Andrea and kids - learning with Soft Mozart

hellene wrote:
Andrea, your scores absolutely great! Something is telling me that you are ready for some challenges!

Here is couple of the pieces that you can learn now:
Favorite Classics 1 - Musette
Nursery 1 - This Old Man
Please, look at the pieces and let me know, what do you think!

Thank you, Hellene, I shall follow your advice in the morning (it's late in the night now here and everyone is sleeping) and will answer you tomorrow afternoon or night.
Later edit: I was able to listen to the songs, thank you for the challenges, I like them

Till then, here's the 2 days update for me:

05.07.2012
Guess Key School: Ode to Joy
P1 48:48 / 16, 48:48 / 13 , 48:48 / 12
P2 48:48 / 14
P3 46:48 / 22, 48:48 / 11
P4 48:48 / 8,
P5 47:48 / 12, 48:48 / 16
P6 48:48 / 24
PH 48:48 / 30

Note Duration School 17:49 / 1883 / L21 / 42

Note alphabet School 18 min 934 points (haven't been able to finish it, kids needed me )


05.08.2012
As I was curios I tried "The Small Fir-Tree", but my timing was bad as A. wanted to play too and distracted me a bit, but:

R1 41/ 39, 41 / 42, 37 / 19
R2 37 / 37, 38 / 29
R3 39 / 24, 39 / 21
R4 40 / 36, 41/ 27
R5 41 / 19, 37 / 28
R6 40 / 50

Update about A.:
05.09.2012
Guess Key School 192/ 2:58 (a day before was 186 / 2:55, so still there's a progress, though little )

Gentle Piano - Introductory songs / Jingle Bells - R1: 45/ 171 (Was 35:45/ 245).
Here I helped him: he had the tendency to press the note he knows that normally follows or is before the note on the screen, like in the scale. That's why he pressed all the notes in JB - I always explained that we need to make the butterfly appear and this happens only if we press the note on the screen. Also, the idea with covering the screen for left hand to see only the right is helping a lot. He had the tendency to look both ways and pressed anything he recognized on the screen.
Another thing I've seen is that his first impulse is to look at the note that comes below the yellow line, not the one on the line, so I have to remind him sometimes that the yellow line one comes first.

Now, regarding the exercises and my idea with the rings out of boys' and girls' faces: it didn't work.
Well...I know I want him so bad to play the piano with both hands.
But, either he's not ready for certain lessons, includind finger exercises, and I need to let him grow up a little and wait till I feel it's the time I can try again, or I just have to keep looking for the suitable trigger. I don't want to give up yet, so I'm thinking of new and maybe crazy ways to stir his interest up for exercises. If nothing works, I'll be patient till the right time comes.

Update about me: 05.09.2012

I took the challenge and...:

Favourite Classics 1 – Musette / J.S.Bach
R1 33 / 22, 34 /18, 36 / 16
R2 36 / 21, 36 /14, 37 / 11
R3 35 / 11, 36/14, 36 / 12
R4 36 / 13, 33 /12, 33 / 10
R5 32 / 13, 36 / 7, 34 / 15, 35 / 13, 37 / 8, 37 / 6, 37 / 7

L1 32 / 15, 30 / 8
L2 31 / 9, 29 / 9
L3 32 / 5
L4 31 / 7
L5 28 / 13, 32 / 8
L6 32 / 22, 32 / 23

P1 69 / 28, 63 / 15, 66 / 13
P2 68 / 25, 64 / 24
P3 69 / 17, 64 / 30
P4 69 / 15, 66 / 31
P5 64 / 19, 65 / 14
P6 69 / 38, 68 / 30

Nursery 1 - This Old Man / Folklore
R1 59 / 28, 60 / 15
R2 60 / 19, 59 / 25
R3 57 / 18, 59 / 17
R4 58 / 20, 57 / 24
R5 59 / 18, 56 / 19
R6 56 / 40, 57 / 36

L1 29 / 32, 32 / 4
L2 30 / 12, 32 / 4
L3 32 / 5
L4 32 / 5
L5 32 / 7, 30 / 7
L6 30 / 29, 30 / 28

I didn't have the chance to play this one with both hands as both kids where with me when playing the piano. A. was sitting next to me, and O. was in my lap, either sustained with my left hand when I was playing with the right or vice versa

I love the songs and I'm glad you gave me impulse to play them, Hellene Karma to you for being such a great teacher!
My issue is, among others, with note duration. So I played the game to exercise:
Note Duration School - 12:01 / 1773 / L21 / 24 (was 17:49 / 1883 / L21 / 42)
And this is how I payed more attention to the songs that appear in this game. One of them attracted my attention more so I looked for it in Gentle Piano to listen to it: Favourite Classics 1 / Polovetzian Dance - Aleksandr Borodin - I hardly wait to sing that song and many more from the FC1 album, like O Sole Mio or J. Strauss music!

