All About Music For Beginners & Selecting Instruments

[phankao]

Dreamaurora:

That is because at the young age children learn easier by imitation (a core concept of Suzuki method) and many teachers simply make their students imitate their playing or the CDs. For violin it is quite okay because most of violin music consists of single line melody (with the exception of those nasty contrapuntal diploma pieces) and easier to change the interpretation.

But on piano too much imitation is not so beneficial as the music is much more complex and requires a significantly higher level of logical thinking and score study. I am not saying violin is easier; it's just that the approach to interpretation for piano and violin is quite different. I was guilty of sometimes just taking the easy way out and making my young students copy whatever I demonstrated to them; nowadays I try to keep this to a minimum and I try to as much as I can to explain to them the concepts behind the pieces. This is so they can grow as proper pianists and not forever dependant on the teacher/CD/Youtube to figure out how to play their pieces.

Actually the violin is really much more difficult to manage. And shouldn't I know, right? haha. I am discover the challenges a tiny string instrument poses. But that's besides the point.

I suppose what's important too is also to leave the child to tinker around on the piano or whatever other instrument on their own apart from their own practices. They discover. Like my boy made up his own harmonising LH chords for some tunes he's heard or knows or of songs he's sung in his kindy - melody of which he plays on his right hand. He also does harmonising LH alberti-bass, apart from chords, and some variations of chords too. It's just his own exploration. I leave him be. He enjoys it.

The \"listening\" he gets as part of Suzuki helps him be aware of songs all around him and he manages to try them out even if he's not been taught.

[Dreamaurora]

phankao:

Dreamaurora:

That is because at the young age children learn easier by imitation (a core concept of Suzuki method) and many teachers simply make their students imitate their playing or the CDs. For violin it is quite okay because most of violin music consists of single line melody (with the exception of those nasty contrapuntal diploma pieces) and easier to change the interpretation.

But on piano too much imitation is not so beneficial as the music is much more complex and requires a significantly higher level of logical thinking and score study. I am not saying violin is easier; it's just that the approach to interpretation for piano and violin is quite different. I was guilty of sometimes just taking the easy way out and making my young students copy whatever I demonstrated to them; nowadays I try to keep this to a minimum and I try to as much as I can to explain to them the concepts behind the pieces. This is so they can grow as proper pianists and not forever dependant on the teacher/CD/Youtube to figure out how to play their pieces.

Actually the violin is really much more difficult to manage. And shouldn't I know, right? haha. I am discover the challenges a tiny string instrument poses. But that's besides the point.

I suppose what's important too is also to leave the child to tinker around on the piano or whatever other instrument on their own apart from their own practices. They discover. Like my boy made up his own harmonising LH chords for some tunes he's heard or knows or of songs he's sung in his kindy - melody of which he plays on his right hand. He also does harmonising LH alberti-bass, apart from chords, and some variations of chords too. It's just his own exploration. I leave him be. He enjoys it.

Haha, good for your children. I see that you encourage them to explore and discover. Unfortunately I can't say the same for majority of Singaporean children. Even in full time institutions, I notice Singaporeans tend to be more self-conscious and afraid to try things. Most prefer to be spoon-fed. Students who transfer to me are usually quite bewildered in my lessons initially because I keep asking them questions about their playing and ask them to try out various approaches on their own. But isn't that the fun part of learning music? To discover new knowledge that enrich our lives.

[annchee]

Dear parents,


It is possible for 4 yrs old to start their music education. In fact, studies have shown that by exposing the child to music in their early childhood has many benefits.

‘Musical training during childhood has a significant influence on brain growth’
Gottfried Schlaug, MD, PhD, American Academy of Neurology, May 2001

'Research shows that when a child listens to classical music the right hemisphere of the brain is activated, but when a child studies a musical instrument both left and right hemispheres of the brain light up. Significantly, the areas that become activated are the same areas that are involved in analytical and mathematical thinking.'
Dee Dickinson, Music and the Mind. (Seattle: New Horizons for Learning, 1993)

Some information to share :

http://www.myc.com
http://www.mycsingapore.com.sg
http://www.facebook.com/mycthomson

[peanut_butter]

phankao:

The \"listening\" he gets as part of Suzuki helps him be aware of songs all around him and he manages to try them out even if he's not been taught.

Does the Suzuki really start off with Twinkle Little Star Variation?

[phankao]

peanut_butter:

phankao:

The \"listening\" he gets as part of Suzuki helps him be aware of songs all around him and he manages to try them out even if he's not been taught.

Does the Suzuki really start off with Twinkle Little Star Variation?

Yes. It's a very good exercise. Similar in piano and violin (more variations for violin - 5 variations compared to 3 for piano), but the reasons for them are not exactly the same for piano & violin.

[metz]

phankao:

The \"listening\" he gets as part of Suzuki helps him be aware of songs all around him and he manages to try them out even if he's not been taught.

Could it be early exposure to music and instruments that leads to that? My son could do that when he was still in JMC (before suzuki violin). For my daughter, it's even more prominent. For violin, Suzuki Violin bk 1 was a breeze for her cos she had been listening her brother play. She would tinkle on the piano her brother's songs way before she took piano lessons. Now, she would try out songs she heard on CDs or elsewhere. She even tried some snatches of K545 just by listening to her brother playing it.

With so many musicians in your house, I'm not surprised your youngest will soon be tinkling more difficult songs that he has not been taught yet. :evil:

[phankao]

chamonix:

phankao:

The \"listening\" he gets as part of Suzuki helps him be aware of songs all around him and he manages to try them out even if he's not been taught.

Could it be early exposure to music and instruments that leads to that? My son could do that when he was still in JMC (before suzuki violin). For my daughter, it's even more prominent. For violin, Suzuki Violin bk 1 was a breeze for her cos she had been listening her brother play. She would tinkle on the piano her brother's songs way before she took piano lessons. Now, she would try out songs she heard on CDs or elsewhere. She even tried some snatches of K545 just by listening to her brother playing it.

With some many musicians in your house, I'm not surprised your youngest will soon be tinkling more difficult songs that he has not been taught yet. :evil:

Exposure.

[jellybnzw]

Hello parents, can anyone help? I am looking for music/drama/performing class for my daughter who is 3.5yrs. She used to attend at another school but due to the lack of chemistry with the teacher we had to stop.


But I see that my daughter has alot of interest in singing,dramatics & music so I am wondering if anyone has any reccomendations.

Thanks!

[grapevine]

Hi. Just chanced upon this thread. Can you tell me more about seimpi school of music. My kid turns 2 in August. Am looking to enroll him in music classes as he loves music. Thanks.

[pinkitty]

phankao:

cmeilim:

My boy shows a very keen inclination for songs, music, and dance. He loves swaying, swinging his feet and even tapping his fingers to rhythm sometimes. Is there any sort of musical training that one can do at home to help improve his sense of rhythm and musicality, recognising different sounds by different musical instruments, before sending him to try musical instrument classes when he's older? what age can we get him to expose him to formal music classes?


any one has any feedback on musikbox at turf city?

This KS mom here has already taught my 1yo the different note values & rhythm patterns (crochet, quavers, semiquavers, ), and the basic symbols & terms. He actually loves all these very much, esp when he gets to beat the rhythms on different drums.

We go to staccato in horsecity since he was 17mos.

Hi, I am thinking of sending my kids (16 mths and 30 mths) to Staccoto. How is it? My kids were previously attending kindermusik till they changed the curriculum.