Your young beginning keyboard student "bangs" at the piano too loudly! What is the best response for this?

A) "Stop banging! You're playing too loud! It's hurting my ears!!!"

OR

B) "You play with such wonderful energy; I like your enthusiasm! What kind of sound should that piece have, loud or soft?"

You receive positive parent points for choosing answer B. Here is how the rest of your conversation can play out:

The student answers your question, telling you the piece should have a soft sound:
You say, "I bet you could play it with a soft sound and still have that nice energy!"

Or, if the student tells you the piece is supposed to sound loud (the music says f, which means forte, the Italian word for strong, or loud):

You say, "Should the piece sound fortississimo (fff - triple loud), fortissimo (ff - double loud), or forte?"
The student answers, "forte."
You say, "I'll bet you could play that piece with a real forte sound!"

If the piece is supposed to sound fortissimo, you could say, "I'll bet you could play that piece with a real fortissimo sound, without sounding forced, by using the free weight of your hands and arms, like your teacher showed you, instead of "pressing" the keys harder!"

Our Motto: Praise First, Suggestions Second