Today I was teaching students I have had for a year. They're 8 and 9 years old. We'd been using the key name cards with the 5 note scale and the I-IV-V7 cadence card and playing When the Saints Go Marching using a 12 sided die and the circle of 5ths. (read the blog)
The older girl got lucky. She rolled A major, C major, D major, and E major. The challenge this time was to play without the cards. She aced it!
Her sister wasn't as lucky with the roll, and had to play F sharp major, D flat major, B major, and B flat major. No more cards for her as well. She played them through without the cards as well!
These kids are so comfortable playing on all the keys that playing a piece in F sharp major after a year of lessons was not a big deal.
The point here is that the piano key finder cards are tools that you use until the student doesn't need them any more. But, in the meantime, they play on all of the keys and learn all the majors and minors, and all of the keys on the piano from the first day of lessons.
I've been using them long enough to see what's happening to students over time, and it's awesome!
How much time will you save teaching when you know that your students will always find the right key when they are practicing at home without you?
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