The education of a child is incomplete without direct experience in learning to make music. This suggested outline for a gradual development of musical skill is offered to encourage every family to include the nourishing magic of music in their daily lives. Music is considered by many the world over, as equaled only by the physics of nature, in being the purest form of universal language.

Music Maitri Sixteen-year Developmental Plan

Yamaha FG423S Acoustic Guitar

Music Maitri is the process of making friends with oneself through music. Our Zen of Music Education is a year-by-year mindful experiment with tones; making rhythm and melody. This outline, for progressive and practical skill development, is offered as a guideline for anyone who can enrich a child's life with the gift of music. This gradual step-by-step musical education also represents part of our ZHS integrated 16 year curriculum. It is our experience that every child deserves the opportunity to sing and to dance and to learn the basics of the piano, guitar and recorder. Children inclined toward music, need continued support throughout their youth, to become proficient and to add other instruments as their talents expand. (Adults can use this outline as well, to give themselves an applied music education.)

Singing is a human birthright. The best way to develop singing, is by singing. Learn songs from around the world, pass-on the songs we have loved from America, learn new songs. But most importantly, let children make their own songs and sing, sing, sing. The key to good singing is keen listening: to oneself and to accomplished artists. (Parents who can sing to their infant child are offering a priceless gift.) If you record your child singing, remember to do so in an appreciative but "no big deal" way. Nothing stops the true voice of a child as much as leading them into a false world of glamour, neuroses, and fragmented self-consciousness. If a child naturally loves performance, then let her/him do so, within their own abilities to maintain personal balance. Remember, you are not only helping children cultivate rich skills they will have in the future, you are mindfully enriching their days now in childhood, with step-by-step, progressive and thorough musical education. There is no rush to skip any steps, because each and every moment is our true life. (Dance & Hand Drums)

First Real Instruments: Ages 2 1/2 through 5 1/2 (3 years happy play)

Sonor Chromatic Add-On for Soprano Small Glockenspiel

The brilliance in using Pentatonic Instruments, is that every note is harmonious with each other. The Pentatonic scale is the same as the tones of all of the black keys on a piano. With Orff Instruments, you can arrange the bars into a Pentatonic scale or choose to use only the tone bars that make up the tones in a chord of another scale. Thus, all tones play together beautifully, in a simple melody, one tone at a time, or sounded together as chords. This gives new players a big advantage to start developing their personal musicality. If you have two different Glockenspiels, arrange them in the same scale and be amazed at how much music you can make with a child. Listen and let rhythm come from within without premeditation. Once in a while add rhythm instruments and get the whole family going. You'll be jamming before you know it. Save exacting melodies with these instruments for later. The point here is to start playing by feeling melody and rhythm. That is musicality. Keep it all upbeat and gentle, without hard goals. Store the instruments in a special safe place and mindfully bring them out for making music. Play often.

The Instruments sold from our website links, help support the whole ZHS program. Instuments are shown from left to right, usually: economy, middle priced to high end. For more about our integrated Education, review the Zen Homeschooling Starter Manual.

Glockenspiels
Find instruments like these in the Orff section at Giardinelli Music

Sonor Soprano Standard Metallophone Chromatic Add-On

Sonor Palisono Soprano Xylophone Chromatic Add-On

Sonor Tenor-Alto Standard Metallophone Chromatic Add-On

Mallets

Sonor Hard Rubber Resonator Bell Mallets

Sonor Hard Yarn Soprano/Tenor-Alto Xylophone/Metallophone Mallets

Sonor Small Hard Wool/Felt Timpani Mallets

Orff Sets
Find instruments like these in the Orff section at Giardinelli Music

Primary Line Basics Orff Set

Primary Line PJ1 Junior Orff Set

Sonor TW1 The Works Orff Set

Hand Percussion

Sonor Hohner Snare Drum

Remo World Wide Pretuned Hand Drum

Grossman Music Economy Rhythm Band Set for 15 Players

Small Hands: Ages 6-8 (3 years home study)
Beginning Keyboards, Ukuleles & Glockenspiels/Xylophones

Beginning Keyboards
Reading and writing music is based on piano keyboard fundamentals. Practical electric keyboards make a piano-like instrument available to every home. We recommend that just the piano sounds are used on this instrument, during these years. The sound effects and imitation sounds can be explored after a child has a grounded familiarity with the true sounds of instruments and of nature. Begin by playing all of the black keys (the Pentatonic Scale) and you can find your own natural rhythm and melodies. Next, explore every note and pick out familiar melodies, adding the natural diatonic scale (the white keys). Then gradually learn scales and simple chords, mindful of classic fingering. Whenever a student gets stressed with practicing, that is the time to breathe and rejuvenate with the ease of the delightful Pentatonic Scale. Play a little, 6 days a week. (Keyboard Instructional Guides)

Yamaha PSR-273 Electronic Portable Keyboard

Yamaha P120 88 Key Digital Piano with Speakers

Yamaha P60 88-Key Digital Piano

Ukulele
This cheerful little acoustic instrument from Hawaii, is perfect for beginning small hands.

