I teach piano, and my kids do piano as well. I'd just like to ask some seemingly random questions, will explain why later! I have a theory that I'd like to prove...

1) Is your child good at any sport?
2) If so, which sports?
3) Do they seem a co-ordinated child or an un-co-ordinated child?
4) On the piano, did they find it easy or hard to put hands together - particularly when playing something like a scale where the hands are going in the same direction?
5) Do they find the piano 'easy' or do they have to work hard to sort the notes out.

1) Not really. Certainly not interested
2) N/A
3) Great at fine motor control, average at gross motor control
4) Easy - but had learned other instruments before piano
5) Easy - as above

1 and 2. showing some promise at golf but tis all
3. co-ordinated
4. Not got there yet
5. easy so far

Thank you - much appreciated! Any more answers?

In the questions about the piano, it's very specifically how easy they find it to co-ordinate the hands, not reading music etc. Meant to include that before. Thanks!

And also is specifically hands together! Co-ordination question is more about gross motor control - whether your child is one who can effortlessly turn a cartwheel/bowl a ball/hit a tennis ball or one who is all arms and legs all over the place when they run - you know what I mean!!!

Okaaaay...
I've had three piano starters, two of whom have given up:
DS1 (has stopped)
(1)and (2) Good at sailing and gokarting
(3)Two left feet
(4)Very frustrating
(5)Sightread from music to keys effortlessly but never knew what the note was called.

DS2 (has stopped)
(1) and (2) Rubbish at most sports, OK at gymnastics
(3) Very badly coordinated, walks into walls
(no, I don't see how he manages balancing on a high beam at all)
(4)Very difficult. Often played one or both hands in the wrong direction
(5) Difficult

DD1 (started 6 mths ago)
(1) Idle child
(2) but OK swimmer
(3) No
(4) Easy
(5) Easy unless tired

none of my children play (although DS3 showing massive interest - but too young yet)

However I can answer for myself - I play the piano (and organ - so 2 hands and feet need co-ordinating)

1) Is your child good at any sport? - No totally hopeless - especially if it involves hitting a ball with something in my hand

2) If so, which sports? N/A

3) Do they seem a co-ordinated child or an un-co-ordinated child? - wasn't particularly co-ordinated as a child (not much better now)

4) On the piano, did they find it easy or hard to put hands together - particularly when playing something like a scale where the hands are going in the same direction? Yes I found it easy

5) Do they find the piano 'easy' or do they have to work hard to sort the notes out. - Found it fairly straight forward

- just noticed that you started the thread tortoise - so already know about co-ordinating hands and feet on the organ

Aha Faq, you may prove my theory with that!

lol!

am intrigued as to your theory.......

I need a few more answers first!

DS, nearly 7 has very little interest in any sport, playing or watching. Catching and kicking etc not particularly skilful, and I would say generallly un-coordinated. He has really only just started hands together, and certainly no scales yet, but does seem to have picked it up remarkably quickly. Generally, I would say he is finding it easy at present, although I'm not sure how much he is actually reading the music or playing by ear IYSWM. What's your theory Tortoise?

trying to think back to school - we didn't do many sports there - fencing was the big one...

Most of those that were fantastic at the fencing (and thinking back those that did other sports) played the piano, but as their 2nd instrument - best fencers were

a cellist
a trombonist
a percussionist

1) DS1 -no. DS2 is a good sports all rounder, very nimble and agile.

2) DS1 is a good swimmer but not so good at ball games. DS2 good at cricket and football.

3)DS1 a liitle absent minded, bungling mad professor type. DS2 very coordinated.

4) Both found it easy (to my surprise I still struggle)

5) Both find it easy, very musical DS1 Grade 2 Jazz DS2 to tajke exam soon. they are doing duets at the moment and will take Grade 1 duet exam. Amazingly talented don't know where they get it from. Excellent teacher too.

Just re read FAq - mine do fencing club and are both very good. DS2 one fencing club trophy last term.

DS1 also plays cello very well. I am of him

DS2, 7 in August:

1) No.
2)N/A
3)Quite uncoordinated. Has good balance but poor handwriting.
4)I suspect we're too early in his piano playing career to tell, but he doesn't find it particularly easy to put 2 hands together. Having said that, he's much better than I though he would be and plays very feelingly.
5)He plays by ear, and is taking a long time to learn to read the music because he doesn't need to yet. So he learns everything off by heart by watching me or his teacher play it once or twice. He knows what the notes are on the piano, but is not reading music fluently. He was a very early and fluent reader generally, so I know he could read the music if he could be bothered, but he is very much a 'path of least resistance' child.

