Five-year-old piano student
By Denise
@petatonicsca (7070)
Japan
September 7, 2019 1:16am CST
I play piano as part of my job, and I taught piano about 38 years ago, but when I started teaching flute at my school the piano lessons went to others. It's easier to find piano teachers than flute teachers.
Anyway, my next-door neighbor has a five-year old who desperately wants piano lessons. I told her mom that it's not good to start that early and she should wait at least until she can read a bit. Consequence of that was the girl started practicing learning to read. So she can take piano. Who am I to say no to such determination?
I told her mom I would teach her music using a glockenspiel first, because it doesn't use fine finger motions. I told her I would make it fun because little kids learn to hate piano if you push too early. Mom was quite pleased.
So yesterday we had our first lesson. We clapped rhythms, tapped and patted rhythms, played rhythms, danced rhythms with a folk dance tune. We played "do re mi" etc. on the glockenspiel and looked at notes on a big staff-- in short, I gave her the whole kindergarten curriculum. She was quite happy and I sent her home with one three-note song to play.
Next week she's coming back. I need to get creative!
Do you remember your first instrument lessons? Were they fun? I liked mine only because my teacher had a secret cookie recipe and we got a cookie after every lesson!
8 people like this
7 responses
@birjudanak (14316)
• India
7 Sep 19
nowadays children have many skills in very small age like 5 or 6. they pick up rhythm easily or other thing and follow it perfectly. she is your youngest student right?
1 person likes this
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
7 Sep 19
I have a kindergarten class but she is my youngest private student.
2 people like this
@Metsrock69 (3617)
• United States
7 Sep 19
it is good to see children starting at a young age. to learn something that can benefit them later in life
1 person likes this
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
11 Sep 19
Yes, especially if it's something they want to do.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (44560)
• United States
11 Sep 19
I bet that little girl will be a great musician one day. Our daughter loved piano from a very young age and we never had to make her practice.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382259)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Sep 19
How lovely that she so badly wants to learn and that now she's found you. I made up a sort of 'Fish' card game using musical symbols, words, etc and sometimes at the end of a lesson we'd play that. It made a bit of a change for them.
1 person likes this
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
7 Sep 19
That sounds like fun! Can you describe it further?
2 people like this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
12 Sep 19
Looks like those piano lessons will be a challenge for both of you. Nice you had a great instructor to draw upon when you had your first lessons. I'm sure it will be a fun experience for both pupil and teacher 








