Note Reading Methods Used in Piano Education of 4 to 6 Years Old Children

The aim of the study is to analyse the teaching methods and materials that are currently used in the basic piano education of children at the age of 4-6 years, using the existing literature, and to develop suggestions and recommendations regarding the process. The study covered various teaching methods and techniques that are used in introduction of the piano keyboard to children as well as teaching the titles of notes and their places on the staff throughout the process of habituation of note reading in children at age of 4 to 6 years. Considering the basic principle that note-teaching for children is a visual, auditory and psychomotor process respectively, it has been suggested that the musical notes should be perceived as a graphical structure. The study has sought an answer to the question how to perform the note-teaching for piano education of children in the most productive way possible. This process, which requires due diligence, has been developed in stages and each stage has been elaborated in detail. As a result of the literature review, considering that there are very limited number of studies in the literature on various note-learning methods and materials applied in early age piano education, it is suggested that this study will contribute to pedagogues giving early age piano education and can also shed light on further studies.