Engaging a child for a short time can be difficult, and even more difficult for a longer time. Even though the child you’re teaching may be excited about playing the piano, some ages can make it hard to stay focused on sitting down and learning. Let’s take a look at a few tips for making piano fun for kids:
Before you begin a lesson, make sure that the child is sitting comfortably and at the piano’s right height. Once the child feels comfortable, focused, and isn’t straining their neck, you can begin.
1. Don’t Spend Too Much Time On One Thing
Children often prefer variety when they learn, and their attention span is short. So spending even five minutes on one piece of music can feel like a long time for them. To fix this, work on different parts of the song and mix it up with other activities. Some of these activities could be working on note reading or clapping rhythms.
2. What’s Their Favorite Song?
Whatever song they choose, teach them how to play some of the songs in the simplest form you can. It could range from Ariana Grande, their favorite Disney movie song, or maybe even a classical piece. Letting kids learn some of their favorite music that they like will make them excited to come back and keep learning the next bit of the song with enthusiasm!
3. Let Them Explore the Piano
Letting a child explore and be more familiar with the piano they are playing will help them feel more connected to the piano. For example, If you have a grand or upright piano, feel free to open up the lid and let the child watch how the piano hammers work as they play the notes. Not only is this fascinating for them, but it will give them a better idea of their instrument. Not to mention, this will make it more fun and exciting for them.
4. Change the Piano Sound
If you’re teaching on a digital piano, changing up the sound to strings, vocals, or some other funky and fun sounds will help their learning so much. If you teach on a grand/ upright piano, try putting different types of paper, aluminum foil, or tissue boxes across the strings to hear the different sounds. Having variety will increase the child’s concentration and help them feel connected to the piano and notes that they are playing.
5. Incorporate Games
Games are a great way to help the learning process, and kids love them. For example, ask the child to think of their favorite song or movie and their feeling or mood. They can start by humming or singing melodies, or go straight to the piano and explore the keys! Doing this will build their confidence in playing simple tunes and composing their music.
Another game from the site Let’s Play music made a great suggestion to play piano into playing with animal toys. On the octave starting with middle C, attach animal toys/ cartoons that begin with the letter corresponding to each note. For example Cat, dog, elephant, frog, giraffe, ant, bear. This is a great way for the child to remember which note is which.
6. Incorporate Singing With The Piano
Children already often sing along to the notes that they are playing. Sometimes, some children respond to learning a new song if it has words! If the song you’re doing has no words, then make them up with the child. This process will benefit the child in finding the rhythm, style, and story of their learning.
Conclusion
All in all, piano playing is very beneficial for children’s development and mind. When we teach children to explore music, we are getting to be a part of something big! We hope you enjoyed reading through these few tips on how to make piano fun for kids. If you’re looking to buy your dream Yamaha piano, we can help you!
If you have any questions about where to buy a piano for the best price, we are open! Our hours are Monday-Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm. We are happy to help you in person again, using all the guidelines we have been provided. We are here for you.
