Piano pieces my toddler will enjoy me practising?

[grainmum]

I'm grade 8 + and would like to get into the habit of.practising again. I have a 15m DS and wondered what I could learn to play that we both might enjoy? Haven't found any decent nursery rhyme arrangements. Randomly played the entertainer this evening and thought that might go down well. Any suggestions?

I'd imagine that at 15 months, they would enjoy listening to anything, as long as its not too loud and scary. I'd just play the sort of music you enjoy playing, and see what gets the best reception.

I was grade 5 about 25 years ago and am painfully trying to play Somewhere over the Rainbow.

So frustratingly bad at it.

I think at 15m your wee one'll just enjoy anything, no?

Debussy's Clair de Lune is lovely.

Oh yes, there's a version of Somewhere over the Rainbow in the new grade 6 book which is lovely.

How about some Debussy or Einaudi? Not too chaotic for little ears! My kids always object to me sitting down at the piano unfortunately.... something about having attention removed from them!

FWIW I can remember enjoying going to sleep listening to my mum playing the piano so maybe do it at bedtime!

Like the (not so) stealth grade 8+ boast OP.

I don't think toddlers have to be restricted to Nursery Rhymes and 'baby' music. Carl Orff (of Carmina Burana fame) also did a lot of educational music for and with children. This could perhaps be a long-term experience (for you both).

I'll give you this link, but you can probably find others for yourself:

www.schott-music.com/worldofthemes/education/classroom/orff_schulwerk/index.html?oldLocale=ru_RU

Something COMPLETELY different; this is something I used in school, with a Yr2 percussion club, but they preferred to dance to it, rather than play to it! At 15 months he could possibly be starting to keep time to it, and again it could be a long-term activity:

www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/the-ahmad-jamal-collection-sheet-music/2959553

This is something you could possibly 'play along' to, or even sing to:

And this is a well known tune, in a different treatment:

My tip would be to just keep practising, to make sure you don't make it anything out of the ordinary. My toddler hates it as it takes my attention away from him, so I'm having to make it a daily thing so he gets used to it. Good for us both I think. As he plays on the floor in the same room , he's developing listening skills and appreciation. If he wants to sit on your lap, just let him pick out notes and maybe sing nursery rhymes, just the tune and single bass notes or chords, make it a cuddly but laid back time together and natural . Familiarity with all things is much loved by toddlers so it doesn't matter what you're practising - if it's Wagner, you'll be raising a lifetime fan

thanks for the suggestions and sorry for boasting. Some interesting things to have a look at.

It's not a stealth boast, it's helpful to know what kind of level you're looking for.

My dd falls asleep better with the piano booming away under her floor. I guess it's comforting.

I'm looking for some song books to play with my toddler. Anyone got any suggestions for books of action songs etc?

DS has the current Grade 4 book which includes Indian Pony Race by D C Glover, it's a very humorous piece full of climaxes and rhythms.

does your DC like music with surprises? would a piano arrangement of Peter and the Wolf be worth investigating?