Piano Safari Friends – Student Pack
Piano Safari Friends is the beginning book of the Piano Safari piano method, written for children ages 4 to 6 who are taking lessons with a teacher. The Student Pack (Piano Safari item MPSFSPFE-P) comes with the spiral-bound lesson book, the matching sticker book, and download codes for audio tracks and printable teaching pieces.
What sets it apart is the order it teaches things in. Most of the music is learned by ear and by watching the teacher, not by reading. A young child gets to play full, satisfying pieces long before they could read them, while reading skills build quietly in the background. Piano Safari is clear that this is a piano method, not a general music-readiness class. Children are playing the piano from the first lesson.
Who is this book for?
Publisher level: Friends, the book before Piano Safari Level 1. This is for the very young beginner who is just learning their alphabet.
Approximate student level: Primary.
It’s made for true beginners ages 3 to 5. Your child does not need to read words or music. Knowing some letters of the alphabet helps. Piano Safari suggests a child is ready if they can follow simple directions and copy a short four-note pattern on two keys after watching the teacher play it. A parent who sits in on practice is part of the plan, too.
What’s inside Piano Safari Friends?
The book has eight units. Unit 1 covers the groups of two and three black keys. Units 2 through 8 each focus on one white key, in order: C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Inside each unit, the teacher can mix and match pages to build a balanced lesson.
Kinds of pieces and pages:
- Follow the Leader pieces — the teacher plays a short phrase and the child copies it right away
- Rote pieces — longer pieces learned pattern by pattern, then played alone or with a teacher duet part
- Improvisation pieces — free play on chosen keys, including a twelve-bar blues
- Technique exercises — animal-themed motions for a healthy start
- Reading exercises — pre-staff notation that starts each child tracking music left to right
- Songs — three sing-and-move songs in different meters
- Activities and listening pages — games, coloring, and short classical listening picks
Skills your child builds:
- Finding the two- and three-black-key groups, high and low on the keyboard
- Naming and finding every white key, A through G
- Finger numbers for both hands
- Good sitting posture and a rounded “Bunny House” hand shape
- Playing with relaxed arm weight (“Lion Paw”), a gentle wrist lift (“Tall Giraffe”), and quick repeated notes (“Zechariah Zebra” and “Kangaroo”)
- Six “Animal Rhythm Patterns” built from quarter, half, whole, and eighth notes — first by ear, then by sight
- Feeling a steady beat in 2, 3, and 6/8 meter through singing and moving
- Counting with “Ta” syllables, introduced in the last unit to prepare for Level 1
By the end, a child knows the whole keyboard by letter name, plays rote pieces that move between hands and positions, reads simple pre-staff exercises with finger numbers and rhythm, and is ready to begin reading in Level 1.
How is the Piano Safari Friends Student Pack used?
This book is built for lessons with a teacher. Piano Safari suggests 30- to 45-minute lessons once or twice a week, mixing time at the piano with games, singing, and movement away from it.
At home, practice is short. Piano Safari recommends two quick visits to the piano of 5 to 10 minutes, five or six days a week. The goal at this age is the habit, not the clock. Children listen to the audio tracks to get familiar with new pieces and practice their rote pieces. Follow the Leader and improvisation pieces are meant for lesson time, so they don’t need to be practiced at home.
Free Reminder Videos on Piano Safari’s website and YouTube channel help a parent remember how each rote piece goes. A parent who plays piano can also join in on the duet parts.
About the sticker book: stickers go in specific boxes in the lesson book to mark rhythm patterns and finger numbers, so the sticker book should stay with the parent or teacher, not the child. Because the lessons depend on it, Piano Safari sells the lesson book on its own only as a teacher’s reference. Students need the Student Pack.
About the downloads: the code on page 1 unlocks the audio tracks and printable PDFs, including the Piano Decorating Kit (paper zebra triangles, giraffe rectangles, and letters that sit on the keys while a child learns the keyboard). You’ll need internet access and a printer; card stock works best for the kit.
Where does Friends fit in the Piano Safari series?
Friends comes first, for ages 3 to 5. The main Piano Safari course begins with Level 1, designed for children starting around age 5 or 6, and Friends leads straight into it. Piano Safari also has a separate Older Student series for beginners about 12 and up.
Companion items (sold separately by Piano Safari):
- Friends Teacher Resource Pack — lesson book, Teacher Guide, Music Alphabet Cards, and Animal Rhythm Pattern Cards
- Friends Accompaniments — MP3 or MIDI play-along tracks
- Friends Piece Cards
- Friends Sticker Book — replacement copy
- Piano Decorating Kit — ready-made version of the printable PDF
Product Details
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Title | Piano Safari Friends – Student Pack |
| Series | Piano Safari (children’s method) |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Product type | Method / lesson book (student pack) |
| Publisher level | Friends (before Level 1); listed by Piano Safari as Early Elementary |
| Approximate student level | Primary |
| Recommended ages | 3-5 |
| Authors | Katherine Fisher and Julie Knerr Hague |
| Publisher | Piano Safari, LLC |
| Edition | 2021 |
| Item number | MPSFSPFE-P |
| What’s in the pack | Lesson book (9 × 12 in., spiral-bound, 119 pages); sticker book (64 stickers); download code for audio tracks, Piano Decorating Kit PDF, and Alphabet Leaves PDF |
| Format |
Frequently asked questions
What age is Piano Safari Friends for?
Ages 4 to 6. It’s written to get young children ready to start Piano Safari Level 1 at about age 6 or 7.
Does my child need to read before starting?
No. Most pieces are learned by listening and copying the teacher. Knowing some alphabet letters helps, but reading words or music isn’t required.
Why buy the Student Pack instead of just the Friends book?
The lessons use the stickers on almost every unit, and the pack includes them plus the audio and printable downloads. Piano Safari sells the book alone only for teachers.
My child is 7. Should we start here?
Usually not. Piano Safari designed Level 1 for children starting around 6 or 7, so most 7-year-olds begin there. Check with your teacher.
Can we use it at home without a teacher?
It’s written for teacher-led lessons, and many pieces are taught by the teacher playing first. A parent who plays piano could follow along with the Friends Teacher Guide, sold separately.
Best For
- Children ages 3 to 5 starting their first piano lessons
- Kids who aren’t reading yet but are ready to play
- Families whose teacher uses Piano Safari or plans to move into Level 1
- Parents ready to sit in on short daily practice
- Group or private preschool piano lessons
A Note from August MuseIf your teacher sent home a supply list, bring it in or snap a photo so we can match the exact item. For a student, the Student Pack is the one you want. The lesson book by itself doesn’t include the stickers, and the lessons use them all the way through.
A few practical tips: keep the sticker book with you, not in your child’s backpack, since stickers go in specific spots. The audio and printable Decorating Kit download with the code on page 1, so plan on a few minutes online and a printer. Card stock makes the paper pieces last longer on the keys.
Stop by and flip through it with your little one. The animal characters are easy to fall for.
Available at August Muse
The Piano Safari Friends Student Pack is available at August Muse in downtown Elizabethton, TN. Come see it in person, or call ahead and we’ll set one aside.
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