At the first lesson the child "makes music" without attention to symbols at this point, but not at the expense of acquiring habits which will be uprooted later. — Dr. Robert Pace —
• The child first learns pieces by using what s/he CAN do -- singing, clapping, responding to high and low by "shaping" the melody in the air—and by following with his/her eyes the "picture" of the melody outlined by the finger numbers to be used.
• By looking only at the page and not at his/her hands when learning a new song, the child begins to develop the all-important tactile sense of the keyboard.
• Black keys as well as white keys are used from the first lesson. Why ignore the black keys for weeks or months? A child usually sees them first. (See "Why Multi-Key" and "Transposing to All Keys—Information Overload or Beginners' Building Block?")
• The first five notes in any key are quickly found, becoming the basis for harmony later on.
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