Some of the biggest failings of the piano's 3 Classic Methods of instruction, which have been in existence for generations, is their reliance on string-instrument-based teaching methods. Chord Methods, Learn-by-Ear Methods and Sheet Music Methods all suffer from this same malady. The major contributing factor in the high failure rates of all Classic Piano Methods.
The sad fact is the largest group of 'graduates' of any Classic Method is the failure group. With each classification of piano method gaining its limited success by restricting the overall abilities of their student success stories.
The gist of it all being that Chord Method folks teach their students to NOT play Classical music or to NOT play precise arrangements. Learn-by-Ear Methods teach their students to NOT play anything too complex. With the worst of the worst being the Sheet Music Method folks who teach the overwhelming majority of their incoming students to not play anything at all, and take up Golf or Guitar instead.
The most common statement made by former students from the Sheet Music fleet is, "I've had years of piano lessons and I can't play a thing."
Been there, done that.
The piano is a simple point and click percussion instrument dominated by trinities. An Acoustic Piano has 3 foot pedals. Inside the wooden box of a grand, baby grand or upright the rule of thumb is that a felted hammer whacks a 'choir' of 3 strings. And for acoustics, digital pianos and electronic keyboards there are 3 types of piano keys that repeat across the keyboard in a 12-key pattern.
That 12-key repeating pattern consisting of 2 black keys grouped in a duo, 3 black keys grouped in a trio nestled among 7 white keys.
Note how the black duos in the diagram are highlighted by a little white square and how that makes those duos easy to spot from the trios. That's a simple way to increase a student's playing accuracy. Since the most common playing error is striking a black duo key instead of the proper black trio key or vice versa.
Actually marking your black duo keys with a little square of white, self-stick address label or tape as shown in the diagram greatly increases your playing accuracy. Your fingers rarely touch the keys that far into the keyboard so that error-reducing white square can last for years.
Been there, done that as well. Consider that black duo key marking system your keyboard tip of the week.
As for the piano trinities the oddest trinity of all is the one I've only recently discovered, hidden within the mathematics. That discovery coming only weeks before this year's September 7th Michael J. Drinkwater Tournament held at the New England Country Club.
It turns out that Golf, Mini-golf and playing piano are all games involving instruments of percussion. Where the piano is in the role of micro-golf with its set of 88 little clubs that we call hammers.
So until next time stay tuned...
