A TEACHER'S GUIDE toHow to Play the Piano By EarI. The Original IntroductionII. The Author's Advice to Parents & TeachersIII. The Ultimate Goalwww.LittleHomeschoolLibrary.comHomeway PresPO Box 187Canmer, KY 42722This revised edition 27 !y Homeway Press" #$$ ri%hts reserved"No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means, (electronic,photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without permission in writing from the publisher. No liability is assumed with respect to the use of or inability to use the information contained within. Although every precaution has been taken, the publisher assumes no liability for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.I. The original Introduction & have '(st read a very interestin% !oo) entit$ed, How to Play by ar !y *" +mett ,i$son" &t is dire-ted toward tea-hin% the novi-e to en'oy and %ain .a-i$ity in /$ayin% the /iano, a$tho(%h the /rin-i/$es -o($d we$$ !e a//$ied to the /$ayin% o. any instr(ment" *r" ,i$son does this !y dis-ardin% as (nessentia$ most o. the te-hni-a$ im/edimenta that (s(a$$y -on.ront the as/irin% st(dent who wishes to /$ay the /iano .or re$axation, re-reation, and a $itt$e individ(a$ ex/ression"&n an in%enio(s manner the a(thor avoids the (se o. any /rinted m(si- or -hart o. the /iano )ey!oard" He does this, .or the most /art, !y re.errin% /rimari$y to son%s where the me$ody, at $east, is .ami$iar" However, *r" ,i$son is not satis.ied with %ivin% on$y /ro-ed(res where!y someone wi$$ !e a!$e to 0/i-) o(t0 me$odies with one .in%er" He %rad(a$$y $eads st(dents into the o/en sesame o. (sin% !asi- harmonies" The a(thor a//roa-hes his /ro!$em with missionary 1ea$" He ri%ht$y /oints o(t that the intri-a-ies o. a m(si-a$ s-ore have !een the /rimary !arrier .or many /eo/$e %ainin% s(..i-ient s)i$$ at the /iano to (se it as a medi(m o. en'oya!$e ex/ression" ,e thoro(%h$y a%ree with him that it is (ndo(!ted$y the ma'or .a-tor .or the hi%h morta$ity rate o. yo(n% /eo/$e dro//in% their st(dy o. the /iano a.ter a(s/i-io(s !e%innin%s" ,e say 0#men0 to the -$aim that /$ayin% !y ear is a more m(si-a$ a//roa-h to /iano st(dy than a meti-($o(s, ri%id adheren-e to the /rinted /a%e"&n his enth(siasm, he a$most %ives the im/ression that /$ayin% .rom the /rinted /a%e is harm.($" However, we .ee$ s(re that he wo($d -ondone the (se o. the s-ore at the /ro/er time and with /ro/er !a$an-e in -on'(n-tion with /$ayin% !y ear" B(t $i)e the -ham/ion .or a s/irit(a$ -a(se, *r" ,i$son exto$s the virt(es o. his theme to the dis/ara%ement o. a$$ other a//roa-hes to /$ayin% the /iano"His 1ea$o(s o/inions have /ro!a!$y !een .ormed as a rea-tion .rom the o$d2a%e !e$ie. that the only a//roa-h to /$ayin% the /iano was !y and thro(%h the notes" The mere tho(%ht o. /$ayin% !y ear was .rowned (/on (niversa$$y !y /iano tea-hers" The P(ritani-a$ di-t(m o. 0sti-) to the notes0 has very $i)e$y !een an in.$(entia$ .a-tor in the /iano $osin% its /$a-e as the /redominant and most /ri1ed /ie-e o. .(rnit(re in the #meri-an home" #s a yo(n% st(dent o. the /iano, we -an remem!er o(r .ee$in%s o. %(i$t when we s(--(m!ed to the tem/tation o. /i-)in% o(t /o/($ar and .o$) t(nes !y ear and then harmoni1in% them" 3o we hai$ a -ham/ion who /oints o(t the a!s(rdities and .a$sities o. the o(tmoded /remises and /ro-ed(res in the tea-hin% o. the /iano"The a(thor /oints o(t in his /re.a-e that, to varyin% de%rees, everyone -an /$ay !y ear" However, he is wise to em/hasi1e that it is not a %i.t .rom heaven, !