by Dr. Julie Knerr
Katherine Fisher has created the video below explaining the seven Animal Technique Videos found in:
Piano Safari Repertoire Book 1
Piano Safari Technical Exercises and Rote Pieces Book (excerpts from Repertoire Books 1 and 2)
The seven Animal Techniques were derived from my dissertation research on beginning piano technique. I interviewed eleven teachers known for their success with pre-college students. After finding the commonalities among how they teach, I formulated these exercises, and we gave them animal names to make them more appealing to students. You can read my dissertation here.
The seven exercises are:
Lion Paw. Arm Weight
Zechariah Zebra. Repeated Notes with Firm Fingertips
Tall Giraffe. Non Legato Articulation
Tree Frog. Legato Articulation with a Arm Bounce
Kangaroo. Repeated Notes with Firm Fingertips
Soaring Bird. Legato Articulation with one Arm Motion for the Three-Note Slur
Monkey Swinging in …