February 19, 2016 by Sara Campbell 0 comments

Get this App Before it's GONE!

Hey there music teaching friends! Just a quick post before I head off to record more of the Group Lessons 101 Webinar with Tracy and Candace this morning…

Do you have young piano students? If you are looking for an app to develop finger independence and note recognition, now is the time to download Piano Learning Games by Dr. Dmitry Alexeev. Here’s a little bit about this app from the creator:

“The PIANO LEARNING GAMES App is a fun- packed musical app that will enthrall kids of 4+ and help them experience the joy of playing their first tunes. (…) It is a colorful, lively and interactive way for kids to learn with a grownup using the sounds of a Steinway Grand Piano.

The PIANO LEARNING GAMES main character is LITTLE QUIVER who lives inside the App and knows just how to teach young children about the keyboard, pitch, finger numbering and the names of the keys.

Watch him scurry across the keyboard with delight every time they get it right! “Can you press the correct key?” LITTLE QUIVER asks. “You won!” he says. With the help of LITTLE QUIVER and PIANO LEARNING GAMES kids will soon be using their little fingers one by one to play their first simple tune.

Look at these cute screen shots…

I’ve found this app to be WONDERFUL for helping tiny fingers and hands practice the correct hand shape. With the correct instruction, little fingers won’t collapse at the 1st joint while “running” on the screen. Of course, an iPad screen isn’t going to “push back” like piano keys, but it does help students feel what it would be like to have firm fingertips.

It’s also ideal for young learners because it’s incredibly easy to use and each level goes very quickly. Sometimes even kid oriented apps require too much of an attention span or too many simultaneous skills for young learners to be successful. This app has the perfect balance of focus and fast paced fun.

As they say in Goldilocks and the Three Bears… “This one is juuuuust right.”

Heads up though… this app might not be around that much longer… Apps are incredibly expensive to maintain, and unless it gains more attention (as it SHOULD!), it won’t be available in the future. Note: If you’ve already downloaded the app, you’ll be able to keep it as long as you don’t upgrade your device.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that LOTS of teachers will get out there, download the app, and we’ll get word from Dmitry that the app will stick around!

Check it out here on the iTunes store: Piano Learning Games