Snowman's Dream Method of learning piano?

[morning_glory]

I'm adult beginner. Recently I am looking for piano school and come across this school with new teaching method called "Snowman's Dream".

I've read information on website but I'm still not quite sure that this method will work for me as an adult beginner.

Anyone here heard of this piano learning method (Snowman's Dream)?....
Is it more effective than the traditional ones?  ... comment please...

[lanlan]

yes,better than traditional method which teaches us reading note by note, c,d,e,f,g,a,b,c.
Im learning it. If you are not stubborn, if you are willing to relearn, if you are willing to accept new thinking, why not try it ?  The school is at Tubingen, Germany.

[morning_glory]

Hi lanlan, thanks for your comment.

Just last month that I registered for Snowman's Dream piano course. I think this method really works for me. 

This vdo was taken after I had 4 lessons.

[pianistimo]

whatever works!  there are a lot of methods.  you have very nice piano fingers, btw!  and, a good solid sound from the piano.  and, you keep your hands at a good level (not to high or low) and seem to be sitting just right.

imo, now you can try playing the song that you learned in three different dynamics throughout.  try playing this tempo at the dynamic you already have.  the next one slightly faster - and softer (mp), and then the last one softer yet (p) and slightly faster still.  this will get you used to playing dynamics with your fingers as well as with the pedal later. 

good job!  (never heard of the snowman's dream method!  what do snowmen dream about anyways?  i guess it's a metaphoric phrase for not trying terribly hard and obtaining good results.  totally agreed about the relaxing part of playing the piano).

[pianoteacherkim]

Hi there!

Nice video!  You have a nice touch, you're playing confidently and with good rhythm.

I'm a classically trained musician who now teaches an alternative method (Simply Music).  I've never heard of Snowman's Dream but am always interested in finding out what people have discovered about learning and methods that give people access to music and self-expression.

Congratulations on your success so far. 

Best,

Kim

[Bob]

Who publishes Snowman's Dream?

[morning_glory]

Thanks for your advice, Pianistimo. I'm still working on different dynamics as you suggest but my fingers seem to have their own brains and refuse to follow my instructions.

This is just the beginning... I went to fifth lesson today, my teacher taught me to play F and P by telling story.. it was interesting!  hmmm...

I used to take piano course at a traditional music school many years back. After 4 months, I gave up. Because the pieces were getting more and more difficult while I still found it hard to sight read, count rhythm, and remember the chords, scales & signs.

Compare to Snowman's Dream method, just one month (4 lessons) and I feel I've improved lots.  I spend less time and effort trying to read notes or figure out the piece. I'm taught to use imagination to turn notes & chords into pictures.

For examples,
imagine how these notes look like on staff

[C+E+G] - it does look like a Snowman (C = foot, E = belly, G = head)
[C+G] - a snowman without belly
[C and E and G in order] - a falling snowman
[C+F+A] - a snowman with wandering feet
[B+D+G] - a snowman with wandering head

On counting rhythm,
4 sixteenth notes with joining flags look like a set of birthday candle so you count birth-day-can-dle

2 eight notes with joining flags look like a pair of cherry so you count cher-ry

To my understanding, it's called Snowman's dream method because the chord does look like the Snowman.

This method was invented by Dr. Wei Tsin Fu. It is said to apply knowledge about human brain functions to piano lessons, developing the left and right brains, cerebellum, bone marrow and nervous system through playing music.

You can read more about Snowman's dream method on this website:
https://www.musikfoyer.de/aboutus.html

[morning_glory]

I'm a classically trained musician who now teaches an alternative method (Simply Music). 

Hi, teacher Kim. you mentioned about Simply Music method which you are teaching. Mind to share more about how it works? Thanks!

[feu vert]

The snowman Dream Method seems interesting. I've heard a little about it but I'm not sure it will work for more advanced student.I'm currently working towards gr 8 but am terribly weak in sight-reading. Do you know of any advance student starting to learn under this method?

[pianoteacherkim]

Hi morning glory,

You can visit https://www.simplymusic.com and read, listen, and watch all about it!  :-)

In a nutshell:  we call it a playing-based approach (playing before reading music), rather than a reading-based approach (reading music before you can play).  By delaying the music reading process for a short time, and building a musical vocabulary (repertoire), students can gain immediate access to the piano, playing two-handed, and being self-expressive right from the beginning. 

You can draw a parallel to the way we learn to speak as children.  We imitate, babble, say words, form sentences.  Finally, we're communicating!  By age 4-5 kids can speak fluently.  Then they learn to read.  They can already say, "cat" -- so when they learn what it looks like written down, they can make that connection.  You'd never ask a kid to wait and speak until he could read! :-)

So we make use of that ability to learn, those existing skill sets, and get students playing right away -- classical, blues, pop, accompaniment (chord method), jazz, improvisation.  With kids, the parents are fully involved and learn how to coach kids through the learning process (and lots of times end up learning right along with their kids.) 

I used to teach in a more traditional way.  But the success I've seen in my students since switching to Simply Music is nothing short of amazing.  I'm also learning so much -- chord method (which I never learned in classical lessons), improvisation, and jazz and blues.  Fun!  But even better, my students love to play and practice and are very expressive at the piano right from the beginning.  I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't hear students playing myself -- that's what got me interested.

Yes -students DO learn to read music.  Just not at the very beginning, and not all at once. 

Anyway, I've gone on and on.  Can you tell I love this method?  Feel free to contact me through my website if you've got any more questions.

Best,

Kim

[morning_glory]

The snowman Dream Method seems interesting. I've heard a little about it but I'm not sure it will work for more advanced student.I'm currently working towards gr 8 but am terribly weak in sight-reading. Do you know of any advance student starting to learn under this method?

I know there are some advanced students or even piano teachers who take this course but I don't know them personally.

You can find more information on this page:
https://www.musicacademy.com.au/SnowmansDream.html

It mentions about "Magic Dolphin" which is a complementary method of Snowman's Dream. It is designed to improve music reading skills. My teacher taught me using Magic Dolphin book once. Together with Snowman's method, It simply helps me to recognize the notes and chords faster.

As lanlan posted in the first reply, the traditional method teaches us reading note by note, c,d,e,f,g,a,b. But with this method,  I see pictures on music sheet instead of reading notes.

[feu vert]

Hi morning glory.Thanks for your prompt info. You mean your school teaches the "dolphin method" as well as the snowman method? I've read the website you mentioned & it seems that the visual & imaginative approach could benefit poor sight readers like myself. May I ask how much are your fees? And do you use different tutorial books that are specifically written for the method?

[morning_glory]

Hi feu vert, now I'm studying the first Snowman book together with Easy Pop by Danial Hellbach.  My teacher shown me the Magic Dolphin book only once in the first class when she taught me how to sight read. According to website, Magic Dolphin is the next step after Snowman. I'm not sure if other schools teach the same things.. You should go directly to the school near your location to get information because I'm now in asian country so the fees maybe vary. Wish u all the best ya!

[morning_glory]

Hi morning glory,

You can visit https://www.simplymusic.com and read, listen, and watch all about it! 

mm.. interesting method.

[counterpoint]

Now we have another supermethod, how to become a pianist, who can play better than every other pianist in the world, in even shorter time, and you will be able to play Rachmaninow (concerto?) after a few weeks.   

Advertising is such a weird business...   

[prongated]

and you will be able to play Rachmaninow (concerto?) after a few weeks.   

...well depends on what you mean by "able to play"...hmmm