FAQs

Dogs and Birds has been developed for teaching the piano or keyboard to very young children (ages 3 to 7). In general it is advantageous for children to start as early as possible. If they can recognize the difference between two black keys and three black keys on the piano then they are probably ready. If this is the case then starting at 3 years old is perfectly possible provided there is plenty of parental support. Some have even started at 2 and a half. Children are extremely open at this young age – this is when languages are learnt most easily, and the circuits are developing in the brain. Research suggests that learning the piano or keyboard can improve IQ if started before the age of 7. By the age of 4 almost all children should be able to start piano using the Dogs and Birds approach.

We have prepared an introductory video which takes you through all the elements of the Dogs and Birds approach. We recommend you watch this in order to gain an insight into the use of the method. Click on The Dogs and Birds Piano Method in Action to view.

Typically a session with a child might last for 30 minutes. This may seem like a long time for a three, four or five year old to concentrate on one thing, however by breaking up each lesson into a series of smaller parts (the different elements of the Dogs and Birds approach) you will find that this time is necessary – the time will fly by. Suggested lesson plans can be found in Notes and Lesson Plans to Book 1 for Parents and Teachers, which is included in the Beginners' Set Bundle or can be purchased separately.

At this age short but daily practice is much more important than a longer period less frequently. You should find that with 5 minutes every day (both singing and playing the pieces) the child will improve rapidly. You will see that the child’s concentration span will increase noticeably.

A whole range of musical exercises and games are used in addition to playing and singing the musical pieces in book 1. The basic elements of the Dogs and Birds approach are:

• Playing and singing the pieces
• Sight-Singing
• Sight-Reading
• Rhythm Exercises
• Sung Finger Exercises
• Use of Small Animal Tiles and Coloured Stave – The Board Game
• Ear Training – listening games, echo games and copy games
• Improvisation
• Composition

A guide to using these elements can be found at the back of Dogs and Birds Book 1 with more detailed information in Notes and Lesson Plans to Book 1 for Parents and Teachers.

Each of the three tutor books: Book 1, Nursery Rhymes and Famous Melodies, and Book 2 come in two different versions – an animal notes edition and a blank notes edition. There are two important differences between the two editions. The musical pieces and the rhythm exercises (or finger exercises in Book 2) are the same in both editions. However the animal notes edition has animal symbols printed in the noteheads in order to aid note recognition, whereas the blank notes edition does not. Also, in the animal notes edition of the Book 1 and the Nursery Rhyme Book the rhythm exercises are coloured red for the left hand and blue for the left hand whereas they are all blank in the blank notes edition.

The blank notes edition can either be used on its own, or in parallel with the animal notes edition. It depends to some extent on the child. Some children (in particular the older ones) wish to learn from the blank notes edition. It is still vitally important that they sing the animal names of the notes as they play, in order to develop their inner ear. With younger children you can use the two editions in parallel and this should be encouraged. You can place both books on the piano, with the same pages next to each other. Ask the child to play a piece from the animal notes edition and subsequently to try to play the same piece from the blank notes edition. Do not remove the other book – it will act as a safety net. Another approach, which is sometimes useful, is to get the child to work through the animal notes edition and later on work through the blank notes edition.

Since for many students it is most beneficial to use both editions of a given book in parallel we sell the animal and blank notes editions of each of the tutor books together at a discounted price. These are the Book 1 Bundle, Nursery Rhyme and Famous Melodies Bundle and the Book 2 Bundle.

The principles of the Dogs and Birds approach are relatively straightforward and any experienced piano teacher should be able to teach the method, particularly if they are used to teaching very young children.

The Dogs and Birds Teachers' Register contains the details of teachers who have experience of using the Dogs and Birds method and who are happy to take on new pupils who wish to be taught using this approach. Click on Teachers' List in order to display the register.

You could also try looking in music shops, which often have a directory of local piano teachers, or consult web directories, for example:

• European Piano Teachers Association (EPTA UK)
• Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM)
• MusicTeachers.co.uk
• UK Piano Page

It is quite possible for even a 3 or 4 year old to use a full size piano, although for the material in Dogs and Birds Book 1 a three to four octave keyboard is perfectly adequate. An electronic keyboard will always be perfectly in tune and therefore very suitable to sing with. We recommend getting one that is touch sensitive if possible and it should have full size keys – a toy piano is not suitable.

