My First Piano Adventures 4

Announcing
I am doing Periscope and perhaps you would like to join me on Tuesday mornings at 10:30am PST. 

I am @GabriB on Periscope

More Piano Adventures here.

The question must be asked when teaching 5-7 year-olds, "How many ways can I re-visit this concept? This week's musical idea was Note Value. 

I remind my students frequently that they have ignored a half note. It becomes obvious when we are playing a duet. If they finish first I ask them how that happened. We scour the score to see if all notes received their due. I like to play "Mr. Music" to lay the foundation of how notes differ from each other.

One player is "Mr. Music". He is the guy in the cool hat. He stands some distance from the group. The other players want to get to him but must ask if they can move. They ask, "Mr. Music, may I have a whole note?" A whole note granted would allow them to take 4 steps closer. Mr. Music may allow it or NOT! If not, he must tell them what kind of note they may have.

You can play this game with all players moving towards the goal, one player at a time, which I prefer in a small space, or one on one with me, the teacher. My students want to play it with me alone because they enjoy the power of telling me what I can do. No matter, the whole time we are playing, the words whole note, half note, dotted half-note, and quarter note are spoken and heard.

 Here is M; she has requested to play Monsieur Mouse without assistance. But there I am butting in. When she plays the song again I remind her of the more rounded hand position we practice when we do Stone on the Mountain. I really appreciate documenting my First Adventures,. I look forward each week to planning the activities and watching the progress.