PIANOFORTE CLASSES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 747, 21 August 1929, Page 15

PIANOFORTE CLASSES

GROUP INSTRUCTION DEMONSTRATED TWO INTERESTING METHODS A new development in pianoforte tuition of children lias been entered upon in Auckland. It is group instruction of pupils in classes. Introduction of this method, whilst not aimed at the displacement of private individual tuition, must place pianofortq lessons within the means of children, whose parents could not afford the high fees for personal teaching. At the same time clip scheme will help the teachers who, owing to the advancement of mechanical music in the last few years, have felt some anxiety at the noticeable diminution of pupils. No more keenly interested audience could have followed the first New Zealand demonstrations of two systems of group teaching of the piano in the Lewis Eady concert hall last evening. Composed largely of music teachers, and others associated in the development of the musical sense of the city, besides many pupils, the gathering was deeply impressed with the expositions, which embraced the English system of Major Bavin and the method of the Australian, Alary Cochran, totally different in character and execution. Dr. Kenneth Phillips presided. Performers under both methods were exceptionally young and small children. who had been under tuition for not more than a month. In each case, however, the .method of training and development of the musical sense, through varying simple stages to playing elementary tunes, created a profound impression of the efficiency of both systems. ENGLISH SYSTEM

Seated at tables, each having a fiveoctave model keyboard, a transposing card and a musical rest before them, all of cardboard, tne little boys and girls of Aliss Joyce Parker’s group class first demonstrated the Bavin system. • The method is intended to develop eye, ear and touch from the first lesson, Aliss Parker explained. The children were first given revision of the last lesson, followed by finger movements on the model keyboards. Little voices of the class joined in singing the scale as they traced the notes without the aid of the keyboard, each child then giving a practical demonstration of these notes on the piano. Alost striking impression of the demonstration was the simplicity of the lessons, from the finger movements on the model keyboard to the practical application on the piano, and keenness of the children to answer questions. The demonstration was greeted with warm approbation. PICTURESQUE METHOD

Equally interesting was the exposition of the method of the Sydney teacher, Alary Cochran, given by a larger class of children of both sexes who are studying under Aliss Veda Hutchinson and Miss AVrigley. Entirely different in conception, the scheme of tuition is more picturesque and in the earliest stages is in the form of games that are in reality exercises to train the ear and induce relaxation. The children are led singly up a ladder on which the chords are marked, taking short and long steps, in reality exercises to train the ear and induce relaxation. First the children are led up singly along a sloping board, marked in chords, taking short and long steps in time to the scale played on the piano. Ability to relax the muscles is then tested by children lying down and allowing their arms and hands to be lifted and fall loosely as in sleep. The notes were all learned before the children went to the piano, where each played simple tunes, transposing higher or lower as instructed. Another game-exercise brought in the use of the metronome.