The Successful Piano Method - The Pentatonic Or Five Note Approach

The other day I was watching a rerun of the Newhart Show. In the episode, Joanna, the wife of innkeeper Dick Louden, had purchased an old piano and was excited to learn to play. Most of the other characters in the show including the piano movers who said they wouldn’t charge for the move until they picked it up to move it elsewhere, were skeptical that Joanna would really learn to play. But, she was determined and thrilled with her new piano.

The plot continues with Dick playing the only song he can remember from his childhood lessons, Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater, and Joanna eagerly anticipating her first lessons. Unfortunately, we next see Joanna struggling through a C Major scale and slumped over the piano looking at a method book with cutsie pictures. Her husband and friends start to ridicule her decision to learn to play the piano and her interest in practicing soon starts to wane.

This scenario happens far too often. All the adult wanted to do was to fulfill a dream and learn to play the piano today. Unfortunately, teachers often assign boring technical work along with learning the entire language of note reading and concept building. In this traditional method, playing a song, a recognizable melody, is something that eventually is accomplished, but often not quickly enough for the adult beginning pianist. So, the adult learner becomes bored and gives up on the dream.

Success quickly, or playing songs while building concepts and skills is necessary for adult beginning pianists to stay involved and help them accomplish their goal or long-held dream of playing the piano. But, just what is this method? Playing piano songs today can happen by using the pentatonic approach.

In the pentatonic method, the adult beginner first learns technique by playing actual songs using only the black keys of the piano. Many hymns, folk songs, and even pop/rock songs are based on only five notes. Learning to play melodies using only five notes instead of twelve is a huge advantage. Instead of first learning a C Major scale as Joanna was attempting to do in the Newhart Show example, a beginner using the pentatonic method in one day would be playing the song known worldwide, Amazing Grace, and in the process would also be developing piano technique.

In the pentatonic method that allows a beginner to play songs on the piano today, the ear is also developed in the early stages of learning. The learner quickly understands how the notes work together to form a recognizable melody. Adding accompaniments, or harmony to the melody is possible nearly immediately, as again, the pentatonic scale makes everything played sound right. For an adult this is crucial. Adult beginners do not want to make mistakes and easily give up if they are not immediately successful.

This pentatonic or five-note method creates engaged learners who will continue their study and will be interested and eager to conquer the intricacies of note and rhythm reading. Why? Because they have had early success in playing songs quickly and in doing so have started developing the technical and musical skills of a pianist.

By: Dr. Jeannine Jordan

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Dr. Jeannine Jordan is excels in teaching the adult piano student. Her students play songs in a day. "If you've always wanted to play songs on the piano easily join Dr. J at www.playpianosongstoday.comfor a free tutorial and play the piano today!" Copyright Pro-Motion Music LLC