I frequently hear concerns from parents of young piano students about their childs hearing. The most common question asked is, Does my child have a good ear?

I usually respond with something like, They look alright to me. Does she have two? There are some common myths which often mislead parents and encourage them to look for their students musical limitations. While there may be some value in this, there are a lot more warnings in literature and folklore that suggest If you look for problems, problems will find you.

In my opinion, it is better to first consider the possibilities. Before testing your young childs musical ear make sure they understand basic concepts such as high and low and up and down in musical terms. If you ask a four year old to play a high note on the piano, they are most likely to raise their hand in the air and say, how high?

You can give your young child in piano lessons a chance to develop their musical ear and talent with time and patience. You can also play these fun games at home with your child.

The first game is called Copy Cat. Give your child this introduction:

"Copy Cat" is a lot like Simon Says. Do you remember that game? Lets both put our right hand in C position on the piano. Play a couple of notes, Sally, any notes you want to play in C position. Then Ill try to copy what you played.

Do this for a while and then reverse the game. You play a few notes and have your child be the Copy Cat. This is a great way to develop your childs musical ear and have a lot of fun with them at the piano as well.

The Second game is called Jacobs Ladder. Play Middle C and then step up Jacobs Ladder playing all of the white and black keys one at time, in order until you get to the next C. This is twelve half-steps, or a Chromatic Scale. Then step down Jacobs Ladder back to Middle C. After you have done this a few times, let your child try stepping up and down "Jacobs Ladder" on the piano.

Next have your child in piano lessons close their eyes while you play Jacobs Ladder. Tell your child to raise their hand if you skip a rung on the ladder. Make sure you also give your child a turn at being the teacher! Kids love to reverse roles. This is another effective technique to develop your childs musical ear in a fun and easy way.

By playing these games together youll be seeking your childs musical potential - and you will find it!

Cynthia VanLandingham

Cynthia VanLandingham's Piano Adventure Bears Music Education Resources create an exciting musical adventure for children ages 5 to 11. Visit PianoAdventureBears.com for free samples of her Piano Adventure Story Books and piano resources for children. She is also the author of The Wonder Guide to Creativity.

Cynthia has been teaching piano in Tallahassee, Florida for 20 years and is the owner of TallyPiano & Keyboard Studios. She is a member of the American College of Musicians National Guild of Piano Teachers, the President of TallyPiano Enterprises, LLC, and a graduate of the Florida State University College of Education. Visit her website at TallyPiano.com to download her original, uplifting piano compositions, including "The Potter's Wheel." While you're there subscribe to her free internet newsletter, Piano Matters, and read the Wonder Guide to Creativity Online.

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