Can People with Dyspraxia Play the Piano?
If your child has dyspraxia, you might wonder if it is possible for them to learn how to do difficult things such as playing the piano.
It’s only natural that one of the things that usually happens when someone is diagnosed with a disability is that they, or someone who cares for them, wonders what the effect of the disability will be. This is especially true for young children. After all, parents have hopes and dreams for their children. They also want to know what activities are appropriate, and what can help their child achieve to their maximum potential.
These questions, and the concern that goes with them, are admirable. Especially in a world where people aren’t always kind to others who have disabilities, it’s also natural to try and shelter that person from as much grief as possible. School children are mean, leading to a major bullying problem for children with disabilities.
Since piano lessons are a common childhood pursuit, and they provide cultural enrichment, parents often ask if their child can succeed at them. This is especially true with dyspraxia, since it affects movement. With that in mind, can people with dyspraxia play the piano? Although everyone is different, I would argue that many can do so. However, this depends on the child’s individual constellation of strengths and weaknesses, as well as their instructor’s ability to teach around the challenges.
Let’s look at the features of dyspraxia, the things which can make playing the piano difficult, and the potential benefits of musical instruction.
Main features of dyspraxia
According to the National Health Service, dyspraxia (also called developmental coordination disorder) is a type of learning difficulty that affects movement. In particular, there is a dysfunction in the brain that makes it more difficult for someone to move properly. This can lead to a variety of symptoms surrounding the use of muscle. In other words, it can affect any type of purposeful movement, from walking and running, to speech and tying shoes.
Since most people enroll their children in piano lessons after they become old enough to attend school, the main concern for our discussion is impairments that manifest themselves during that period. The NHS includes several common features of dyspraxia:
- Difficulty using their hands for anything that requires fine motor coordination. For instance, many children with dyspraxia have difficulty using scissors, writing neatly, and coloring within the lines.
- Difficulty using gross motor skills. Examples are going up and down stairs, walking in a straight line, and kicking a ball.
- Trouble sitting still or concentrating. As with movement, sometimes people with dyspraxia have difficulty NOT moving. Likewise, concentration issues can arise from trying to sit still or being easily distracted.
Unfortunately, dyspraxia isn’t something that a child can “grow out of.” Certainly, older children and adults can learn coping skills with practice. These skills help to mitigate many of the negative effects of dyspraxia, such as difficulty with self-care and everyday learning skills. Similarly, many people with this condition are able to work in competitive environments. Early intervention, and appropriate extracurricular activities, can help set the stage for lifelong success.
What can cause difficulty with playing the piano?
Any time someone has a learning difficulty or difference, there’s a chance that certain tasks will be more difficult for them to master. And while dyspraxia can occur in people with any level of intellectual ability, it is no exception to this rule. With that in mind, here are the reasons why someone with dyspraxia might have difficulty playing the piano.
Coordination challenges
As mentioned above, one of the hallmarks of dyspraxia is difficulty with coordination. Although the degree and type of coordination impairments varies significantly from one person to another, they are a concern on some level.
The British Dyslexia Association points out that coordination difficulties can spill into any area of life. Most types of music students must master both fine and gross motor skills, depending on the instrument. In addition, several different movements must often occur at the same time. And finally, the musician must often read music at the same time, at least until the piece is memorized.
How does this affect playing the piano? Everyone is different, but several different impairments can make mastery more difficult. For instance, if someone has difficulty moving both hands in a coordinated manner, this will make any piano piece that uses two hands a challenge. Likewise, if someone finds it hard to tap a key and immediately release it, or press several keys at a time, they may struggle with using even one hand.
Likewise, gross motor coordination challenges can make life difficult for someone learning to play the piano. Some piano pieces require the player to depress a foot pedal at the same time as they’re pressing piano keys. In addition, the ability to move an arm in a certain direction is key to success when playing the piano. Lastly, issues with posture can interfere with moving the right limb at the right time.
Sequencing difficulty
Most of us know the term “sequence” as referring to the order in which something happens or is said. Such as, “first, the child walked into the room and sat down. Then, the teacher started the lesson.” As the Dyslexia Association also points out, many people with dyspraxia struggle with sequencing.
When it comes to playing the piano, sequencing is important. Players press one key, then another. Or, they press several keys at the same time to form a chord. Chords are followed by more music notes and key presses. And at the same time, a player must learn to let their hands “travel” up and down the keyboard. This aspect of playing the piano can be difficult due to both coordination AND sequencing at the same time. For that reason, playing the piano is generally more difficult for someone with dyspraxia.
Organizational challenges
Finally, many people with dyspraxia are disorganized. When you struggle with sequencing or memory, it can be hard to remember everything. For instance, you can not only sequence notes poorly, but also have trouble remembering what comes next in a piece of music.
Here’s what that can look like when learning to play the piano. Your student looks forward to the next lesson, but unfortunately, they forget what’s needed for that week. So, they show up at the lesson without their instruction book and have to borrow from another student. Or the teacher needs to find a duplicate copy of the music piece. These setbacks make the student frustrated from the start. They might even feel “stupid” as a result of their mistake. Worse, it costs the student some learning time.
