Dogs and Birds

The "Dogs and Birds" method is a preparation for keyboard study. It is unique in that it allows all children, even those too young to know the alphabet, to approach the keyboard in a systematic and playful way. The majority of piano teachers will not take students below the age of six or seven. Younger children usually have difficulty finding notes on the keyboard, and reading musical notation. Using the "Dogs and Birds" approach this is no longer a problem. The main idea behind the method is that each note on the piano is given an animal name, for example Dog for D, Bird for B and Cat for C. The animals are printed inside the notes to help the children read the music. The children can sing the monosyllabic animal names as they play the notes, thus developing musicality and the inner-ear.