It is a real treat to discover a new and imaginative approach to teaching the piano which really works and is completely accessible and user-friendly.
Faye Caley, Music Teacher magazine
Dogs and Birds - Book 1 (Animal Notes Edition):
- is recommended for ages 3 to 6
- has animal symbols printed in every note-head
- includes pieces, rhythm exercises and musical games
- has a storyline with beautiful coloured illustrations to stimulate the child
- uses blue and red to distinguish between left and right
Download pdf of sample pages: Book 1 (Animal Notes Edition)
As they work through the material children:
- start playing music using both hands from day 1
- learn the position of notes on the keyboard and staves using animals
- sing the animal names as the play thus developing musicality and their inner ear
- learn to count, understand rhythm, and feel the pulse
- love the animals and stories, and learn in an enjoyable and fun way
- can practice unaided using this simple approach
There is a blank notes edition of Book 1 which:
- helps the child to progress to using conventional music
- is best used together with the animal notes edition
- contains the same material but without animal symbols and colours
- can be purchased with the animal notes edition at a discount
The material in Book 1 is supplemented by other products:
- Notes to Book 1 for Parents and Teachers, Including CD - info
- Small Animal Tiles and Coloured Staves - info
All the material relevant to Book 1 can be purchased together at a substantial discount as the Complete Music Set for Beginners. This contains:
- Dogs and Birds - Book 1 (Animal Notes Edition)
- Dogs and Birds - Book 1 (Blank Notes Edition)
- Notes to Book 1 for Parents and Teachers, Including CD
- Small Animal Tiles
- Coloured Staves
- Music Manuscript Book (4 Staves per Page)
Link to Complete Music Set for Beginners
- Paperback:
- 50 pages
- Composer:
- Elza and Chris Lusher
- Publisher:
- Dogs and Birds
- ISBN-10:
- 1-4706-1187-2
- ISBN-13:
- 978-1-4706-1187-3
- Product Dimensions:
- 30.5 x 22.9 x 0.6 cm
16 Reviews
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Excellent resource
I first saw a couple of photocopied pages a number of years ago and I was intrigued. When I had a young student starting I felt it was worthwhile purchasing my own copy and it has been a hit. He enjoys it as a story book, even without the music! Recently I purchased book 2 to continue withs.
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Perfect starter book for piano
This really is a great, fun method for young starter piano pupils. My pupils enjoy the books and progress quickly through them. Great customer service- thank you.
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Perfect starter book for young learners
This is a beautifully presented book that is very engaging for younger children. Naming each key as an animal is an easy way to teach and the book has a natural progression. Very pleased with how this is working with a very young pupil I teach- thank you.
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Great first piano book for children!
This is an ideal first piano book for younger children. It is amazing to see a five year old instantly being able to read music! The way the material is presented in a fun and colourful way ensures it captures a youngster's interest, whilst teaching the musical basics. Highly recommended!
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sing and play
My youngest pupils and I are very much enjoying using Dogs and Birds. It is the perfect transition from my initial Kodaly/ Dalcroze/improv based lessons for 4-5 year olds. The children who have used it so far have instantly been able to sing and read the little tunes. The most able boy "wrote" "Rain rain go away" with the tiles on the big board. They love talking about the pictures on every page when they need a little break from concentrating on "music" and the supplementary ideas are great to jog my memory as to how best to encourage their wider musicianship skills.
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Great method for little children
I love this method and my students do as well. The only downside is the printing notes, as sometimes stems are too close to the barline and is difficult to distinguish them.
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Children love the animal characters
I have used the animal notes edition several times. Children can play simple tunes right from the first lesson and enjoy its colourful layout and the animal characters. It is an excellent resource for using with young beginners.
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Wonderful resource for teaching young children piano
this book has been a wonderful resource for me - I am a piano teacher who mainly works with young children and this book has been particularly helpful with my just turned 4 year old, who was struggling with my other materials due to her shorter attention span. The animal characters and stories incorporated in the book really helps to keep her attention and she loves her lessons, and in addition is making good progress too. Thank you very much!
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Very appealing to young children
My four year old pupil is making good progress with this method and loves the pictures and stories. The red and blue staves are a good idea for children who struggle with left and right.
