TEACHING CHILDREN TO DEVELOP AN AURAL SENSITIVITY TO DYNAMIC INFLECTION AND TIMING

Influential piano pedagogues have written of the necessity for training attentive listening, but few have attempted to provide concrete or systematic teaching suggestions for children. The purpose of this research is to propose practical strategies so that children may develop aural sensitivity to dynamic inflection and timing. The topic is addressed from two perspectives. First, this project addresses basic principles and teaching strategies to help students develop an awareness of a singing tone, the ability to control dynamic gradations and timing, a kinesthetic sensitivity to a variety of touches, three basic pedaling techniques. Second, the study provides suggestions for how concepts can be applied in the pedagogical repertoire. To accomplish this goal, the paper presents a collection of icons that can be placed on the score to guide children’s attention to key concepts. In addition, numerous activities examined in the application section serve to keep children engaged and make the process of learning about dynamic inflection and timing more enjoyable. It is my hope that these approaches will also increase the likelihood that children independently apply relevant learning strategies on their own.