Pimba offers free teaching materials for children in the very first phase of their musical discovery journey. Teachers and workers in community centers are also invited to use all teaching materials in Pimba for free. You do not need to register on Pimba.
In order to play the Game and Quiz, the player must enter a name, but this can be any name. In addition, Pimba has a closed section for teachers.
For the restricted part of PimbaPiano, login details must be requested. By logging in, you will gain access to a part of the CMS (Content Management System) so that you can publish your own songs in the Pimba format on PimbaPiano.com.
At the bottom of this page you'll find a button where teachers can request login details. Directly below is some information with the answers to frequently asked questions.
- What exactly does the Pimba method entail?
In Pimba, children aged ± 10 years old learn to play songs on the piano or keyboard. Pimba is meant for children who have never done anything with music before. First, they learn to play songs by using letters, in order to learn the names of the keys. Next Pimba offers scores without any rhythmic information. There are no bar lines and there's no time signature. No beams or flags. There is always a sounding example available in the form of a link to a YouTube video. The scores are divided into levels with a gradual increase in difficulty. Children can choose for themselves which song in a 'level' they like enough to practice. The first level consists of letter songs. In the following levels, the rhythm-free Pimba notation is used. In the second level only white keys are used. In the following levels, sharps and flats are introduced. In the fifth level, the use of chords is elementary explained. More information about didactics and methodology can be found at Didactics and methodology.
-
Which programs can I use for creating the letter songs?
You can use any word processor that can save files in PDF format, such as Word, Pages, etc. Pimba does not aim for complete scores. For children, it is often already quite something when they can play a (part of a) chorus of a well-known song. There are though a few rules that a score must comply with. Each line consists of 3 parts:- the names of the keys
- the lyrics
- some tips on fingering.
For further tips and templates, see the page Guidelines for letter songs.
- Which programs can I use for creating sheet music songs in the Pimba-format?
There are many programs that allow you to create a Pimba score: Sibelius, MuseScore, Logic Pro, Finale.… The most important features of a Pimba score are the absence of stems, flags, beams and bar lines. Lyrics are also very helpful for children to understand a score. In addition, the spacing of the notes gives an indication of the length of the notes. For further tips and information, see the page Guidelines for rhythm-free songs.
- How strict are the guidelines in these rules?
All tips, guidelines and such are intended as an indication, and are intended to make the readability of the score as accessible as possible for children. You should not take these rules too literally.
- How can I enter a song to the PimbaPiano website?
First you need to request a password. You'll find a button at the bottom of this page. After you've gained acces to the CMS (Content Management system), most of it is self explanatory. For a detailed description, see the page Entering songs in the CMS.
- Where can I find background information about the Pimba Foundation?
In On Pimba you will find everything about the set-up, history of Pimba, and the financial accountability.
- What about copyright?
Pimba always tries to comply with the law. Interested parties who believe that any regulation has been violated can contact the organization so that the situation can be corrected as soon as possible. There is also a field in the footer with a link to a contact form.
- Is Pimba active on Social Media?
Until now, Pimba's communication was mainly via the (old) website www.pimba.nl. Future activities of PimbaPiano.com in social media, user groups, newsletters etc. will appear in the footer of the site.
- What does ANBI status entail?
Pimba is a not for profit foundation. The foundation depends on donations and legacies. The directors of the foundation do not receive any compensation. Since 2020, the foundation has been given the ANBI status by the Dutch tax-authorities, which means that donations to the foundation are deductible for the donor. You may find additional information on this Wikipedia-page, or contact your local tax-authority.