Another way that organizational challenges can play out for piano students is with music recall. For instance, someone might remember a particular chord or measure (section) of music, but forget which unit comes first or second. While this would look similar to a sequencing problem, it’s somewhat different. That’s because you have sequences learned here, they just aren’t in order. Or, the student might jump from one section to another in the music score. All of these result in “failure” to play the piece correctly.
Frustration is a big problem when learning an instrument
As with academic subjects, piano students with dyspraxia can get frustrated due to their difficulty learning. For instance, they might feel bad because they have a sibling or friend who is advancing in lessons more quickly. Children naturally compare themselves with each other, and some children have difficulty recognizing their strengths when faced with difficulties. In other words, a student could have a great sense of pitch, humming pretty tunes, and then forget this when they can’t make the piano keys “sing” as they should. Here’s how that can look for a child with dyspraxia.
Not hitting the right keys
Playing the piano using written music requires that the eye work together with hands and arms. That’s because the piano player must read the music, then press the right keys to make sounds. For someone with dyspraxia, this can go wrong several different ways. For instance, they might recognize which keys need to be pressed, but be too clumsy to press the right ones. Instead, they might press two keys that are right next to each other. Or, their hand might not move fast enough in sequence.
Where this is tough for a person with dyspraxia is that consistent failure to do it right can make the task seem hopeless. At some point, they might simply say “I can’t do this,” or “I give up,” or even “I’m stupid.” When frustration and hopelessness set in, there can be a mental block that makes it even harder for that person to succeed in the future.
Failure to produce the right sound
Similarly, people with dyspraxia can get frustrated when learning to play the piano because their piano playing doesn’t sound right. When learning a piece of music, many students will listen to recordings of it being performed. Or, the teacher will play the piece so a student can hear what it’s supposed to sound like. When a piano student-any piano student-has difficulty making the piece “sound right,” it can lead to frustration. For piano students with dyspraxia, this can be due to not hitting the right keys, not playing at the right pace, or both.
Learning to play the piano is possible, even with dyspraxia
It just takes persistence and adaptation, both on the part of the teacher and the student. Depending on the student’s pattern of abilities and challenges, learning to play the piano is often possible-and even enjoyable. And as most of us adults know, accomplishing something that took hard work and persistence can be especially rewarding. With that in mind, here are some suggestions for teaching and learning how to play the piano.
Possible techniques
Some dyspraxia experts suggest special techniques to help students successfully master piano techniques. In particular, multisensory approaches can be effective. Often these involve moving the student’s arm and hands in the right patterns to master pressing piano keys and following the music score around the keyboard.
Another option is to teach these students using “keyboards” that don’t make sounds. For instance, a piece of cardboard with the keyboard pattern, or a wooden “fake” keyboard. These are great tools for typical students to practice when a real piano isn’t available. However, for “special” piano students they can be a major help, especially with overcoming clumsiness or something not sounding right. In the second situation, the lack of sound removes a distraction.
If a student struggles with organization, memory, or sequencing, another option is to put hints into their music booklets. For instance, color coded notes or comments that mention what’s next. Similarly, these comments can be put into a recording of the piece of music. Here, the comments serve as an auditory cue. Of course, auditory cues can also be used in a lesson by the teacher.
Learn to play by ear?
Lastly, some students who struggle with reading music while playing the piano can learn to play by ear. This means that they memorize the sounds of a piece of music, along with what keys need to be pressed when. This is similar to remembering a tune, then humming it to yourself as you work. Playing by ear frees people from having to read the musical score while playing the piano at the same time. The difference between this approach and simply memorizing the piece, though, is that you never read the music: you just duplicate the sounds you’ve heard.
Suggestions for parents and potential dyspraxia piano students.
As you can see, it is possible for someone with dyspraxia to learn how to play the piano. This can be achieved by any combination of working harder, using adaptive techniques with music scores, and learning to play by ear. With that in mind, there are some special considerations when someone with dyspraxia takes up the challenge.
First, it’s important to find a music teacher that’s willing to go the extra mile and think outside the box. In some areas, you might be able to find a piano teacher that specializes in teaching students with learning differences. Or you can choose someone who has a reputation for creative teaching and a passion for helping students overcome challenges. Reach out to your child’s school or a local association for people with learning differences. They’ll often have suggestions.
Second, parents of a student with dyspraxia should remember that they are their child’s best advocate and cheerleaders. Always encourage your student to overcome the frustrations of learning something new. While frustration is more acute with exceptional students, it’s something we all have dealt with on some level. Similarly, advocate for your child with a teacher, or change instructors, if necessary. You are their most important support system.
Learning to play the piano is often more difficult for people with dyspraxia. But it’s far from impossible for most. With the right teaching techniques, determination, and encouragement, someone with dyspraxia can play the piano.
For further reading on dyspraxia, please see: Is Dyspraxia a Learning Disability? What You Need to Know.
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