Very young children (those below about five years of age) will probably have relatively weak fingers (anatomically not ready to keep them curved and firm without tension). In this case they should play with the index finger supported by the thumb, which we call the “Owl’s Eyes” finger position. The middle finger supported by the thumb is called the “Owl’s Glasses” finger position. These are described in detail in Notes and Lesson Plans to Book 1 for Parents and Teachers and an example can be seen in The Dogs and Birds Piano Method in Action video at 1:07.

The concentration spans of children at an early age vary markedly, and each child is different. However it is very easy to increase a child’s concentration span with daily practice, even if it is very short, and it should be no problem to start.

With the Dogs and Birds Method children learn to play the piano via a wide range of musical games and exercises. These activities are changed very frequently so that the child is never bored and can keep concentrating for 10 to 15 seconds. However between the activities/elements of the lesson (rhythm exercises, finger exercises, playing and singing the pieces, ear training, composing, copying etc.) the child should have a break. For example, while we are changing to a new activity the child can play with a toy, play on a drum, or even have a hug from a parent. This should only be for 10 or 15 seconds or so before returning back to focus on the next activity. As a teacher our support is vital. If we witness a drop in concentration then we can help physically, by pointing out notes or rhythm, for example, or singing in support. Or even at the end of a piece say, “just two more notes please and then we will finish”. The most important “trick” is to praise the child after concentrating well.

Singing is a vitally important aspect of the Dogs and Birds approach. It helps to develop musicality and to train the child’s inner-ear. Singing teaches phrasing musical sentences and shaping melodies naturally, just as reading aloud improves speech. Singing is the best way to improve the ear and a better ear will produce better music. It is essential that the child always sings the animal names whilst playing. You should encourage this by singing aloud as well. Some children find singing difficult initially. In these cases they should say the animal names as they play. With time and practice they will eventually be able to sing.

There are three main tutor books in the Dogs and Birds series, available in both Animal Notes and Blank Notes Editions. The order in which they should be studied is:

1. Dogs and Birds Book 1
2. Nursery Rhymes and Famous Melodies
3. Dogs and Birds Book 2

Most of the melodies in books 1 and 2 have been especially written to teach a particular point pianistically. In contrast the Nursery Rhyme and Famous Melodies Book contains 23 well-known tunes. It is at a level between Books 1 and 2. It can be started once the children know all of the seven animals and have finished “Old MacDonald” in book 1. It can then be used in parallel with books 1 and 2 to add variety to the lessons. It is important in that it introduces quavers/eighth notes, which are not used in Books 1 and 2, since children tend to rush these. However since children know many of the tunes in the Nursery Rhyme and Famous Melodies Book they will tend to play using the rhythms they know so that the use of quavers/eighth notes is not so troublesome here. The use of Animal and Blank Notes Editions is discussed separately.

Our Simply Sol-fa book enables children to switch seamlessly from singing animals names to singing sol-fa. It can be started around the middle of book 2 if the child is ready.

After finishing the material in Nursery Rhyme Blank and Book 2 Blank the child is ready to prepare for prep tests for any of the major exam boards (for example ABRSM Prep Test or Trinity Initial Exam). There are a number of books that we recommend using in parallel with Dogs and Birds Book 2, one of which is available on this site. These are:

• Dozen a Day Book 1 Primary (blue) by Edna-Mae Burnam ISBN-13 978-0-7119-5431-1
• Just Imagine Book 1 by Martha Mier ISBN-13 978-0-7390-0542-2
• Flip a Rhythm by Sheila M. Nelson . Books 1 and 2 are combined ISMN M-060-09771-3

Dogs and Birds Simply Sol-fa: Over 300 Exercises for Aural Training and Transposing at the Piano allows students to keep singing once they grow out of singing the animal names. When the teacher realizes that the child is ready to start learning scales we recommend Jane Mann’s The Key to Scales and Arpeggios - Piano Grade 5 Complete. Once children have completed the Nursery Rhymes and Famous Melodies Book and Dogs and Birds Book 2 they are ready to start using conventional material. Alfred’s Premier Piano Course follows on seamlessly from Dogs and Birds. Books that follow on are:

• Alfred's Premier Piano Course Lesson 2B ISBN-13 978-0-7390-4139-0
• Alfred's Premier Piano Course Performance 2A ISBN-13 978-0-7390-3703-4
• Alfred's Premier Piano Course Duet 2B ISBN-13 978-1-4706-2644-0

