Within Part-time Art Education (DKO), young piano pupils are introduced to abstract musical concepts, such as articulation, dynamics and musical character, at an early stage. For some pupils, these concepts present a challenge, which can affect their motivation and learning process. This master’s project investigates how visual associations and visual teaching methods, such as animal metaphors, can contribute to the acquisition of basic musical skills among young piano pupils in grade 2.1 of Part-time Arts Education.

To answer this research question, practice-oriented research was conducted within various piano groups in the Part-time Arts Education programme. In this context, visual associations, such as animal metaphors (for example, a frog for staccato and a butterfly for a soft touch), were integrated into the piano lessons. The research data were collected through observations, evaluations by pupils and parents, interviews, focus groups and external observations by professionals.

The results show that visual associations can make a positive contribution to motivation, engagement and the understanding of technical and musical skills. Younger pupils or those who think less abstractly appear to benefit particularly from concrete images to better understand musical concepts. At the same time, the effectiveness appears to depend on individual factors, such as age, personality, learning style and musical development. Not all pupils find the approach equally motivating or appropriate.

This study concludes that visual associations can provide valuable didactic support within piano teaching, provided they are used flexibly, purposefully and tailored to the individual pupil.