Preschool Piano Lessons in My Studio

Lessons with preschoolers can look slightly different than with a child who starts playing the piano at the age of 8. Students aged 3-5 will rarely sit quietly on the piano bench for 30 minutes because they are full of energy and therefore need frequent mental breaks. That is why in my studio, preschoolers learn through specifically designed curriculum and "games" based on pattern recognition as well as activities that involve some movement. Students of this age need a lot of repetition - that is why I use many different games to explain a particular concept. This makes the child really excited about the lessons and keeps them engaged. I strongly believe that piano lessons at this age need to be fun in order for the child to truly appreciate music.

The first month of lessons is all about creating a relationship with the student and navigating the piano lessons. Learning keyboard geography, rhythm, and how to navigate the keyboard are just some of the main goals in the first weeks of learning. For keyboard geography, students complete the "Dogs and Gates" exercises and the keyboard builder. Easy aural exercises are incorporated in the first weeks too - children have lots of fun with this as they get to choose one of the two available aural paddles. It makes them feel like they're in a competition and they love it! Many of my teaching ideas are inspired or taken from Nicola Cantan's Colourful Keys Blog and her Vibrant Music Teaching Membership that I'm a member of.

One of my favourite piano method books to use with this age group are the Piano Safari books. They contain highly engaging pieces and improvisational exercises that students love. A big part of the Piano Safari Friends and Piano Safari level 1 (regular series) are the rote pieces. They are, usually short, patterned pieces that students learn by imitating the teacher, and they are usually more complex than regular beginner reading music.

Students love playing keyboard races and keyboard flashcards to learn key names and music alphabet. Many off-the-bench activities ensure the child is prepared and confident in what they will need to do at the piano later. For example, something as simple as finger numbers isn't very obvious at first. Exercises such as "Tippy Taps" prepare the student to play the correct finger numbers with the right hand, and this concept can be used to prepare any piece of music even before the student opens the book.

Rhythmic exercises constitute a large part of the lesson - we sing, clap, tap, and play drums - everything that makes the learning process interesting and enjoyable. After a few weeks/months students progress to pre-stave music notation and then standard music notation. Students also have the opportunity to learn about different composers through music theory games, student's lending library books, and every student's favourite, composer assignment sheets. This post is intended to give prospective parents a brief overview of what preschool lessons are like. The lessons are largely based on nurturing a lifelong love and appreciation for making music. If you have any other questions, please get in touch with me through my website or send me an email to phpianostudio@gmail.com.