Children's Piano Tutorials - Finger Exercises
How to improve the interest of young children to learn the piano, and cultivate the subjective learning initiative is the current young children's piano teaching in the urgent need to solve the problem. The following is a compilation of children's piano tutorials - finger exercises, you may wish to refer to the following.
A arm relaxation exercise
In the face of the piano zero children, before the start of the formal course, I always let them first realize which part of the body is the arm, the arm can be how to move, how to find the arm's weight, how the weight is falling. So I made up the following three arm relaxation exercises, from easy to difficult, from simple to complex, so that the children can easily and happily recognize the arm and the arm's normative movements when playing the piano in a playful way. It prepares the children for the first step of piano playing, the "non-contiguous playing".
1. Arm relaxation exercises
Through long-term observation, I found that children are more likely to find the feeling of arm relaxation when bending down than when standing up, so I made up the following exercise, letting them look at their own arm relaxation flap, and teaching them to recognize the arm and find the arm weight at the same time.
"Elephant Trumping: Children please stand, legs slightly apart, the distance and shoulder width. Bend at 90 degrees and relax your arms vertically. The arms will be folded like an elephant's trunk.
2. Arm Exercises
Through the previous section of the previous section of the "arm relaxation exercise" exercise, some of our friends were able to find the weight of the arm under the state of bending down smoothly. At this time, immediately stand up to do the following second exercise, also like the previous section of the front and back service fling. Bringing the whole party together, it is easier to find the weight of the arm in a standing position. With the increase of the swing range, the children can also experience the weight from small to large, from light to heavy, in order to find the weight at the same time to learn how to use, for the "non-concatenation of the playing" to lay a solid foundation.
"Monkey Swing" Children please stand, legs slightly apart, the distance from the shoulder width. Swing your arms forward and backward at the same time, just like a monkey swinging on a swing, the bigger the swing, the higher the swing.
3. Arm coordination exercises
The third exercise "arm relaxation exercises" can be practiced in a variety of ways: one hand forward, one hand backward, both hands forward at the same time, both hands at the same time backward, and both hands in the opposite direction.
" Dutch Windmill " children please stand, hands clockwise arm swing, hands counterclockwise arm swing. The right hand shakes the arm clockwise and the left hand shakes the arm counterclockwise, making two Dutch windmills.
Through a series of exercises, the children have a complete understanding of the weight of the arm, can skillfully use the weight, and in the force at the same time can feel the support of the waist and the balance of the body, the body's coordination has also been a great exercise.
2 Five Finger Exercise
Through the first part of the three exercises, children have been able to find the weight of the arm in the bending and standing state, and can relax and use it freely, which can be said to be a very good start. Now we are going to work on finding the weight of the arm in a seated position and letting it fall naturally onto the thighs in a completely relaxed manner. This makes it very easy to drop the arm weights on the piano.
1. Arm weight drop
When doing this exercise, check that you are sitting properly, and that your arm is bent at the right angle and your palm is facing the right way. When the weight of the arm falls on the leg, it is dropped with the wrist and not slapped with the palm.
"Baby Bear Hug" Children are asked to sit on the piano bench with their feet flat and naturally spread apart. Raise your arms slowly to shoulder height and make a bear hug. Keep your palms down and your arms in your lap. Repeat the lifting and lowering motion.
2. Exercises for the finger joints
In order for children to play the piano with a beautiful hand shape and independent fingers, it is necessary to practice the muscles of the palm and the joints of the fingers. The following exercises can be done at this time, and it is important to check that the palm is completely flat at the time of searching, that the fingers are completely straight, and that the movements are neat and consistent when gripping the hand. When the palm is completely open, you can also introduce their little hands to the children, let them recognize where the palm is, how many fingers, in order to facilitate their identification, I put each finger are numbered: 1.2.3.4.5. and tell them that each finger has three joints, the position of each joint where, and will add a little game - pointing finger game. Help them to strengthen their memory.
"Rock, Paper, Scissors" Many children have played "Rock, Paper, Scissors" game, now we put the palm of the hand flat, five fingers as straight as possible, to make a big "cloth". Then we close our fingers and make a rock. Repeat the "cloth" - "stone" motion.
