Hello all,

Met a lovely 5 year old and mother yesterday, and we agreed to have a couple of trial lessons before they decide whether to commit further, to see how she gets on. First one this afternoon!

I've taught a 6 yr old, but not as young as 5 before - obviously a lot will depend on the girl herself, but was wondering whether anyone with more experience of this age group had any tips please?

What I think so far:

- Have a lot of physical/active material - walking/stamping rhythms, using words, clapping, copy singing

- Use some rote teaching and some notation (eg a little tune by finger numbers/rote, rhythm by rote and/or notation, then maybe a couple of simple notes on staff, or just rising/falling notes without actual staff lines)

- Be creative - play with the different sounds the piano can make - loud/quiet/cross/gentle/thunder/rain etc

...??

I remember making the sound of daddy bear, mummy bear and baby bear.
Finding all the Cs and so on came in early too.
I don't think we did a half hour lesson straight off either though we did fairly quickly.
It sounds as if you are going to have fun.
Dora

You have all the right ideas. Don't assume that 5 year old won't be able to pick up notation. I'm using Alan Haughton's Piano Time for a five year old, and she is picking it up well. 30 mins is OK, just make sure you split the lesson in time chunks, varying your activities from the keyboard to something which involves moving around the room, but in a musical way. I've found the running game very popular, ie, child stands at the piano, plays middle C as a minim or a crotchet, then find another C, as directed by you, doing something similar. Do try other notes as well, they don't realise that they are working, and keyboard geography will sink into their young brains pretty quickly. Good luck and have fun.

Lots of good ideas there, Dove. A tune by ear / rote on the black keys always goes down well at this early stage. Asking the pupil to say whether a note you play is high medium or low is fun too - especially when you change over and ask the child to play the note and you give the answer. If she's good at this you can try matching the note - it's sometimes surprising how near they get with a bit of practice - easier if you have two pianos in the room.

Once she starts to get the idea of note-names on the keyboard she can try spelling short words.

I personally don't introduce the stave at a first lesson - unless it's an older beginner who already reads music a little.

(nearly forgot to say I hope it goes well!)

Thanks, very helpful! oop she's here...

It was great! I hope they continue after next week, she's really sweet.

Have just ordered the Dogs and Birds book, which I've read about a couple of times on this forum - will be an interesting asset to have in my bag of tricks I hope!

What a great day

Good to hear you enjoyed yourself, I really enjoy teaching the tinies! To be honest your enthusiasm will most likely have 'spread' as it were! Keep us posted.

I hope so, we'll see!

I really do love my job, it sure beats the <insert as appropriate> out of what I used to do! Thank goodness for piano teaching. And for this forum!

Funny you should say that Dove, but I feel exactly the same!! I'm beginning to get a significant number of students now, so it feels like a real job now. My daughter tells me that even when I'm tired and grouchy, if I have a lesson to teach I go through a complete personality change!

HA! that's fantastic, they should use teaching as an alternative therapy...

After 40 years of teaching, I still get a real buzz from it and I know my husband feels that I'm a much more positive person after I've finished teaching for the day.

I know, teaching music is just about the best job there is, not that I'm biased!! Another piece of good news, I've just signed up a new pupil. She has the bright eyed and bushy tailed look, and the mum was lovely. After the dreadful start to the year with parents and adult pupils really messing me around . . . that's all behind me now! It really does seem to make a difference with contracts and T&Cs, funny that