Another very good series at this level is Catherin Rollin's Pathways to Artistry. We especially recommend:

• Catherine Rollin, Pathways to Artistry: Repertoire, Book 1 ISBN-13 978-0-7390-3046-2
• Catherine Rollin, Pathways to Artistry: Technique, Book 1 ISBN-13 978-0-7390-3049-3

Pam Wedgwood's Up-Grade! Piano Grades 0-1 ISBN-13 978-0-571-51737-4 has simple tunes in a variety of different styles and provides excellent material for young children to perform in recitals. Ying Ying Ng’s Music Theory for Young Children series provides a fun and novel approach to teaching the fundamentals of music theory. For children just finishing Dogs and Birds Book 2 we recommend starting with Music Theory for Young Children 4 2nd Ed ISBN-13 978-967-12504-3-3.

We strongly suggest that you play duets with your children at this early age. For this we recommend:

• Carol Matz, Famous and Fun Pop Duets Book 1 ISBN-13 978-0-7390-4581-7
• Carol Matz, Famous and Fun Classics Book 2 ISBN-13 978-0-7390-3426-2
• Carol Matz, Famous and Fun Pop Duets Book 2 ISBN-13 978-0-7390-4582-4

There are also some very nice new duets by Rosa Conrad that you can purchase from her website at http://rosaconrad.com/

Use of the tiles and staves adds a completely new dimension to the Dogs and Birds approach:

• They are an extremely useful aid to the learning of notation when working through Book 1
• They can be used with most of the musical games and exercises that form the Dogs and Birds Method
• The cover pages of the staves can be used with Book 2 to help with the switch to conventional notation

The 56 small tiles, with animal pictures on them, can be placed either on the keyboard in the appropriate position or on the set of coloured staves. The back of the tiles are black so they can be turned over on the staves once the child knows the note. The treble clef and top lines on the staves are coloured red, and the bass clef and bottom lines are coloured blue. This is to help the child distinguish between the left and right hand. Generally you can mark the child’s left and right hands in various ways, for example use a coloured marker to put a red spot on the right hand and a blue on the left, or make use of coloured ribbons or coloured elastic bands.

The two day Dogs and Birds Teachers’ Workshops are held annually in Windsor UK, usually at the end of May or the beginning of June. They cover the basic principles behind the Dogs and Birds method, and lead ultimately to the use of sol-fa:

• Day 1 is concerned mainly with the material in Dogs and Birds Book 1 and the Nursery Rhyme/Famous Melodies Book, and will describe in detail the various musical games and exercises that form part of the Dogs and Birds Method. It is similar to the one day Dogs and Birds Windsor workshops held earlier.
• Day 2 focuses on the material in Book 2. It follows on from Day 1. It also discusses the switch to singing Sol-fa (using the new Simply Sol-fa Book), and the move from Dogs and Birds to conventional music.
• Participants can attend either one day or both days, however participants of Day 2 should have either attended Day 1 or a previous one day Windsor Workshop.
• Both days include video and live demonstrations and also a general discussion session and a question and answer session.
• The workshops are aimed at piano teachers and music teachers, and are limited to 20 participants. They should be of benefit both to those new to the approach and also to those with experience of this teaching method.

The next two day Windsor workshop will be held on 31st May and 1st June 2019. More details can be found on the application form, which can be downloaded here.

We now have three categories of products on our website:

1. Dogs and Birds Material
2. Material following on from Dogs and Birds
3. Material to be used later as your child progresses

To access a particular category move your cursor to the “Product” tab on the navigation bar and click on the appropriate tab. Clicking the “Products” tab will show you only Dogs and Birds material, but with additional navigation tabs to the other categories. Once you are in the appropriate category you can click “Add to Cart” below a particular product, or click on the image of the product for more details before clicking “Add to Cart”. Once your product is added then either click “Proceed to Checkout” or “Checkout with PayPal” to pay, or “Continue Shopping” to add more products. At any stage you can click the shopping cart icon on the far right of the black bar at the top of any webpage to see or adjust the products in your cart and to check shipping costs.

