Dogs and Birds

General information

Dogs and Birds is a method of teaching music and singing to very young children (ages 3 to 7) though the piano. It allows them to start their musical education before they can read notated music or understand the alphabet.

Learning to play the keyboard or piano from an early age has a tremendously positive effect on a child's development, in particular reading and maths. It also boosts memory and relaxation and teaches concentration, co-ordination, patience and perseverance. It is therefore an excellent preparation or support for schoolwork.

The method uses animal symbols to represent the musical notes, for example Cat is C and Dog is D. The animal names are monosyllabic and children are encouraged to sing the names as they play the tunes on the piano or keyboard. This helps children develop musicality and their inner ear. Two tutor books and a repertoire book (Nursery Rhymes and Famous Melodies) are available. Each book comes in two editions. The animal notes editions (recommended for ages 3 to 6) have the animal symbols printed in the notes. These aid the children in remembering the musical notation. The blank notes editions (recommended for ages 6 and 7) are the same but without the animal symbols. In many cases the two editions are best used in parallel – both being placed on the piano with the blank notes edition being used as a “safety net”.

A book of notes and lesson plans for parents and teachers is available which aids working through book 1 and includes a CD. It also provides many additional musical games and exercises for increased variety.

Parental help is recommended for the very young, however the parents do not need to have a musical background, since the books explain all musical notation necessary to play these pieces.

A set of small animal tiles and coloured staves, a set of wooden animals, and animal stickers are also available for use with this method.

The Dogs and Birds method is a holistic approach to learning the piano/keyboard. By stimulating the child’s imagination through illustrations and stories, it makes the learning process exciting and more interesting. As well as playing the musical pieces, the method includes ear-training, sight-singing, sight-reading, technical exercises, development of a strong pulse and rhythm, singing, and improvisation. It provides a joyful and fun journey of discovery for children as they learn the piano.

The books are beautifully illustrated in full colour throughout. Working through this material can provide a good parent child bonding opportunity.

This approach is new, but it is already being used by many hundreds of piano teachers worldwide.

We trust that this page can provided a mechanism for the promotion of discussion on the principles and benefits of the provision of music education to very young children. It will also act as a vehicle for the support of teachers and parents already using the Dogs and Birds approach, and for those wishing to start.