prePiano One

prePiano One was developed by an Austrian music teacher in 2002 so that he could teach an almost three-year-old girl. This app is not a toy but a piano for children with an ear for music who are still in the prereading stage.

The Animal Keyboard

Many of our youngest students have not started reading yet, so we use animals instead of letters. Each animal represents a note, and the first letter of the animal is the name of the note:

Bird = B  ·  Camel = C  ·  Dolphin = D  ·  Elephant = E  ·  Fish = F  ·  Giraffe = G  ·  Alligator = A

The keyboard runs from the low B (Bird) up to A (Alligator), a natural seven-note range. When the child touches an animal, the app plays that note. In the optional Basic Mode, the app also speaks the animal's name out loud, which helps build the connection between the symbol and the sound.

Need help with the animal names? Learn Animal Names

How a Lesson Works

Three characters run the show:

The Octopus creates the lesson. Every press generates a brand new seven-note melody that appears in grayscale above the keyboard.

The Turtle plays the melody back at a slow, gentle pace. The Rabbit plays it a little faster and is suitable for older beginners. As the melody plays, the child should watch, listen and then, try to play the melody twice slowly.

Listen and Compare

To build a strong musical ear, keep sessions short and intentional:

1. Press the Octopus to create a new melody.
2. Let the child listen as many times as they want.
3. Have the child play the melody on the animal keyboard.
4. Press the Turtle and ask: "Does your playing sound like the Turtle?"

Once the child can play the seven notes similar to how the turtle plays it, we consider it learned. Two or three lessons per day is enough to make good progress. Let's remember that the goal is to listen and repeat and never rush a lesson. The musical ear grows but it grows slowly.