3. Exercise from 2nd to 5th finger
When children start to learn how to play the piano, the direction of lifting and exerting pressure on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th fingers is the same, and this finger exercise not only lets them understand the principle of the movement of these four fingers, but also exercises the overall coordination of the 2nd finger to the 5th finger, and at the same time, makes the joints of the palms get a very good exercise. The palm joints also get good exercise.
"Dwarf's door: Palm open, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th fingers straight and close together to make a door panel, 1st finger straight. Fingers 2,3,4,5 come together neatly in the palm of the hand to form a closed door. Repeat the opening and closing motions.
4. Finger standing exercises
A common problem that children encounter when they first start learning piano is that the first joints of their fingers are very soft, they can't stand well, they don't know how to lift their fingers, and they don't know how to lift their fingers. This finger exercise is a simple game that allows children to easily grasp the concept of how to stand on each joint. Finding the keys to play the piano. Get a first impression of the piano hand shape. Note: It is important to check that all the finger joints are naturally bent and relaxed. Mentally feel the tip of the 2nd to 5th fingers in an O-shape with the 1st finger.
"The mouth of a goldfish" The 2nd and 1st fingers make an O shape, open it up into a C shape and repeat as if the goldfish is breathing. The 3rd finger and 1st finger make an O shape, open it to make a C shape. The 4th finger and 1st finger make an O shape, open it to make a C shape. The 5th and 1st fingers make an O shape and open into a C shape.
5. Maintaining the correct hand shape and finger lifts
Once the child has learned to lift each finger in a single motion, help him or her to find the correct hand shape for playing the piano. The first joints of the hand should be supported without pressure or tightness, and the independence of each finger should be strengthened while maintaining this perfect shape. The fingers are able to raise and lower themselves freely, laying a solid foundation for the learning of legato. It is also a fun and playful way for children to get through another difficult stage in their piano learning. When doing this exercise, it is important to pay attention to the following: the three joints of the fingers should be naturally curved when lifting, and when dropping, they should stand still and keep the shape of the little house.
"Build a little house" Sit sideways on the bench and place your forearm on the lid. Make a fist with your hand (see the pointed roof) and then slowly release it outwards, spreading the five fingers naturally and placing them as if they were five pillars supporting a roof, thus building a little house.
The first finger is relaxed and moves up and down, and the rest of the fingers stay in place. Relax the 2nd finger up and down, and keep the rest of your fingers in place. The 3rd finger relaxes the up and down movement, the rest of the fingers stay in the same position. Ease the 4th finger up and down, keep the rest of the fingers as before. Ease the 5th finger up and down and keep the rest of the fingers in place.
6. Fingers and combinations of finger lifts
Through a series of training, children can easily find the correct hand shape to play the piano, and while maintaining the hand shape, the five fingers independently do the finger lifts according to the requirements, but in addition to the ability to move each finger independently, it is necessary to continue with different combinations of fingers to play the piano. However, in addition to the ability to move each finger independently, it is also necessary to continue to train different finger combinations. This section provides simple combinations of the 2nd to 5th fingers, which are technically ready for legato and fast scale runs at medium speeds and above. It is a good preparation for intermediate and higher speed legato and fast scale runs, so that children can move on to the intermediate level more smoothly. Note: When doing this finger exercise, it is required to keep the hand shape of the little house. When lifting, the finger joints should be naturally bent, like a row of big hooks, and when dropping, the fingers should stand still.
"A row of big hooks" Start by building a small house: the first finger is fixed, and the second, third, fourth and fifth fingers move up and down neatly. Fingers 1 and 2 remain stationary, fingers 3, 4 and 5 move neatly up and down. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd fingers are fixed, the 4th and 5th fingers move up and down neatly. The 5th finger is stationary and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th fingers are moving up and down in a neat up and down motion. Fingers 5 and 4 remain stationary while fingers 1, 2 and 3 move up and down in unison
Three thumb-specific exercises
The thumb is a very special finger, it is short and thick, but very strong. When playing the piano, it moves in a very special way, both up and down, left and right, as well as rotating with the wrist. Through the following sections of finger exercises, children can easily master the use of the thumb and control, which is a good foundation for higher-level learning of piano playing, and a good preparation.
