Can someone compare middle C, multi key and landmark approaches?

[bonjing]

and what are the pros and cons of each? i already came up some ideas but i need to know more about them. thanks

[faulty_damper]

Do you mean generally feeling the location of the keys without looking at the keys?

Please clarify what you mean by approaches... do you mean pedagogical approaches to teaching keyboard?

[bonjing]

oops i mean teaching approaches to keyboard

sorry for that 

[faulty_damper]

Middle C is the approach easiest intellectually to teach for both the teacher and student but the worst key to start teaching and learning in when considering alternative approaches.  It's extremely limited and has great downfalls later on when a key signature is introduced - students may not want to make that bit of effort to learn another key outside of the "all white" one.

Starting with multiple keys gets to the difficult part of learning about keys, both intellectually and technically, which exposes the student to think outside of C major.  But considering there are 24 different diatonic keys, it can be challenging for both teacher and student.  But learning about whole and half tones can make it easy for the student to play all of the scales.  Addressing this difficulty first off makes many things easier including accidentals (flats, naturals, sharps, double sharps/flats).

And by landmark approach - do you mean levels in according to age or ability?

[bonjing]

both

[faulty_damper]

Considering age, there are numerous issues regarding mental ability and physical ability.  Too often, teachers attempt to teach very young children using inappropriate teaching strategies because they do not understand that children learn and understand differently than children a year or two older - they may not have to mental capacity or the physical ability to do what is expected because these systems have yet to develop.

When it comes to adolescents, where their minds and bodies are fully capable of functioning without restrictions (even if they are still maturing) they need a different kind of instruction that appeals to their mental capabilities and interests.  Some students are perfectly happy with how the teacher teaches and be taken for a ride; others have more specific desires such as musicianship (making the most out of what they play) or technique (learning overtly difficult pieces) or theory and composition, and want to direct their own experiences.  This period is when having a very good teacher is perhaps most paramount because individual interests may not be what the teacher is capable of.  That childhood teacher whom the child was satisfied with may not be good for the student now.  This period may also be a result of the childhood teacher not covering the many facets of piano and music so the student wants to seek that which is inherent but not explored.

The adult learner is most difficult for many reasons.  Time, money, specific desires, doubt, etc. are all agaisnt the adult.  Children don't have these issues.  Adults also have pride and ego: they don't want to play "children's pieces" as they may think it is not worthy.  Usually adults have something specific they want to play and that specific piece should be what drives the education in the beginning.  What adults do not want to hear, and this applies to probably everyone, is that they can't do it - they do not want to be denied their desires when the possibility of achieving it seems possible for them.  To be told "you can't achieve this" can be crushing. (This should really be a reflection of the ability of the teacher and not the student.)

But assuming the adult is ready to take on the learning task, the biggest issue technically is their inability to engage proper coordination.  Just trying to have them sit in a position that allows freedom of movement can be daunting because they have been slouching at their seats since they were 8 years old (but considering how Western seats have been designed, can teachers blame them?)  Their preconcieved notions of how to play the piano is one of the reasons adults never learn how to play effectively on their own.  The teacher must address both the technical issues of the adult student and the musical ones because the adult already has preconcieved ideas of what music is and their tastes most likely need refining.

[bonjing]

thank you so much... by the way what landmark approaches mean?

[amanfang]

Landmark approach means you teach reading based on certain notes that serve as "Landmarks."  For example, the first landmarks may be middle C, treble G, and bass F.  Then you learn other notes from those landmarks (usually by interval).  The student may "discover" that a step up on the staff from G is an A.  But at first, you can teach them to know the landmarks and then read intervals so that they can initially play without being able to name all the notes they are playing. 

[bonjing]

so is that mean when a teacher only teaches landmark approach the student wouldn't know how to name all notes?

[amanfang]

No, this is just an initial introduction to notes.  The landmarks are learned (middle C, bass F, and treble G), and then the student learns notes from the landmarks.  So they would learn Middle C, and then learn that a step up from C is D.  Then they learn that a skip up from C is E.  But if (for example) presented with a G and then a step up from G, they could play it while thinking "Oh, that's a step up from G" without really thinking "Oh, that's an A."  So really, the method begins by teaching the landmark notes, but also then teaches all the other notes, based on those landmarks.