Helen Hiner Method of Music Teaching Songwriting Methods

Children are different. And there is an exuberance of ways of teaching music. Therefore, it would be wrong to assess the educational system on the qualitative scale: “good”, “better”, “the best”. It would be correct to say that some techniques are more appropriate for some children and others are better for other kids (e.g. children with excessive excitability etc).The universal system that is ideal for all children has not been invented yet. In terms of home education, mothers and fathers can also take into account individual characteristics of their child and thus stick to particular principles.

Here we are going to introduce to you a system elaborated by Helen Hiner Method. Maybe some of you will find it quite interesting and helpful in music teaching. Read this article and take everything useful to help your children be talented musicians!

The description of the Helen Hiner method of music teaching

Helen Hiner (Elena Nikolaeva) graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, specializing in piano and later moved to the United States, where for nearly 30 years she has been working in the music school and giving private lessons. She worked with the help of the book by Kuznetsov “To become a musician? Easy!”, which shares his experience of musical education. An experience in which, of course, there are some original moments. In particular, those who might be interested in fathers and mothers. They stop and …moments that might be interesting to most parents whose children are beginning musicians.

Now, let’s stop on some pivotal points that were extremely important for Helen in her educational process and teaching time.

Be a Good Listener

To bring up a good listener of music is more important than to nurture a musician. Much depends on what goals the teacher sets. Hiner says that it is not necessary to set special professional hard tasks for the apprentice. In addition, it’s superfluous to try to raise a child to the highest professional level.

Practice is what matters!

Helen Hiner teaches her students how to concentrate by teaching them to play with two hands because in such a way, two parts of the brain take part in the activity. Helen considers music literacy to be too boring for children and that is why impoverishes the society.

Musical Development

The best way of musical development is learning how to play the piano and not just listening to music and singing a lot but learning to play the piano. Moreover, the piano (not a violin, not a block flute, not Orff Schulwerk instruments), according to Helen, is the best. In other words, the best music lessons are lessons devoted to teaching how to play the piano. Everything else (playing in the orchestra, singing in the choir) is unproductive and therefore not necessary.

The conclusion is that the piano should be taught to all children. And Helen prefers to teach to play the electronic piano. With the help of the electronic piano, you can try playing different voices that are interesting to the student. As well as, you can record and listen several times how the child performed. It is also important to help them advance in their mastery and point out some crucial mistakes.

From simple to complex

Learn, strictly following the rule: from simple to complex. This didactic principle, according to Hiner, should be the basis of learning to play the instrument. The main thing for a teacher is to find the gradual path (not jumping over the stairs), in which the child will be able to slowly but surely advance. In this, according to the American teacher, the real child’s art lies. Everything that is too complicated will inevitably cause the negative attitude of the kid towards their endeavor.