Once you are ready to purchase then you can either pay by Credit/Debit card or by PayPal. You can purchase either as a guest or from your account. If you use your account you can benefit from a faster checkout and also obtain a discount on un-bundled products if you are a teacher. To purchase:

• Go to the shopping cart, if you are not already there, click the shopping cart icon on the far right of the black bar at the top of any webpage.
• Click “Proceed to Checkout”.
• Either checkout as a guest, register an account or entire your account details.
• You will then need to add your billing and shipping details if you are not registered.
• Follow the instructions as appropriate then click the black button saying, for example, “Bill and Ship to this Address”.
• Choose your shipping method and hit continue.
• If required you can edit any of your payment details. Then choose your payment options. If you wish to pay by credit/debit then choose "Pay Securely by Credit or Debit Card".
• Type any order instructions/comments if required.
• Click “Proceed to Payment” and follow the instructions.

Dogs and Birds material is now published in association with Alfred Music UK, who distribute our material worldwide. You should order online, and pay either by credit/debit card or PayPal. Shipping is charged by weight. For details click Delivery Charges.

Purchases will be made in Pounds Sterling, but you can display the product prices in your currency. The prices are linked to the current exchange rate. If prices are not shown in your currency (this may be determined automatically based on the country in which you are ordering) then you can change this. On the black bar at the top of any webpage click “change” to the right of the words “All prices are in - - -”. A drop down list will appear and you can select your currency. If your currency is not on the list then please contact us at info@dogsandbirds.co.uk  and we will add it.

You can see shipping costs before placing an order. To do this first place the products you wish to purchase into the shopping cart. Then click the shopping cart icon on the far right of the black bar at the top of any webpage. You will see a list of the products in your cart, and below that a button labelled “Estimate Shipping & Tax”. Click that button then follow the instructions, which will enable you to see the shipping costs and the total cost of your order.

If you wish to remove or change the number required of a product in your cart then first click the shopping cart icon on the far right of the black bar at the top of any webpage. You will see a list of the products in your cart. You can then change the number of a particular product by changing the number in the “quantity” column. Your shopping cart will then update. If you wish to remove a product completely then click the white cross in a black circle to the right of the quantity, then click “OK” when asked “Are you sure you want to remove this item from your cart?”

For the Dogs and Birds site your username is your email address. Only one Dogs and Birds account can be associated with one email address. If you have forgotten your password you should click “My Account” on the black bar at the top of any webpage. Then click “Forgot your password” and follow the instructions.

Dogs and Birds offers 10% educational discount for teachers on all non-bundled products. The bundled products (the beginners’ set bundle, book 1 bundle, book 2 bundle, nursery rhyme/famous melodies bundle, and the tiles and staves bundle) are already sold at a significant discount. If you are a private teacher or a peripatetic teacher in a school then you quality for this discount. You can apply for this discount if you have a Dogs and Birds account on our website. If that is the case then please contact us at info@dogsandbirds.co.uk and we will put you into the Dogs and Birds Teachers’ Group. Then if you log on with your email address and password you will see all non-bundled products shown with a 10% discount and you will get that discount when you order.

There are a number of benefits of creating a Dogs and Bird account. You can:

• Check out faster
• Create multiple shipping addresses
• Access your order history
• Track new orders
• Apply for a teachers' account, which enables you to receive a 10% discount on all un-bundled products when you log in

Click here to create an account.

If you are a private teacher or a peripatetic teacher in a school then you quality for the 10% educational discount we offer on all non-bundled products. If you wish to receive this discount then you will first need to create a Dogs and Birds account. Once you have an account then please contact us at info@dogsandbirds.co.uk and we will put you into the Dogs and Birds Teachers' Group. Then if you log on with your email address and password you will see all non-bundled products shown with a 10% discount and you will get that discount when you order.

The Dogs and Birds Teachers' Register contains the details of teachers who have experience of using the Dogs and Birds method and who are happy to take on new pupils who wish to be taught using this approach. Click on Teachers' List in order to display the register.

If you are a teacher and wish to add your details to the register then if you have a Dogs and Birds Account you can do this from your account page. You should log in with your email address and password, click “Join our Teachers’ Register” and fill out the form. Alternatively email your details to us at info@dogsandbirds.co.uk and we will add you to the Register. Also please email us if you wish to amend your details.

To create a Dogs and Birds account click “Create an Account” on the black bar at the top of any webpage. Or click Create an Account. You should then input your shipping details and your personal details. Answer the security question and then click “Create My Account” at the bottom of the webpage. Then follow the instructions. Once you have created your account and wish to place an order then please sign in with your email address and password. To do this first click “My Account” on the black bar at the top of any webpage, then follow the instructions.