Johnson UK-120 Hawaiian Soprano Ukulele

Johnson UK-200 Hawaiian Baritone Ukulele

Martin S-O Ukulele

Glockenspiel and Xylophones
Find instruments like these in the Orff section at Giardinelli Music

Sonor Diatonic Tenor-Alto Large Glockenspiel

Sonor SXP1 Primary Diatonic Soprano Xylophone

Sonor Palisono Diatonic Tenor-Alto Xylophone

Digital Pianos: Ages 9-12 (4 years home and/or private study)
Piano fundamentals are the basis of reading and writing music. Full piano keyboard familiarity is the single most helpful experience for a student of music. While it will assist all other forms of musical endeavor, piano could be a complete study alone. Learning to read music is easiest on the piano keyboard, because it is visual as well as tactile and kinetic. It is all right there. (We have experienced a direct correlation from piano accomplishment to learning reading, writing and mathematical skills. It is good for the brain.) Pianos are especially loved by the people who have direct experience with the richness and diversity that pianos offer. Now with digital pianos, the problems with having such a large instrument have been completely overcome. With earphones, a student can easily practice without anyone else hearing a sound, and that opens-up limitless opportunities of convenient practice time and place. (Keyboard Instructional Guides)

Yamaha DGX500 Portable Grand

Yamaha YDP223 Digital Piano

Yamaha PF1000 Home Digital Piano

Acoustic Guitars: Ages 9-12 (4 years home and/or private study)
It is a huge musical advantage to study the guitar while already becoming grounded with keyboard fundamentals. But the acoustic guitar is more than simply a practical, portable, environmentally friendly and affordable instrument. It is the most popular instrument in the world, for good reason: The guitar is loved so, because it sings our human heart. (Guitar Instructional Guides)

Fender« CG7 Classical Acoustic Guitar	Martin D-15 Acoustic Guitar	Martin 00-17 Mahogany Guitar
Fender« DG-10 Left-Handed Acoustic	Martin 00CXAE Left Handed Acoustic-Electric	Martin DM Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Left-Handed

Recorders:
Recorders are included in our Music Education program, as one of the three main instruments, because recorders offer a good introduction to all of the instruments played with human breath. Recorders hold a special place in music history and are loved by some artists as a main instrument. Recorders can be the most affordable instrument of all, but serious recorder lovers will be glad to know that more expensive fine wooden recorders are available. Simple melodies, recorder duets, and the unique sounds possible only with breath instruments, make recorders a must for this well-rounded music education program. (Recorder Instructional Guides)

Yamaha YRS-24B Soprano Recorder with Baroque Fingering	Aura Maple Alto Recorder	Yamaha YRA-64 Rosewood Alto Recorder with Baroque Fingering
Yamaha YRS-61 Boxwood Soprano Recorder with Baroque Fingering	Yamaha YRA-83 Ebony Alto Recorder	Yamaha YRBG-61 Maple Great Bass Recorder with Baroque Fingering

Backpacker Instruments:
These are all wonderful instruments that are practical to take along hiking, biking, and jet-setting around the world, or taken along when going on the subway to visit a friend or to spend the day in the park. We list a few favorites here. (Click instrument or store link.)

Hall D Crystal Flute (Crystal Flute Book)	American Dulcimers SD1 Student Dulcimer	McNally D-33 Grand Strumstick®
Rogue Travel/Starter Banjo	Martin Backpacker	Aura Maple Alto Recorder

The Works! Ages 13-18 (6 years of further home, private study, band or orchestra.)
Recommended after completion of the ten developmental years of Music Education. Older students can fill-in their education with piano, guitar, and recorder during these later years. It is simply a harder way to learn. At the very least, every music student deserves the grounded foundation that the piano keyboard gives music, no matter which instrument eventually becomes the favorite. Click instrument or store link.(Instrument Instructional Guides)

Schiller Student 401 Violin	Vito Model 7131R Student Alto Sax	Engelhardt School Model Cello Instrument Only
Fender« FV-1 Electric Violin	NS Design CR5 5-String Electric Cello	Gemeinhardt C Flute 25P

Drum Sets

Ludwig Accent 5-Piece Combo Drum Set

Yamaha DS9XPSII DTXpress Electronic Drum Set

Ludwig Classic Maple 5-Piece Drumset

Electric Guitars

Fender« Standard Jazz Bass®	Fender« American Deluxe Jazz Bass® FMT	Fender« Signature Series Jeff Beck Stratocaster®
Gretsch Rancher Jr. Acoustic/Electric Guitar	Gibson ES-137 Classic Electric Guitar	Gibson ES-137 Custom Electric Guitar

Giardinelli Music For more Brass, Woodwin, Stringed Instruments, Percussion and Accessories

Amazon.com For more Electric Guitars, Keyboards, Drum Sets and Music Gear

Music Teaching Tools ~ Books and Video

Hal Leonard The Song Writing Kit	Alfred Fieldstein Pocket Music Dictionary	Alfred Essential Dictionary of Music Notation
Hall Learning The Hall Crystal Flute Book	Educational Activities Homemade Band (Cassette)	Educational Activities Children's All-Time Rhythm Favorites CD
Alfred Basic Books of Scales and Chords	Alfred Complete Book of Scales & Chords	Warner Bros Belwin Dictionary of Music - Unabridged Book/CD

Music Theory, History and Appreciation
Music Literacy/Listening 101
Instrument Instructional Guides
(Keys, Guitars, Recorders and Drum Sets)

Giardinelli Music

Amazon.com