My son has been learning piano for a year and a half with a one-to-one teacher. He is now 7 and a half years old. I find that his knowledge of music theory is very lacking and he does not practice pia

My son has been learning piano for a year and a half with a one-to-one teacher. He is now 7 and a half years old. I find that his knowledge of music theory is very lacking and he does not practice piano every day...

Hello

First of all, I object to the view downstairs that despises electronic keyboards

When I was a child, there was a saying that piano level 8 is equal to electronic keyboard level 9 Level, that is to say, the difficulty of piano is always one level higher than that of electronic keyboard. After 16 years, I discovered that that was nonsense.

First let’s talk about whether it’s too late and whether children don’t like to learn. 7 and a half years old is not too late at all. Children at such a young age really only like to play, and they don’t have the independent consciousness to learn these things. So my suggestion is to scold him and let him learn. My dad used to do this. Don't make fun of me. When I was a child, I was beaten for four years because of a problem with my hand shape. My parents have always forced me to practice piano. But now, I want to say that without music, I might be blank now. I am very, very grateful to my parents for allowing me to learn such a craft.

Then let’s talk about music theory. Your son started learning music theory at the age of 6, which is about the same as mine. Does LZ know at what age I started learning music theory? 9 years old. Is it too late? No one told me at that time that the school stipulated that music theory should be taken concurrently from level 3 onwards. Then after I went there, I found that no one could learn from me. I know most of the knowledge. So my suggestion is: in the early stage, focus on cultivating musical sense rather than learning music theory. Musical sense is developed by listening to music more and practicing more. Musical sense is a very important foundation. As for music theory, children should practice it for two or three more times. There is basically no shortage of years. Why is the sense of music more important? For example: music theory is like the multiplication formula in mathematics. Once you learn it, it will always be the same. Think about how you feel about the multiplication formula now, which is how I feel about those music theory rules now; and music theory is like the multiplication formula in mathematics. Sensation can give people creativity and appreciation, and it has a great positive effect on people's inner world. They can discover a completely different world through music.

The above are all suggestions. Now I want to ask LZ to think carefully about the purpose of letting children learn music. Let your children not lose at the starting line? There is this aspect. Virtually every decision a parent makes about a young child can affect his or her life. My dad may have thought the same thing as you, but he never imagined that music could have such a big impact on me. Whether a child has talent or not is also a factor. Of course, it cannot be said that he cannot learn without talent. The more he learns, the wider his horizons will be.

Finally, let’s talk about electronic keyboards and pianos. The choice between these two things will also lead children to different musical journeys. There is no distinction between these two things. Going back to what I said at the beginning, why did people at that time think that the piano was higher than the electronic keyboard? It's because at that time, people judged the performance based on the performance. Do you think there was an electronic keyboard at any symphony party? That's what people thought at that time. After studying for a few years, I found that those who can play the electronic keyboard can play the piano, but those who can play the piano cannot play the electronic keyboard. This is the functional advantage of the electronic keyboard. Why does the electronic keyboard have so many functions? This explains why it has so many functions. It does not appear as a supplement to the piano, but as an independent instrument. Some people will give an example and say that there are many famous people who play the piano and are very eloquent. Yes, it is true that the piano looks bright and cool. But do you know the NIGHTWISH in Northern Europe? Their leader Tomas plays the electronic keyboard, and he has mastered other instruments as well. His unparalleled sense of music and talent have created the myth of the combination of symphony and heavy metal. He wrote the soundtracks for many American blockbusters. Therefore, the role of the electronic keyboard is to develop people's creativity. Many years ago, the electronic keyboard was able to create a symphony effect with one keyboard. I don’t know how it is now. I have been playing with synthesizers. Someone downstairs said that someone who plays the electronic keyboard very well is not so good at playing the piano. I agree with this. In fact, I played the piano exclusively for 5 years when I was a child. I know the difference very well, but the piano road is narrow and it is not easy to play the piano. It's such an achievement, and the electronic keyboard has a broad path, so I can't say it will be an achievement. Starting a band is just casual. Then he said that the piano intersects with the electronic keyboard and the feet are moving. I can only say that I bought a watch last year. If you want to move your hands and feet, why don't you learn the drums. Let’s talk about low-tech things like this.

In short, my opinion is generally biased towards electronic keyboards, because I play in a band. The above is for reference only. It's up to LZ to decide.