Have you used Simply Music (for you or kids)?

[Pamela H in Texas]

I bought this (on sale through http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.com) and just got it. I love it already.

 

Just wondering if anyone else is using it?

 

DS and Stonebridge Academy kids will be using this as part of the application part of music this year.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

:lurk5:

[i.love.lucy]

So I watched the video and as a total musical boob, I don't get it. The kids they showed on the website video were playing songs, but not to sheet music. Is it just memorization of moves to play songs, and that's what hooks them, so they'll go on to keep learning?

 

Help me understand, por favor!:D

[Pamela H in Texas]

Learning to read music is learned later.

 

It is similar to babies learning language. We don't teach them to speak by teaching them phonics rules. Instead, they learn all sorts about language by doing it and then we teach them to read what they know.

 

My hubby and son did some of the video tonight, both THRILLED to be able to play a real song with BOTH hands.

[Lovedtodeath]

Sounds intriguing and worth looking into. There are piano programs that do not involve reading sheet music... From their advertisements, it is my understanding that you do not need to read sheet music for most popular songs.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I had the materials for another program. It was for playing by ear. Though I play by ear (learned from my father), I never could pick it up from that. And I really don't like ALWAYS playing by ear. Also, with that program, I think you really needed an instructor.

 

This program is different. You have an instructor (dvd). You will learn to read music and play from music (they sell music on their site even). But instead of taking YEARS to be able to do some basic playing, you are playing immediately. By lesson 6 (less than an hour if you go straight through which he begs you not to do), you know two songs. In a couple more lessons, you can even play a simply jazz piece! I broke it up into a few sessions this evening :)

 

It really made sense to me the same way it makes sense that SWB and JW say not to push writing WITH teaching preschoolers to read. They are completely different skills. Asking a student to READ "Sam sat on the rug" takes a lot less than having him try to write it. First, taking it apart in his head is a different skill than decoding. Then he has to remember each aspect of each letter. Then he has to work on getting it on paper. Don't forget spacing, capital S and a period at the end of the sentence. There is just so much to it. In time, they'll get there, but at first, the idea is to learn to read and read with fluency. He breaks down the issue with teaching piano playing by first teaching letters on the staff and timing of note types. At the same time, the person has to remember where all the letters translate on the keyboard. And somehow they have to put it altogether. It just made sense to me. And more importantly, 3 of us learned 1-3 songs each. We have days of practice ahead of us still but it is with REAL songs BOTH hands. That is definitely more than we got from the first lessons of traditional piano lessons (well, the kids; I have never had lessons).

 

Anyway, I was hoping someone else was further than we are. :)

Edited July 29, 2009 by 2J5M9K

[Peela]

Yes, we use Simply Music. My daughter first started with Simply Music when she was 8 or so. After a while she wanted to learn to read music and asked for a normal music lesson so we switched. But just this year my 13yo son expressed an interest in learning piano and I knew Simply Music was the way to go for him. You play real, fun music from the beginning, including classical, blues and pop.

I think its a great method to get just about anyone playing piano. However, for some people like my daughter, the more traditional method suits better.

[Murphy101]

bumping to see if anyone else can share their experience with it.

:lurk5:

[mom2abcd]

It's a different methodology than most use. They want people to feel success with piano soon, get them used to the feel of the keys, the amount of pressure to use for various volumes, etc. After awhile, there is more note reading.

 

We've been using a similar theory, but with our own fun songs.

 

Simply Music wasn't for us.

[klmama]

Pamela H in Tx, Peela, and others who have tried this - have you continued with Simply Music beyond the beginning stages? I'm curious to know about how it works as you go along.

[Peela]

Pamela H in Tx, Peela, and others who have tried this - have you continued with Simply Music beyond the beginning stages? I'm curious to know about how it works as you go along.

 

My son is still only in the beginning stages, although he is playing great musica already.

I have two friends who are SM teachers and I know many kids who have used the system including some who went all the way through. I don't know them well enough to know how well they read music etc though.

I have had a few lessons myself and I have learned more about accompanying music (using those chords at the top of sheet music) in those few lessons than I learned in 6 years of classical music lessons in my childhood. SM is much broader in it's repertoire than learning classically. I am glad for my exposure to it so far, butI already have a classical foundation.

I dont really know how the later levels work but I have learned a lot just in the first levels, even though I already read music.

[klmama]

:001_smile: Thanks for your input, Peela!

[mom26]

How does it work? Do you watch the dvd and then go to practice what you learned? How many days a week do your kids do a lesson? is it one lesson a week and then practice time? I'm rethinking piano lessons since our youngest 3 are now moving up the ranks...the oldest 3 have been taking for a few yrs

I went to the website but did not see the answers to these questions.

Thanks!!

K

[Murphy101]

Thanks!

:lurk5:

[Peela]

How does it work? Do you watch the dvd and then go to practice what you learned? How many days a week do your kids do a lesson? is it one lesson a week and then practice time? I'm rethinking piano lessons since our youngest 3 are now moving up the ranks...the oldest 3 have been taking for a few yrs

I went to the website but did not see the answers to these questions.

Thanks!!

K

 

We have a teacher. You can also learn with just the DVDs, if you are motivated.

One possibility is to find a teacher for your oldest student, or for yourself- then teach the rest using the DVDs, which you automatically have to buy anyway as part of the course (for revision).