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Apps for learning piano notes/ keys?

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 1:11 pm
by Dancealot
Any recommendations? Dds progress very slow, playing the same tune For weeks on end, and piano teacher has done very little with her in terms of learning notes. Surely that's basic stuff? I can't play anything, so any fun apps really appreciated :D

Re: Apps for learning piano notes/ keys?

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 1:38 pm
by Tinkers
I'll ask DD when she gets home, but it sounds like a change of teacher may be better.

Re: Apps for learning piano notes/ keys?

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 1:55 pm
by Dancealot
I'd wholeheartedly agree, Tinkers, were it not that this is the 3rd teacher dd3 has had at school in almost 2 years! They keep retiring!

Re: Apps for learning piano notes/ keys?

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 2:09 pm
by pushymother
Print this one out and put it above the keys. Ignore the "black notes" to begin with as if she is just starting she will only be playing songs on the "white keys."

http://www.music-for-music-teachers.com ... etters.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: Apps for learning piano notes/ keys?

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 2:27 pm
by Tinkers
Dancealot wrote:I'd wholeheartedly agree, Tinkers, were it not that this is the 3rd teacher dd3 has had at school in almost 2 years! They keep retiring!
That probably doesn't help!

Re: Apps for learning piano notes/ keys?

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 3:00 pm
by Snowdrops
My dd had a peripatetic music teacher at school. Hardly progressed. Changed to a private after school teacher (so she wasn't getting pulled out of lessons to learn nothing) and she flew after that.

A good teacher is everything!

Re: Apps for learning piano notes/ keys?

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 3:16 pm
by kentsussexborder
Flashnote Derby is good for note recognition and can be set so that a mini keyboard comes up to select the correct note. Another one is Noteworks but I've found this moves very quickly for beginners/non-readers. Both are available on Android and iPad/iPhone platforms.

Another I use is Piano Maestro (by Joy Tunes) - only available as iPad but this is really useful for developing good sightreading and a good sense of pulse. The kids really enjoy it.

Re: Apps for learning piano notes/ keys?

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 3:28 pm
by Tolstoy
Snowdrops wrote:My dd had a peripatetic music teacher at school. Hardly progressed. Changed to a private after school teacher (so she wasn't getting pulled out of lessons to learn nothing) and she flew after that.

A good teacher is everything!
Ditto! We had the same issue with ours for violin. What was worse the lessons were costing us the same, sometimnes more and the DC weren't always having their full half-hour. Really wished I'd pulled them out sooner as it was too late for the eldest. He hit adolescence and gave up just when he was finally getting somewhere.

Re: Apps for learning piano notes/ keys?

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 11:23 pm
by Peridot
Also worth buying a pack of music flash cards, for example the Chesters ones which have lots of suggestions for simple note recognition games for a parent or sibling to play with the child.

Re: Apps for learning piano notes/ keys?

Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2015 1:16 pm
by Dancealot
Thanks everyone :D

I'd looked at flash note Derby but it mentioned doing things against the clock and she panics under time pressure (though might be good prep when she sits her 11+ in 4 years :wink: ) And I'll look at the others everyone suggests. Thanks for the recommendation about flash cards because I'd looked at that option as well.

I definitely would get an after school teacher but she doesn't finish school until 4.30, with crèche after school, so it makes it hard to fit it all in :(