You've all seen the ads "Research shows kids math scores rise when they play the piano."

There is always a piano method for children for sale at the other end of this sentence.

I should know, because I am one of the guys who created a piano method for children and has one of those websites you're looking right now.

There is a piano song everyone relates to research, and I mean everyone from the famous Forbes magazine article (Sorry for children, piano lessons Make You Smarter)every website I've seen well-intentioned offering some expertise in how to get your child to play the piano. I will not mention any names because it is not our purpose today.

Everyone cites the 1997 study Gordon Shaw, a research of my own experience confirms that quite correct.

Shaw cites numerous statistics about the mysteries of the brain, ganglia and neurons. There is no doubt that music lessons and piano in particular have an effect on children.

But I am here to ask, what does that meanthe child in practice?

Exactly what does a child learn from piano lessons?

I want to quote over the conditions of the real world, not terms that only scientists can use.

We'll go in order of what is learned by imagining the younger children, so that our hypothetical journey can encompass all measures taken.

First, teaches piano left and right. It's a question, as laces, that children are facing at this stage of their lives. The keyboard may be aideal place to learn this skill.

Then piano teaches the child that top-down, formerly skyward and toward the ground, are now in place (right) and down (left.) The purpose of this is the element of abstraction has been introduced. Left and right and top to bottom can mean many different things, and for the first time they are asked to make these distinctions. Hard Stuff least five or six before a grand piano.

Soon, the piano teaches children that they have five distinctfingers, to be named, numbered and used as a basketball team. Like any team, they will make mistakes and be forgiven him. There is no other activity at this age that the application of a child.

Then, a child must memorize certain motions and submissions, even if they are not taught as such: combinations of fingers and the look of the keyboard.

thoughts, a thousand and one are needed to play more simple piano pieces.

In addition, playing a part requirespredictive power, that is, the ability to do something while we think OTHERWISE. Think baseball: if you catch a ball, you have to run, and at the same time anticipate catching the ball.

Piano is so full of basic mental gymnastics (up, down, left, right, black, white, fast, slow, loud, soft, long, short) that can be exhausting for a child if it is not presented slowly and correctly.

In fact, play a piano song becomes a bit like a mental juggling act,in which a series of dazzling movements difficult mental and physical are pulled, one after the other.

To demonstrate this to a child, I play a game I call Tunnel Attack.

In this game, I take a soft object, like a big rubber eraser and tell the child that I'll throw it to them slowly. I can do, following the child's eyes so that I can run it directly to them.

If they fail, try and laugh until the catch. But take very slowly, making a point of the slowness with which youthrow.

After they catch it, a slow one or two, tell them that now you throw it fast and then do it.

They will instantly see that they have to be on guard, especially when the gum is faster. Play a game of it. Do this until they keep their eyes on the gum.

Now, throw several objects (erasers) in a row, first slowly, then faster.

On the run faster, they start to drop things and laugh. I explain that this is what the piano is like:problems to you one after the other, and you must be ready.

Go slowly at first, you learn what will come to you. They include easily because of the event.

I think these are just some of the skills that learning the rudiments of piano teaching a child.

And once again, this is without reading a note of music, which requires even more difficult to acquire skills.

The piano is like a huge blender abstract physical and mentalall of which can be taught in a way that interest and delight children.