- Piano/Keyboard. For Music for Young Children classes, the minimum requirement students must have at home is a keyboard with 60 full-sized keys. The keyboard can be an electric keyboard, or a digital piano, or an acoustic piano but should have 60 full-sized keys for the early levels. For the later years of the program, a larger keyboard or piano is helpful, like one with 88 full-sized keys.
- Bench: While sitting at the piano or keyboard on either a bench or a chair, the student’s forearms should be parallel to the floor when his/her hands are on the keys. For comfortable hand movement, wrists should not be below the keyboard, but also should not be raised too high. They should be in line with the forearm and fingers. If your piano bench or chair is not adjustable, just place foam blocks under the legs to raise your child to the proper height until there is a straight line from your child’s hands to elbows and that line is parallel to the floor.
- Feet: If your child’s legs are not long enough to comfortably rest with them flat on the floor, place a small step stool under them so that her legs are bent at a 90-degree angle. This will help her keep a good height and distance from the piano.
All these tips will help set you and your child up for a successful year of piano lessons in our wonderful Music for Young Children group music classes. Now get ready to have fun because September is not far away!
By Elizabeth Dettweiler (adapted from teachpianotoday.com)
https://www.myc.com/members/edettweiler/