1. Lifting the thumb
Through this section of the finger exercises, children will learn that the thumb moves up and down in the direction of the second finger, not outward. Although the thumb looks short, its muscles are very developed and strong. Therefore, when you do thumb exercises, you should relax, and try to use the same force as the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th fingers, so that the force of the fingers can be balanced and unified. Note: When practicing, you need to carefully observe the movement of the 1st finger, and experience the lifting of the 1st finger and the method of exertion.
"Slide" Children, please use your hands to build a small house, put your hand gently on the lid of the piano, the first finger and the second finger together, like holding a flower, the first finger along the second finger like a slide up and down movement.
2. Lateral thumb exercises
Through this section of the finger exercise, children can understand that the thumb can also do left and right swing movement, which is the thumb and other fingers are different. Learning this movement can bring great convenience to the future training of long arpeggios, rapid hand movement, palm stretching and other piano playing skills. Note: The thumb is pressed against the lid of the piano in a lateral movement, as wide as possible, to prepare the hand for the transfer of scales.
"The little wiper": build a little house with your hands, gently place your hand on the lid, and swing your 1st finger from side to side against the lid like a car.
3. Thumb rotation
When practicing this finger exercise, you need to find the point where your thumb touches the keys, that is, where your thumb is placed on the lid and touches the lid. The wrist and arm rotate accordingly as you do the rotations. This prepares you for the intensive and fast movements of piano playing. Note: It is important to find the point where the thumb touches the keys, in order to shift the hand position for playing scales.
"Push the pegs" The children make a top motion by reversing the 1st finger downwards and rotating it from side to side as if it were a peg.
The practice of wrist dexterity
Wrist dexterity is very important for piano playing. From the point of view of playing technique, whether it is the beginning of non-concerted playing, or later scales, arpeggios and fast running, as well as diatonic, chordal and octave playing, all need to be coordinated with the wrist. Musically speaking, the wrist is essential for the completion of every phrase and the formation of every tone. It is inappropriate for children to practice the wrist alone when they have problems. It wastes time and makes them bored. Here are six wrist exercises to help children learn to move their wrists in different directions in a relaxed and enjoyable game, and to prepare them for further refinement of their piano playing.
1. Longitudinal wrist exercises
This exercise prepares children for non-contrapuntal, falling and falling legato techniques. Note: Observe carefully the longitudinal movement of the wrist. There is a lot of space between the lift - flatten - fall of the wrist, which can be divided into five levels: lift is the highest point of the wrist, where the fingers almost leave the keyboard; there is another point in between the lift and the flatten; flatten is the point where the wrist and the fingers are in the same water surface; flatten is the point in between the flatten and the fall; and the fall is the lowest point of the wrist. Concentrate on the movement of the wrist, shoulders, elbows and other parts of the body as much as possible to relax.
? Elevator? Children, please build a small house with your hands, with the tips of your fingers hanging over the edge of the piano keyboard. Wrists do like an elevator: up - lift, center - level, down - drop.
2, Lateral Wrist Exercises
This exercise is a preparation for arpeggio playing and fast hand position movement techniques. Note: Watch carefully the lateral movement of the wrist, flatten the wrist, move from small to large, but keep the shape of the hand, the rest of the arm as relaxed as possible, the shoulders, body and arms do not sway from side to side.
? Swing dance? Children, please build a small house with your hands and hang the tips of your fingers on the edge of the piano keyboard. Wrists make horizontal movements to the left - right.
3. Wrist rotation exercises
In doing this exercise it is recommended that parents make a small prop, cut a hole in the center of the newspaper and put it on the children's hands. Let them draw along the hole in the circle, you can also prepare two different sizes of props, so that children can be very happy to practice, unknowingly in the middle of the circle of the big circle are well practiced. In the future, different music direction, keyboard position combinations can be used freely. Note: Wrist circles should be drawn as round as possible, wrist and arm as relaxed as possible.
