacher shown me that I can
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| noticing the little things to find
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| | apply here?Is there a book I could read
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| similarities and differences. For
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| | to find out what other pianists have
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| example, the difference between staccato
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| | tried.As a piano teacher I want to follow
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| and legato marks, or accents and tenutos,
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| | a creative plan that simplifies learning
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| and listening to observe the differences.
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| | and achieves more positive results
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| Piano students use their observational
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| | faster, even if I have to turn things
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| skills when they ask questions like
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| | up-side-down! And I have! Just as piano
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| these.How are these notes the same? How
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| | lessons for children increase their
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| are they different? Hey, is that a
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| | overall educational progress, the reverse
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| triplet or three eighth notes? Is this
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| | is also true! Literature, visual arts,
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| melody the same or new? Is it repeated
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| | and sciences can help children in piano
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| anywhere in the music?Piano students use
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| | lessons achieve their musical
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| the creative process of observation just
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| | goals.That's why I wrote the Piano
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| as scientists do to find surprises in
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| | Adventure Bears Stories - To help piano
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| nature that were always there, waiting to
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| | students expand their creative potential.
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| be discovered, and by experimenting with
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| | These beautifully illustrated books use
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| different techniques and expressive ideas
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| | language, art and science to help kids in
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| to find what works best in different
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| | piano see the possibilities, avoid
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| styles of music.Analogies - "How Can I
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| | frustrations, and create a plan for
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| Gain Perspective/Change
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| | achieving their piano dreams.My stories
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| Perspective?"Analogies are helpful for
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| | use all of the foundational creative
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| gaining or changing perspective, and for
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| | skills I discussed above and more,
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| making us laugh! Here are some examples
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| | because they feature the loveable and
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| of how analogies provide learning aids
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| | endearing characters Mrs. Treble Beary
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| for young piano students. To play legato,
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| | and her passionate, new student, Albeart
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| pretend your fingers are an
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| | Littlebud, who everyone calls Little
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| eeeentsy-weeensty spider. Curve the
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| | Bear. You'll enjoy the time you spend
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| spider's legs and walk your fingers on
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| | reading these stories with your children
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| the piano keys. To play staccato notes,
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| | as they laugh and learn from Little
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| imagine the piano keys are hot! Analogies
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| | Bear's Piano Adventures.
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| are wonderful for helping students break
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