October 21, 2025: Tuesday Upbeat
Teachers: Happy Tuesday!
Piano: Strategies for Teaching Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in the Presto! It’s Piano Magic, Book 1 curriculum introduces hand crossing. This is a wonderful strategy that encourages good development at the piano from early on. It’s a great song to teach and reinforce the music alphabet on the piano keyboard, and also some good playing technique.
Have them use their 3rd fingers in each hand, alternating notes and crossing over as needed (see the fingerings and hand references in the music notation). Some students will enjoy doing this from the start, others will resist and want to play with just one hand and a variety of fingers.
If they insist on playing with one hand, let them learn it “their way” first, and then gradually introduce the hand crossing. Keep playing this song (and other songs) for a long time, and keep improving it over time.
Here is a sequence that can help teach students the hand crossing, one baby step at a time.
Learn the song with the RH only (any fingering).
Learn the song with the LH only (any fingering).
Learn the song with the RH only but only using the 3rd finger. (You can also have them play the song with any one finger, like their index finger or even all thumbs might be fun, but then eventually settle on just the 3rd finger.)
Learn the song with the LH only but only using the 3rd finger (same strategy as RH).
Play the song in octaves (LH an octave below RH). You can do this first using any fingers, and then using just the 3rd finger of each hand, simultaneously, in octaves.
Do all of the above in different locations on the piano, higher registers and lower registers.
Introduce the hand crossing by playing “air piano” – do it in the air, and talk about how graceful it can be.
Demonstrate on the piano how to do the hand crossing. (Make sure you learn how to do it yourself easily and gracefully!) Also, go very slowly. (Keep in mind that we tend to go too fast; slow way down.)
Use the Prestissima video to demonstrate. (See link below.) Watch the video many times, as needed.
Start with just the 5th from C to G. LF on C (2x), RH on G (2x). Get good at that.
Add the A with the LH. So, CC (LH) GG (RH) AA (LH, crossing over the RH). Get good at that.
Add the next G with the RH. Cross over the LH when playing the last G (don’t cross under). So, CC (LH) GG (RH), AA (LH, crossing over the RH) G (RH, crossing back over the LH). Get good at that.
At this point you can continue to add one note at a time, or often the student will figure it out and start learning it more quickly.
Keep going back through these steps as needed, even if it takes a very long time (weeks or months). Don’t be discouraged or give up! It often takes time but the benefits of ultimately succeeding are real.
I had a small group of students with access to an organ once, and they all learned to play the song with their feet on the foot pedals, too!
There are any number of additional strategies you might use to help with teaching the hand crossing. Maybe the handbells? Or the xylophone? And don’t forget air piano, it works well for many students to get them more relaxed and out of any preconceived or locked-in “hand positions!”
Here’s the Prestissima video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkBqlUtSP8E&t=44s
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Have a magical Tuesday, a musical week, and enjoy happy, healthy and tension-free teaching and learning with your students.
Thank you,
Dennis Frayne
"Dr. Dennis"
Laguna Niguel School of Music
Dennis Frayne Music Studios
30110 Crown Valley Pkwy, Suites 105/107/108
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
(949) 844-9051 (office cell)
(949) 468-8040 (personal cell)
www.lagunaniguelschoolofmusic.com
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