Week 1 of SoftMozart .// Toddler 28 months

lzp11 wrote: I think there is no rush to move onto teaching the notes on the grand staff. The games will teach where the notes are but I read in the introduction that some of these are not suitable for young children. Also gentle piano has many different levels (if you press 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc) it shows you how the view gradually progresses from the initial view towards standard music notation. So as they get more familiar then we can gradually change the view and they will naturally learn all music notation. But for young children I think it might be confusing to move to this too quickly.

I totally agree with you and it is amazing how you grasped the entire concept!

Music pedagogy used to cripple our perception leaving the Grand Staff unchangeable. We changed the Staff to adjust the music notation to appropriate age/level of learners.

Nobody ever would push a young child to learn reading with a ‘War and Peace’… Way too many lines and the print way too small. However, in music education (even with Soft Mozart) everyone feel obliged to get to the ‘novel format’ – level 6 – as quickly as possible.
I understand why it is happening. When first auto came to existence, people were opening their trunks and looking for hay or hidden horses.

When about 10 years ago I started teaching with Soft Mozart, I was the same! But now I know for a fact, that beginners have to take it slow and gradually in order to receive full advantage of the invention.
There are 2 essential components in music making: development of fine motor skills (piano technique) and developing music sight-reading. With different visual presentations of the same score we can balance both tasks.

Piano pieces that is challenging for the coordination could be given with more visual help. I teach sight-reading on 2,4,5 and 6 – when no pictures or letters on the notes is presented.

Nevertheless, this is gradual and very thorough process, where the foundation of learning is enjoyment.

NadiaD wrote: Browsing youtube to find songs and clips kids singing solfege :

The song of Aristocats singing solfeggio can be found in many languages on youtube. My son loves it as he loves both cats and the piano And I show him the Romanian version as many times as he likes.

And what I would recommend also is the movie "The Sound of Music" with the adorable voice of Julie Andrews, a good and enjoyable way to start introducing music to children, in my opinion.
For children I would just show them more few fragments like:



or



or


Andrea

Oh what a blast from the past! Thanks for the memories