2-YEAR-OLDS?

Two-year-olds can be prepared for learning to play the piano with the Anybody Can Play PIANO app using several fun activities - two of which are covered here.

FIRST….SING with actions!
The songs in the app can easily turn into action songs. Just make up your own suitable actions….clapping, tapping, waving, pointing, moving…..

Since the Anybody Can Play PIANO app parallels language, the first step is hearing the songs. You can sing the songs with the children, or use the app. The app plays the songs, shows the keys being played and shows lyrics so the computer can act as the accompaniment to the songs if desired. The app also gives the option to hear the songs more slowly.

I have also made videos of the first 6 songs in the app and they are on youtube.com. To go to the Playlist with those songs just click here.


NOTE: Young children tend to make a fist, then point with the finger they are to use. When using the “pointer” finger this works, but doesn’t work too well with other fingers, so maybe start working on Star Hands. If a child does not seem to understand the concept, wait until later to work on Star and Piano Hands.

STAR and PIANO HANDS: Place hands on lap, floor, table, whatever is handy, palm side down with fingers outstretched. Lift the hand keeping it like a star, then practice dropping down the “piano” finger that has to be used on the keyboard. Let them lift their Star Hand right in front of their faces so they can see that little “piano” finger dropping down! It is amazing how well the hand can get trained doing this.

SECOND….FINGER COLOR(S).
If you have a keyboard - even a toy keyboard - great! If not, use laminated paper keyboards.
With keyboard:
Using a washable marker, color code the pointer finger on the right hand with a tiny red dot. Put red stickers (preferably removable: Video: Making removable stickers) on 3 or 4 keys on the keyboard. Have the children use their “red” finger and play only the keys with the red dots.

Let a different child put the stickers on the keyboard each day. Beside begin fun, this re-enforces the fact that red touches red.

When the children become totally accurate with the red stickers, add another color as per the “screen pointer hands” in the app - probably the green one - and mark the fingers accordingly. Then they get to play keys with two different fingers! After awhile they will not even need to get their fingers marked.

Keep going so the children become aware of all their finger colors and using the correctly colored finger on the correctly color coded key.

Start with either hand, mix right and left hand colors as you add colors - whatever seems the best for the children in your care. Some fingers are a bit harder to use, but just remind them to use their Star Hand Fingers. When using some fingers, the "next door" finger sometimes drops down a bit to help. That is great!

With a laminated paper keyboard:
Have several different laminated “keyboards” with red dots - 2 or 3 per keyboard.

To download the large 5 black key keyboard just click on Lg 5 Black Key Groups to print out.

Let the children touch the dotted keys with their red finger. Add colors the same way as with a regular or toy keyboard.

The photo shows a child who is making a worksheet with different colors already!

You can even mount these laminated keyboards on the wall so children can walk by and touch the color coded keys with their “proper” finger.

Whatever you do, have fun!






The Anybody Can Play PIANO App costs a total of only $0.99!

To purchase the Anybody Can Play PIANO app for Windows 10/11 click here.

EZPianoNotes

EZ Piano Notes features Busy Buzzy Bumblebee for enhancing the learning of notes.
To subscribe click here. First week free - then $1.99 total cost.