? Drawing circles? Children, please use your hands to build a small house, finger tips hanging on the edge of the piano keyboard. Wrists in a clockwise direction to draw a circle. Wrists press counterclockwise to car circle.
4. Wrist exercises for intervals and chords
This finger exercise can be used as a preparatory exercise for chords in fourths, fifths, sixths and octaves. Note: Keep the hand in the shape of an apple while moving the wrist slowly. The range is from small to large, and when you get good at it, you can speed it up and make it more difficult: small - small movements; medium - medium, the most natural movements; large - the largest movements.
? Take the apple? Children, please extend both hands, palms facing up, like holding a large apple, wrists inward - outward movement. When the movement is skillful you can turn your hands upside down, palm down, and gently bob your palms up and down.
5. Wrist turning movement exercises
This section of the finger exercise can exercise the wrist turning movement, for scales, arpeggios, fast running and fast change of hand position and other methods of playing preparation. Note: Keep your fingers together while drawing circles. Be flexible and a little faster when practicing.
? Somersault? Children, please use your hands to build a small house, wrist against the lid, five fingers up, the right hand in the air counterclockwise circle, the left hand in the air clockwise car circle, every circle, the wrist moved forward an inch, like the Monkey King in the air somersaults.
6. Palm stretching exercises
This section of the finger exercise exercise of the palm of the thumb and little finger spreading muscle, thumb and little finger flexor muscle,; palm short muscle and little finger short training flexor muscle, can be for the piano playing special skills and special fingering for paving practice. Note: the palm of the hand stretching action should be large; stretch - completely open, as wide as possible; shrink - completely closed, the 1st finger touches the 5th finger.
? Archers? Palm on the lid, open - close, open - close again. Like an archworm crawling happily.
Five hand coordination exercises
Many parents let their children learn the piano in order to develop the children's intelligence, so that the children become smarter. Because playing the piano with the brain to think, with the eyes to see, with the ears to hear, with the mouth to sing, with the two hands of the ten fingertips to play a different keyboard, but also with both feet to pedal. When children are able to do so many things at the same time, their right and left brains have been able to use both at the same time and harmonize. So the child becomes very intelligent. But achieving such perfect coordination and control requires a long, rigorous, and gradual training process. I would like to introduce four games that you can play when you are tired of practicing the piano.
1. Hammer and Rag
When playing the piano, you often encounter this situation: the two hands perform different music, one hand should be coherent and singable. The other hand has to be jumpy and elastic, which can be difficult. In this game, the hammer represents jumping, and the rag represents legato. With the ability to switch between the two hands, this will not be a problem when you play the piano in the future.
The left hand clenches the fist to make a hammer to the left leg to knock, the right hand open to make a rag in the right leg to wipe, super-knock the faster, the faster the wipe, the faster, at the command, said to change on the change. The first thing you need to do is to change it, but you can't mess it up.
2. A shot to hit six
When you first start to do this game, you will always feel that your fingers are slow to respond, do not listen, the old error, this game as long as the management of the 2 fingers and 5 fingers, to find the replacement of the law, it is very easy to do.
The left hand to make a gun, the right hand to make six, a gun to hit six, left and right to take turns to change.
3. Twist and turn
This game is a flexible, coordinated exercise for the 1st and 2nd fingers, as well as the left and right hands. The other fingers are relaxed and bend naturally during the exercise.
The 2nd finger of the left hand points to the 1st finger of the right hand, and the 2nd finger of the right hand points to the 1st finger of the left hand, point point point point point. Faster and faster, like anesthetic twisting and turning.
4. Boxing Warm-up
In the practice of playing polyphonic works will find that the melody of the piece is not only in the right hand in the treble clef, and sometimes in the left hand in the bass clef. In this case, we need to strengthen the intensity of the theme in different parts of the voice, adjust the volume, change the key touch, rich tone. This game exercises the children's left fist or right fist at the same time exercise the children's brain quick reaction and body coordination ability.
Like a boxing match, lunge and hold your fist ready, call the right hand - the right hand out of the fist to collect the left hand - reset. Call the left hand - the left hand out of the fist to collect the right hand - reset.
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