(t that this a//roa-h to /iano /$ayin% as we$$ as any other a//roa-h re4(ires di$i%ent /ra-ti-e" The di..eren-e $ies in the .a-t that s(-h /ra-ti-e is more en'oya!$e and more m(si-a$, !e-a(se m(si-, !ein% /rimari$y an art o. tone, needs -ontin(o(s attention to the trainin% o. the ear" &t is /$ayin% !y ear that deve$o/s ass(ran-e on the /art o. the /er.ormer and .rees him .rom the !onda%e o. those di-tatoria$ notes" #--ordin% to the a(thor, in a//roa-hin% /iano /$ayin% !y ear, one sho($d avoid re.errin% to the /rinted m(si-a$ /a%e even tho(%h one -an read notes" 3(-h /ra-ti-e is de.eatin% the very /(r/ose o. the a//roa-h" One may st(m!$e and sta%%er thro(%h a t(ne, !(t -ontin(a$ ex/erimentation shar/ens the ear, and dexterity o. the .in%ers wi$$ .o$$ow"5ow the a//roa-h is thro(%h $istenin%" Ta)e the time to $isten to yo(r .avorite son%s and re-ordin%s" Then try to sin% or whist$e the me$odies" The a!i$ity to do this is the .irst ste/, and a re/ertoire o. t(nes $earned in this manner wi$$ serve as a storeho(se o. /ie-es to !e /$ayed !y ear at the /iano",here sha$$ we !e%in6 0#nywhere,0 says *r" ,i$son" !ary Had a "ittle "amb is as %ood as any t(ne" # des-ri/tion o. the /iano )ey!oard .o$$ows a.ter this /rono(n-ement with a ta!$e o. the $etter 7 (sed in this son%" However, there is a -a(tion not to de/end (/on these $etters !e-a(se, stri-t$y s/ea)in%, this is not /$ayin% !y ear"The a(thor devotes $itt$e attention to .in%er te-hni4(e, !(t he does %ive some (se.($ s(%%estions -on-ernin% hand /osition and the (se o. the .in%ers" To en-o(ra%e /ro/er (se o. the .in%ers he re-ommends the /$ayin% o. a n(m!er o. t(nes (sin% on$y .ive -onse-(tive tones !e.ore tryin% me$odies with a more extended ran%e"The st(dent is en-o(ra%ed to /$ay the t(nes that he )nows over and over a%ain and in a variety o. ways8 (se the $e.t hand as we$$ as the ri%ht9 /$ay the t(nes with !oth hands to%ether one o-tave a/art9 /$ay them startin% on di..erent /it-hes or, in other words, in di..erent )eys"#.ter -onsidera!$e /ra-ti-e in /$ayin% t(nes, the st(dent is $ed to an (nderstandin% o. s-a$e -onstr(-tion, who$e ste/s and ha$. ste/s, .$ats and shar/s, )eys, and the (se o. -orre-t .in%erin% in /$ayin% s-a$es" *r" ,i$son -ontends that there is no aversion on the /art o. the novi-e to /$ayin% s-a$es, ex-e/t when it is tedio(s dri$$ thro(%h the readin% o. the notes" :i%(rin% them o(t !y ear is .(n" Pro%ress moves ra/id$y to the 4(estion o. mod($ation and to that o. -hordin%" Here is where the rea$ .(n !e%ins" The !asi- -hords are /resented with side tri/s to a dis-(ssion o. -aden-es, dis-ords, (/ !eats, -hoi-e o. )eys, and a!so$(te /it-h" However, it a$$ !oi$s down to the di-t(m9 when in doubt use the ear. &n s(!se4(ent -ha/ters, there is a more e$a!orate dis-(ssion o. harmony, in-$(din% a treatise on the 4(a$ities and e..e-ts o. the di..erent triads" One /(n%ent .a-tor is /ointed o(t that the /ianist who /$ays !y ear need not worry a!o(t the vario(s s/e$$in%s o. those tro(!$esome diminished -hords" ;eave this worry to the note2reader" The minor mode is not ne%$e-ted !(t is dis-(ssed thoro(%h$y"#t this /oint, *r" ,i$son introd(-es an idea that & have never seen treated in any method devoted to /$ayin% the /iano !y ear"