HOW THE “MIRROR ME” TECHNIQUE HELPS PIANO STUDENTS LEARN
What is “mirror me” and how can it help your child learn to play piano? Mirroring is when the piano teacher has their student sit next to them and play small sections of a piece from start to finish. A piano teacher could teach one student at a time or have a few children stand behind them, watching them play, then have them come to the piano, one child at a time, to play what they learned.
The way this method works is that the student focuses on what the teacher is playing instead of focusing on the music notes. By watching and listening to what the teacher is playing and keeping up by playing a similar passage, the student learns how to play more intuitively.
HOW MIRRORING WORKS WHEN TEACHING PIANO
One of the biggest ways mirroring helps is by increasing the student’s familiarity with the piano. Here’s an example of how it can work in a piano lesson, and how it helps even very young children to learn a variety of concepts:
Watching the teacher, children learn to differentiate the right hand from the left since the right plays the high notes and the left plays the low notes.
They will then watch what the teacher is playing and do the same.
The students will then have to look at the keyboard and find as many sets as possible, but they first need to know and identify groups of the three black notes.
The student or class can then learn how to play a simple song on the three black notes.
The students will then learn how to find the middle C. Serious piano lessons begin during this step. The teacher can also now start focusing on proper fingering at this point.
HOW MIRRORING HELPS THE STUDENT LEARN FASTER AND ACHIEVE MASTERY
Through mirroring, the student can achieve mastery and learn how to play the piano faster. For instance, they will be more aware of where their tempo and rhythm are not right. By listening, watching, and playing with the teacher, they can learn phrasing, and they can have a steady beat.
Mirroring works best when the teacher starts with small sections during the mirroring sessions and keeps sessions at a regular time and length each week, and parents ensure that the children practice outside the set sessions.
If you’re interested in your child learning piano or any instrument, contact Dublin Music Academy today! We have many excellent music teachers at all our locations who have experience working with young children. Let us help your child start a lifetime of making and enjoying music!