Singing and playing in canon is such a powerful tool for developing aural skills. This is a wonderful English folk song called Rose Red . . .

When we teach and use a method that is strongly aural based, like the PianoForte method, it can give the impression that we are teaching our students to do just this, Play-by-Recall. 

Piano Lesson in Progress - (Kodaly Reading). ‘Daydream’ from ‘Beyond Level 3’

New Teaching Resources for March!

This video a wonderful way to observe the Kodaly method applied specifically to a piano lesson with a student who isn’t a beginner.

In this video we see what the first lesson is like in the PianoForte method. The first lesson introduces these concepts: • Hands and finger numbers • Layout of the keyboard (black and white keys) • Singing voice • High and Low Sounds • Solfa syllables 'So & Mi" • The first song 'Flying Birds' • Playing in different positions (transposing)

We can recreate a Folk Music environment in piano lessons in a way that resonates with the human desire to connect and learn together. We simply need to take the approach of making music together.

New Teaching Resources for February!

Including a New ‘Story Song’, Keyboard Geography games, Rhythm Games, Harmony Improv piece and a colourful set of Solfa Ladders!

It’s all about listening…

Non-legato technique is all about learning to to understand quality of sound. It such a wonderful way to introduce piano playing because it teaches students to really listen to their tone production. A non-legato technique also develops healthy hand and arm alignment and beautifully prepares students for legato technique.

I teach scales using Moveable Solfa, where Tonic is ‘Do’. This is easy for students who have been learning with the PianoForte method because they know what a ‘Do’ scale sounds like.

There are tips on how and why to introduce the solfa syllables 'So & Mi', and how these tones support early aural development, and are also wonderful for introducing healthy piano technique.

Here we talk about how teaching piano students to read music from a Middle C position can be problematic and solutions on how this can be more easily understood. This includes landmark notes with an understanding of the purpose of clefs.

This is the first piece I teach after a student has finished PianoForte Level 3. It sounds fun and has several new elements that students don’t find overly challenging. The whole piece can be learned in just a few lessons.

This is a wonderful method for teaching students to really understand music notational reading. It is a 'multi-layered' approach that includes solfa, letter names, the Hand Stave, AND Curwen hand signs. This method us rooted in Kodaly methods and at its heart is musicianship and aural skills.

In PianoForte Level Two students are introduced to the landmark notes Treble G and Bass F. Sometimes children forget where these two key are on the piano. This is a helpful (and fun!) way to help them remember.

Sometimes when I talk about the PianoForte method and how it teaches students to play the piano by building a foundation a aural skills I see a teacher’s eyes glaze and I know they are thinking something similar along the lines and this must being a play-the-piano-quick scheme. I totally get it - I was that teacher

The Colour Chant is free to download on the PianoForte website. It is a rhythm supplement for PianoForte level 2 and helps support students who are learning basic rhythm. It includes the crotchet/quarter note, the quaver/eight note and the crotchet/quarter rest. It’s fun, easy to learn and easy to teach

One of the most effective ways to help students build good piano technique is to delay the use of the thumb. This idea is often mentioned by piano teachers but what does it actually mean and why is it so important?

This video shows you the inside pages of "PianoForte Level One" with ideas on how to use this method with your students. It introduces rich and valuable concepts to beginning piano students.