Posture and freedom of movement (and keyboard geography)
Posture and freedom of movement:
- Play with physical freedom and ease, without unnecessary tension:
- across a comfortable range of the instrument
- developing a comfortable and balanced position with appropriate forearm, wrist and hand positions
Keyboard geography:
- Understand the layout of the keyboard identify the letter names of the keys
- Observe the repeating pattern of the keyboard and relate that to aural considerations
- Begin to develop awareness of the visual and aural differences between whole and half tones
Posture and freedom of movement:
Explain to learners the importance of correct set-up procedures. Ensure that keyboards are set up appropriately and that learners strictly observe health and safety rules.
Ensure that the layout of the teaching space is suitable and safe before learners arrive. It helps group communication if instruments are arranged facing each other rather than the wall.
Emphasise the importance of instruments being at a suitable height and distance when sitting/standing.
Particular care needs to be taken if keyboards are placed on desks or tables since learners should not sit too low or stand too high. Using suitable keyboard stands can aid the development of a good posture.
Be aware of learners’ individual physical characteristics and make adaptations as appropriate.
Demonstrate sitting and standing in a variety of positions, asking learners to note how posture affects the position of the forearm and wrist. Explain that the forearm should be parallel with the floor.
Creating effective exercises and drills to enable learners to adopt appropriate posture is invaluable in large-group and whole-class teaching.
It promotes independence, giving learners the necessary skills to recreate the desired posture in their individual practice.
Ask learners to place their hands palm-up in their laps, fully relaxed (fingers will curve naturally). Then turn hands over and place them on the keys, ensuring fingers are curved appropriately.
Reinforce the importance of always taking a moment to ensure that posture is correct before starting to play, whether in the lesson or in individual practice.
Encourage self-evaluation by use of a mirror. Video-recording could also be used for this purpose, but it is vital to check the policy of the school or other organisation you are working in with regards to any form of recording. Children must never be videoed without parental consent and all policies regarding use and storage of recordings must be adhered to.
If learners have photographic permission, encourage them to take photos of themselves and annotate them to identify elements of good posture. This can be done with a photo editing app or presentation programs such as PowerPoint or Google Slides.
Keyboard geography:
Invite learners to explore the keyboard, asking them to play all the groups of two and/or three black notes, helping them to recognise the pattern.
Encourage learners to explore the full range of the instrument, moving so that they can comfortably reach the extremes of range.
Play a variety of intervals, asking learners to identify octaves aurally when they are played.
Play a game where learners locate notes in different octaves, naming and playing them as quickly as possible.
Ask learners to ‘say and play’ the musical alphabet on the keyboard, both ascending and descending.
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