Why Movement Is Essential to Learning Piano

When parents imagine their child learning piano, they often picture little hands poised over the keys, diligently practicing scales or melodies. While this vision captures an important part of piano education, it leaves out something fundamental: movement. At Mountain Melody Music Studio, movement is at the heart of how we teach music, and it’s a cornerstone of the Music Moves for Piano method by Marilyn Lowe.

Inspired by Edwin Gordon’s Music Learning Theory (MLT), Music Moves for Piano recognizes that rhythm, technique, and musicality are deeply connected to the body. Simply put, movement is not an add-on; it is an essential part of learning music and piano.

Why Movement Matters in Learning Music

Rhythm is rooted in the body. From your heartbeat to the way you naturally tap your foot to a song, music is something we experience physically. To help students internalize rhythm, we introduce two essential concepts: macrobeats and microbeats.

• Macrobeats are the steady, underlying beats in music, the "big" beats you might naturally tap your foot to.

• Microbeats are the smaller, quicker beats that subdivide the macrobeats, giving music its detail and drive.

Through movement activities like walking, bouncing, clapping, or skipping, students learn to feel both macrobeats and microbeats in their bodies. For example, we might rock to the macrobeats of a song while tapping the microbeats, helping children experience how these layers work together.

Even more importantly, movement teaches children that music is always flowing, even through rests and moments of silence. When children sway their arms or glide across the room, they feel the natural continuity of music. This helps them understand that rhythm and melody are never static—they’re always in motion, connecting each note, rest, and rhythm pattern like a flowing river.

Movement and Learning Piano

Movement is also essential for developing piano technique. Many beginner pianists struggle with transitions—moving their hands to new positions during a piece. At Mountain Melody Music Studio, we work on these movements away from the keyboard before students attempt them at the piano. By practicing large, sweeping hand motions or specific finger movements through fun activities, children develop coordination and confidence.

This approach is especially important for building healthy habits at the piano. Beginners often grip the keys or twist their wrists, leading to tension and discomfort. Music Moves for Piano emphasizes fluid, natural movements that support good hand position and avoid injury. Starting with simple, one-finger playing, students learn to balance the weight of their arms and hands before progressing to more complex patterns.

When students practice moving in a flowing, fluid way, they carry this ease and freedom to the piano. Their playing becomes more expressive because they feel the continuous flow of music. They also avoid common pitfalls like robotic, disconnected rhythms or stiff, awkward technique.

Movement in Every Lesson

In our Kinder Keys classes and beginner piano lessons, movement is just as important as time spent at the keyboard. Here are a few examples of how we use movement:

• Feeling rhythm: Students might skip or march to the macrobeats, then tiptoe to the microbeats, internalizing how steady beats and rhythms relate.

• Building technique: To prepare for crossing their thumb under or extending their fingers, students practice arm and hand movements in the air. This helps them learn smooth transitions without tension.

• Developing phrasing: Students use flowing arm motions to mimic the rise and fall of a musical phrase, helping them play expressively at the keyboard.

• Understanding flow: Through swaying, gliding, or even "conducting" a piece of music with their hands, students feel how music continues seamlessly through rests and transitions.

Movement and Musical Freedom

Ultimately, movement helps children feel the music. It connects them to rhythm, phrasing, and the physicality of playing the piano. By starting with movement, students learn to approach music with freedom and creativity rather than tension or fear of making mistakes.

At Mountain Melody Music Studio, our away-from-the-keyboard activities are not distractions—they are integral to how children learn to play the piano and express music. This holistic, joyful approach is one of the reasons we love Music Moves for Piano.

If you’re ready to give your child a music education that emphasizes healthy technique, creativity, and whole-body learning, we’d love to welcome you to one of our classes. Let’s get moving—and playing—together!