Getting Your Students to Be Able to SAY the Names of the Notes

Author: admin

12 Feb

Do you have students who hate taking the time to figure out their starting hand position? I have a few of those, and they always end up guessing about their first notes and fingering. I’ve been trying to encourage them to think about the notes and fingers first by asking them to TELL me the name of the first note BEFORE they play it. This doesn’t seem to work. They hear me say, “TELL me the name of the first note,” and their hand immediately goes to the piano to find the note. They aren’t able to TELL me. Yesterday, I tried something new.

I asked my student to put her hands in the air. Then, I said, “TELL me the name of the first note while you keep your hands in the air.” She did so. Then, I asked her to play the note with her nose, while keeping her hands in the air. She LOVED that. Then, I asked her to hold up and wiggle the correct finger for that note. Only then could she put her hands into position.

It worked each time! She loved the silliness, so to her it was just a game. But, really, she was actually doing what I’ve been trying to get her to do for so long.

Filed under: Success!, Trial and Error Tips

2 Responses for "Getting Your Students to Be Able to SAY the Names of the Notes"

Dan the Music Master February 13th, 2009 at 1:56 pm 1
Playing the keyboard with a nose is interesting, although I hope the previous student didn’t have a cold.

Having said that, I do like the fact that you’re using fun as a way of imprinting important information into a childs memory.
Mindy March 2nd, 2009 at 11:30 pm 2
Hilarious! And if they can do it well, then have them learn “Mozart by a Nose”! (FJH)
I will sometimes close the keyboard cover because they still must learn to identify the note without the keyboard.
And along with no hands first, I like the wiggle finger and to further drill it in, I will often have students stare down the key, then “GO!” and they must get there fast or we try it again. This works well for practicing moves in the music. They have to know where they are going before they move.