Thank you Hellene for this chance you've given me, of being able (or learning to be able) to play my favourite melodies on the piano whenever I feel like! It will be a great joy for me, for the kids and will have great moments in the family!

I like the polovetzian dance too! My kids love to listen to it. It is the best one for me to start playing if I want them all to come and ask if they can have a turn now the jealousy is a great motivator.
Playing with two hands comes easily to some kids and others need a bit more time. ( not just kids ME TOO!) Jaykob struggled with even the idea of using his left hand when he started but in the last month it has been no trouble to get him to try both hands. So a bit of patience and gentle encouragement will get you there. It is best if the kids are very confident playing a piece with their right hand before you even attempt left...same goes for you too...did you find Helenes tips on how to practice what order to learn the hands in? Its in one of my posts I shall repost it for you soon in case you haven't.
My kids don't much like finger excersizes, I get them to do them sometimes but mostly they play games of walking their fingers up and down the piano telling me stories. I encourage them to use the right finger technique while they spin a yarn. probabaly i should write up some of these stories. I know they help because I practiced Hanon daily for a month and the progress in in left hand was amazing!
A is making great progress with Guess Key. Great scores!
You are also making progress, those scores were progressively better and better even as the views got harder and harder. Well done.
One lucky baby to spend a youth on mummy's lap while she learns piano. Can you even imagine how much easier it will be for your baby to learn this stuff! Those motor neurons are firing like mad!

Andrea, thank you very much for your detailed report!

andreasro wrote: Update about A.:
05.09.2012
Guess Key School 192/ 2:58 (a day before was 186 / 2:55, so still there's a progress, though little )

This is pretty steady progress to me!

Gentle Piano - Introductory songs / Jingle Bells - R1: 45/ 171 (Was 35:45/ 245).

The numbers are showing improvement in coordination. Please, let me know, when time is going to be 45 or less...

Here I helped him: he had the tendency to press the note he knows that normally follows or is before the note on the screen, like in the scale. That's why he pressed all the notes in JB - I always explained that we need to make the butterfly appear and this happens only if we press the note on the screen. Also, the idea with covering the screen for left hand to see only the right is helping a lot. He had the tendency to look both ways and pressed anything he recognized on the screen.

I think, it also would be helpful, if you will cut the piece in shorter segments. Do you know, how to do this? You may read F1 file or ask me. I will be happy to help!

Another thing I've seen is that his first impulse is to look at the note that comes below the yellow line, not the one on the line, so I have to remind him sometimes that the yellow line one comes first.

If he needs to, point for him. It won't spoil anything!

Now, regarding the exercises and my idea with the rings out of boys' and girls' faces: it didn't work.
Well...I know I want him so bad to play the piano with both hands.
But, either he's not ready for certain lessons, includind finger exercises, and I need to let him grow up a little and wait till I feel it's the time I can try again, or I just have to keep looking for the suitable trigger. I don't want to give up yet, so I'm thinking of new and maybe crazy ways to stir his interest up for exercises. If nothing works, I'll be patient till the right time comes.

I think, with exercises we have to follow the same direction: break the task into very small pieces. Even if he played just 2 keys at the same time, it is good enough for him. Always stop BEFORE he gets tired. Build the skills brick by brick.

Update about me: 05.09.2012

I took the challenge and...:

You have very rapid, steady progress. I just want you to know that playing the same piece on 1,2,3,4,5,6 doesn't promote your reading skills much. I would recommend you to play challenging piano pieces on 1 and 3 and SIGHT - READ on 2, 4, 5 and 6.
Albums for your sight-reading are Nursery Primer and Fav Classics Primer. Play the pieces using only one hand at a time and see how many errors are you making. If you have just up to 5 mistakes, play the pieces using 2 hands. 2,4,5 and 6 visual presentations are helping to recognize the names of the music notes based on their position on lines or spaces.

Albums for your sight-reading are Nursery Primer and Fav Classics Primer.

Play the pieces using only one hand at a time and see how many errors are you making. If you have just up to 5 mistakes, play the pieces using 2 hands. 2,4,5 and 6 visual presentations are helping to recognize the names of the music notes based on their position on lines or spaces.

I think, these albums are great just for the sake of music appreciation! Completely agree with you: this is popular classics!

Thank you Hellene for this chance you've given me, of being able (or learning to be able) to play my favourite melodies on the piano whenever I feel like! It will be a great joy for me, for the kids and will have great moments in the family!

Yes, in modern days we missing music making, because of the digital devises. But it is like to eat out all of the time and didn’t try to cook at home…