1 & 2 - No hates all sport
3) Uncordinated - dyspraxic
4) Finds it difficult but is working at it
5)Although actually finds sorting the notes out easier than reading.

Ok, my theory is;

people's brains naturally make their hands do the mirror image of each other - so on the piano it is much easier to do contrary motion, with thumbs together, 1st finger together, 2nd finger together etc. To get hands together, you actually need to break that connection, so that actually the less co-ordination you have, the easier you find the piano.

In sports such as tennis/cricket your whole body is involved in ONE fluid motion, so you need co-ordination. My theory is that the people who find piano (and to a MUCH greater extent the organ) easy to put things together are the least co-ordinated people. And although people say 'you need so much co-ordination to play the piano/organ' the actual truth is that the less you have the better!

What do you think? It's certainly true of my pupils. And it's definitely true that most organists are unco-ordinated away from the instrument!!! Definitely true of me. I absolutely couldn't do anything like hockey or the like, swimming I was ok at, but totally rubbish at throwing ropes when we were doing lifesaving etc.

And of my pupils, the ones who find it hardest to put hands together are the sporty ones.

(This isn't a theory on how musical the child is btw - it's more to do with the mechanics of playing specifically the piano).

1) Is your child good at any sport? very average - swims well, zero interest / skill if a ball is involved
2) If so, which sports?
3) Do they seem a co-ordinated child or an un-co-ordinated child? very average
4) On the piano, did they find it easy or hard to put hands together - particularly when playing something like a scale where the hands are going in the same direction? finds this easy
5) Do they find the piano 'easy' or do they have to work hard to sort the notes - very musical ear so plays well from memory, can self correct both hands, as a result learning to read music is a bit of a drag

whats the theory?

see above for the theory!

1) Is your child good at any sport? - average I think.
2) If so, which sports?
3) Do they seem a co-ordinated child or an un-co-ordinated child? - Co-ordinated.
4) On the piano, did they find it easy or hard to put hands together - particularly when playing something like a scale where the hands are going in the same direction? - finds it easy
5) Do they find the piano 'easy' or do they have to work hard to sort the notes out. - finds it easy.

On the other hand, I wasgreat at sports and having lots of trouble learning piano and making left and right hands do different things.

Haven't read your theory yet, so just answering the questions about DS1

Good at any sport. No
Which n/a
Un-co-ordinated child
Found it easy to put hands together
I think finds it easy but says he doesn't want to go any more. BUT is very good at maths and has had no trouble working out what the notes are when it comes to reading the music

1) Is your child good at any sport? - yes
2) If so, which sports? in all teams at school - mainly ball sports though
3) Do they seem a co-ordinated child or an un-co-ordinated child? - co-ordinated
4) On the piano, did they find it easy or hard to put hands together - particularly when playing something like a scale where the hands are going in the same direction? - not sure about htis -
5) Do they find the piano 'easy' or do they have to work hard to sort the notes out. - they know the notes - don't have to wqork put where they are

They seem to be good sat coordinateing hands. start playing two habnds together on most peices as soon as they can

My son doesn't play piano, but I will answer using my brother (when he was young) as he was an international competition award winning pianist.

1) Is your child good at any sport? - no
2) If so, which sports?
3) Do they seem a co-ordinated child or an un-co-ordinated child? - not particularly coordinated, but very good at detail oriented tasks (i.e., fine motor skills)
4) On the piano, did they find it easy or hard to put hands together - particularly when playing something like a scale where the hands are going in the same direction? - very easy
5) Do they find the piano 'easy' or do they have to work hard to sort the notes out. - easy peasy. Never seemed to have to work very hard,

1. NO, unless you count dance.
2. See above
3. Quite co-ordinated in terms of dance and rhythm and able to beat time (simple 3/4 4/4 time. However when we watched her at a sports camp obstace thingy she was hopeless.
4. She's only 6 so is still at hands separate stage (use PIano Time Pauline Hall)
5. Semes to find it failry easy,m I have to stop her rushing to o far ahead in the book too soon. Reads music well.

Thanks for all your responses! Keep them coming!

I've phrased the last couple of questions quite badly - it's really when they start learning that I'm most interested in - when they start doing their first pieces hands together - rather than later on and should hopefully have got over the 'working the notes out' stage.

1) Is your child good at any sport? I think just above average but nothing special.

2) If so, which sports? quite good at gymnastic and swimming.

3) Do they seem a co-ordinated child or an un-co-ordinated child? a very co-ordinated child, she is 6 and can draw beautifully.

