And we get to use the same open LH C chord. Some kids are electrified by this tiny change, and the power it gives them to create a mood! We re-name our new-sounding song 'Mary LOST Her Little Lamb.' Very fun. That changes th e key from major to minor, and gives the song a sad or melancholy feeling, or even a hint of danger. That is, I have them lower the third finger of the melody, E, to Eb. I give it another couple of weeks, while other concepts and pieces are being learned, then come back to Mary Had a Little Lamb (they are still playing it) and turn it into scary, sad piano music. Especially if they have been doing mirror scales, they will find that an easy mistake to make. It seems necessary to stress that'bottom' and 'low' are LEFT on the piano ('where the men sing'), and 'top' and 'high' are RIGHT on the piano ('where the women and children sing').įrequently kids and even adults will think that the C is where the LH thumb goes. I point out (many times,generally) that chords start with the pinky, or bottom finger, on the name of the chord. Kids love adding the chord to MHaLL it makes it sound like a real song. If they have been doing pentascales, it's easy for them to go '5, 4, 3, 2, 1' with the LH, and then hit 5 and 1 together. I don't draw notes for them, but show them how to make the chord. Usually I will have them play the LH while I play the RH, just to show them how it sounds, telling them that we'll try adding it to Mary Had a Little Lamb next lesson. Now here is a version even easier to read, if possible, using made-easy notes, known as Alpha-Notes: In fact, it will increase their comfort playing pieces by memory, or 'by heart,' as we sometimes call it. Yes, this is a rote approach, but no, it won't kill your students to learn a piece by rote NOW AND THEN. Why is it loaded with finger numbers?Ībove, you see an arrangement with all the finger numbers (shades of John Thompson!) I always preface the piece with 'Now I'm going to give you a world-famous song I give to all my students, even 'grown-ups.''Īnd the pleasure of mastering a recognizable tune is such that they all end up enjoying it (for at least a little while!) - they are enjoying experiencing the skill of their fingers producing a real melody. Though you would think children might turn up their noses at a nursery-rhyme song, only the occasional teenager looks mortified.

Sometimes you just have to give them what's good for them!

For iphone download Piano White Little