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The Use of Humor in Piano Lessons
Lesson 24: The Use of Humor in Piano Lessons
Humor and theatrics are so useful in beginning piano lessons because of their “feel good” effect. If you accept that piano and music in general are difficult subjects, you’ll agree that a certain tension goes along with it. At the piano, one is constantly solving problems. This produces tension. Thus an atmosphere of congenial study is most conducive to the absorption of musical concepts.
A musical concept presented straight ahead to a child may bore them, but a theatrical demonstration will inevitably be more memorable. For this reason, I create scenarios or games in which a child’s knowledge can be gently gauged and expanded. Feel free to create your own characters, too!
The Stupid Teacher Game
I always remark to myself, while I’m teaching, that a smiling child is so much easier to teach. Kids love the honesty of a comically stupid teacher who needs their help. A variation on this is to let the child pretend to be the piano teacher, and you become a stupid rube who needs to be shown the ropes. Allowing the child to be the teacher gives them a proud opportunity to share their knowledge, and be respected by even a theatrically challenged piano teacher.
Games for the Piano
Hubert, The Rube
I pretend to be "Hubert," a boy who has been taught by a bad piano teacher. Hubert says he can play Middle C, and then plays any other note, so the child can correct him and show Hubert the proper location for Middle C. But there’s a twist. After Hubert is shown Middle C, he asks, “How do I find it if you’re not here?” Now the child is forced to verbalize the location of Middle C, as well as their mental process for finding it. They have to explain it in words, like a teacher, so you are certain they have the concept correctly in mind.
What you’re looking for is this sort of exchange:
Hubert: “How do you find Middle C?”
Child: “It’s the one next to the two white keys.” (You may get other answers, so be prepared to digress into a sub-game if necessary.)
(The child is only half-right. Make them specify exactly where it is.)
Hubert: “Is it a white key? Which side of the two blacks?” (They are now forced to broach the idea of left-right.)
Child: “It’s the one to the left.” (If you get another answer, make a game out of it until they understand where Middle C is, and can explain it to you.)
Hubert: Is it this key?” (He plays a black key.)
Child: “No, you silly, it’s the white one.”
Hubert: “But why?”
Hubert does everything to get it wrong, and extract a useable explanation from the child. In the process the child learns the idea largely because the learning environment is positive, comic and memorable.
COURSE ONE: TEACHING TOOLS
#2 WHAT A CHILD SHOULD EXPECT FROM PIANO LESSONS
#3 WHAT IS FINGERING AND WHEN DO WE USE IT
#4 PIANO BY NUMBER AND OTHER STARTING METHODS
#6 MINUTE BY MINUTE PIANO LESSON
#7 TOYS AND ACCESSORIES FOR FUN PIANO LESSONS
#8 READING MUSIC FOR KIDS STEP BY STEP
#9 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WORST AND BEST TEACHER
#10 A CHILD’S CLASSICAL MUSIC LISTENING LIST
COURSE TWO: TEACHING BACKGROUND
#11 A SHORT HISTORY OF THE PIANO
#12 A SHORT HISTORY OF PIANO METHODS
#13 A PLEASANT PIANO LESSON ATMOSPHERE
#14 ADVICE TO A YOUNG PIANO TEACHER
#16 A PIANO TEACHER’S EMOTIONS
#17 PACE AND CHILDREN’S PIANO LESSONS
#18 CHILDREN’S PIANO MOTOR SKILLS DEFINED BY AGE
#19 CHILDREN’S PIANO FINGERING OVERVIEW
#20 GUILT IS THE WRONG WAY TO BUY ATTENTION
COURSE THREE: PIANO GAMES
#21 FOURS, A PIANO COUNTING GAME
#24 THE USE OF HUMOR IN PIANO LESSONS
#25 HAPPY OR SAD: EAR TRAINING FOR KIDS
#26 FOLLOW THE LEADER: VISUAL PIANO GAMES