4) On the piano, did they find it easy or hard to put hands together - particularly when playing something like a scale where the hands are going in the same direction?

dd find sacles easy, she can learn a new scale after playing it a few times with both hands together.

5) Do they find the piano 'easy' or do they have to work hard to sort the notes out.

I think dd do find the piano easy, she has achieved good results without putting in much effort. If I’m lucky she will practice 30 minutes a day without messing around.

DD is eight, plays piano. DS plays cello and harp - finds the latter v. easy. Dd can put hands together but is sometimes frustrated by slowness of hands compared with clear idea of what should happen in her mind. Both my children SUCK at sports. All sports. But dd likes netball.

Dc are

Good at all sports

Netball, swimming, tennis, rounders, running, cycling.

co-ordinated.

easy - with practice

Can read music quite well.

(some of my nephews and nieces are dyslexic/dyspraxic they struggle/give up with all of the above).

DS

1) Is your child good at any sport? Not particularly, fairly heavy on his feet
2) If so, which sports? Swimming, natural breaststroker
3) Do they seem a co-ordinated child or an un-co-ordinated child? Has had some coordination problems but gross motor small motor fine
4) On the piano, did they find it easy or hard to put hands together - particularly when playing something like a scale where the hands are going in the same direction?

no problems
5) Do they find the piano 'easy' or do they have to work hard to sort the notes out.

Only problem with the piano was reading the music. He is dyslexic and although could name the notes had problems following music fast enough to play it smoothly so always learnt by memory/ear.

Have a theory that learning the piano and swimming from a young age are good for dyslexia.

DD
1) Is your child good at any sport? not particularly
2) If so, which sports? ok at swimming and got to silver in gymnastics before giving up
3) Do they seem a co-ordinated child or an un-co-ordinated child? Left handed and sometimes a bit clumsy, has really bad handwriting
4) On the piano, did they find it easy or hard to put hands together - particularly when playing something like a scale where the hands are going in the same direction?

no problems

V interesting theory- 1 piece of anecdotal evidence.
My mother is completely unco-ordinated- sometimes wonder how she manages to walk
Was very clumsy as a child, terrible at all sports.
She was grade 8 piano and organ by age 16, and became a music teacher
She still plays organ, which she much prefers to piano or other instruments.

I like your theory!

Answers in case you are still tabulating (answering for both ds (9, done Gr1 heading for Gr2) and dd (just 8, no grades yet)):

1) Is your child good at any sport?

DS: nope DD: not bad, can run fast, does good ballet (counts?)

2) If so, which sports?

- see above -

3) Do they seem a co-ordinated child or an un-co-ordinated child?

DS: un-co, very (like a wheelie bag with a wheel missing) DD: very neatly co

4) On the piano, did they find it easy or hard to put hands together - particularly when playing something like a scale where the hands are going in the same direction?

DS: no big difficulty DD: has to concentrate very hard (but she's not really into two-handed playing much yet)

5) Do they find the piano 'easy' or do they have to work hard to sort the notes out.

DS: when he can be bothered he doesn't have to think, it just happens DD: concentrates hard

But to throw a spanner in the works, DH is an organist, and v sporty with stuff like squash and fencing. And DS1 (9) is the same (although football and piano/cello in his case.)
I, on the other hand, would fit your theory.

I like your theory.
I am not well co-ordinated or sporty and nor is ds2. We are both pianists.

I love this theory too - answering for me (grade 8 piano):

1) Is your child good at any sport? Not great at most sports

2) If so, which sports? Did do well at swimming

3) Do they seem a co-ordinated child or an un-co-ordinated child? Not too bad, but not the most co-ordinated either

4) On the piano, did they find it easy or hard to put hands together - particularly when playing something like a scale where the hands are going in the same direction? Initially found it very hard, but once I got the idea there was no looking back

5) Do they find the piano 'easy' or do they have to work hard to sort the notes out. Generally I found it quite easy to play.

Very, very interesting!
I'm a violin teacher & have a similar theory!
There seems to be a 'big picture' type of co-ordination & an'intricacies' type. Could I add the question that if a child is good at piano & bad at sport, what are they like at tasks such as needlework?
Also DD has done Tumble tots etc. & we have found when she has done lots of gym she is generally more co-ordinated & less likely to fall over. When she hasn't been for a few months she seems all arms & legs & has accidents!
However, she would always be hopeless at football & the like
She's only been having piano lessons since September but seems to be doing well. Done swapping between hands which she has mastered pretty easily but not contrary motion yet although can play hot cross buns both hands together!

Oops,
forgot to say
DD is 6 (young year2)