What is it that a beginner at the piano wants to do? They want to make music! It might be classical, jazz, or something else, but one thing's for sure; they don't want to spend months studying boring theory. What if instead of studying note reading, beginners piano lessons were focused on the student actually learning how to create music? Just imagine the excitement when the notes and chords played are all original and express what is actually being felt. I don't know why piano teachers start their students off on note reading. It's boring, unnecessary for most students, and really doesn't help the student create anything at all. In fact, you could say that by learning to note read, students are speaking the language of music without really understanding the underlying grammar and syntax - which has everything to do with chords! Chords are where the excitement lies. And when the beginning piano student starts to play chords on the piano, it naturally leads to music making. Beginning guitar players don't have the same problems as newbie piano players. They expect to be able to create something that sounds like music immediately. This isn't to say that learning the guitar or any instrument does not require serious study. It is to say that one need not spend thousands of hours learning note reading while the world of music is only a few chords a way. Beginners piano lessons should be exciting! They should inspire students to want to study the art of music further. And they should be easy enough where the beginning student is not easily discouraged. |
