Evolving Music Education

“It will just get better over time, you’ll get it”.

What?!

How many times have you heard a music teacher say that? Seems pretty magical to me! Now, don’t get me wrong. There are plenty of magical aspects to music. But when it comes to skill learning, “you’ll just get it” doesn’t cut it!

There is ALWAYS a way to help a student “get” something – besides just waiting for it to mysteriously fall into place.

Although this video is of rough quality, I hope it shows this process at work. It goes like this;

1. Observe – The student plays part of Aardvark Boogie.  She is having trouble in one spot.  Specifically, moving her left hand to a new position quickly enough.

2. Investigate – I help the student break the spot down into its simplest elements – we take out most of the notes and the rhythm.  This is a bit of a diagnosis and concentrated practicing at the same time.

3. Discover – When assembling things back together, I notice one crucial difference between how she plays the spot and how I play it.  I am preparing my left hand one whole beat earlier then she is.

4. Solution! – Bam!  It hits me!  Have her play the notes in the new position one beat early on purpose.  Problem solved!

Enjoy!

This workout is guaranteed to build those musical alphabet muscles!

Have your student/child close their eyes.

Have them say the musical alphabet.

FORWARDS: “a-b-c-d-e-f-g-a”

Now have them say it backwards.
BACKWARDS: “a-g-f-e-d-c-b-a”

Then ask them to do the same thing, but start on D.

FORWARDS FROM D: “d-e-f-g-a-b-c-d”
BACKWARDS FROM D: “d-c-b-a-g-f-e-d”

• Try this starting on others letters
• Try having them say the musical alphabet and play it on the piano at the same time.
• Ask them to quiz you!

***BONUS ROUND***
Have them try saying it in skips –

EXAMPLE IN SKIPS:  “a-c-e-g-b-d-f-a” and backwards…

The possibilities are endless!  Don’t forget to breath

It happens all the time.  New song.  Does your student know where to put their hands?  If they don’t, chances are they haven’t been shown a step by step, practical approach.

Remember.  The goal is to teach your student how to find the correct hand positioning on their own. This step by step approach is intended mainly for students learning beginning to intermediate music that generally begins in 5-finger positions (“pentascales”).

Step One: Name – Have them identify and name the note.  That’s it.  Children really need things, literally, one step at a time.  In this first step all they should do is point to the first note (in the book) and name it. (If they can’t name the note then you’ll have to take it another step back and do a review on note-reading!  But let’s assume for the sake of example, they can name the note, no problem.)

Step Two: Find – Have them find the note on the piano.  Again, that’s it!  One simple step.  This step is intended to isolate the ability to find the correct note, in the correct octave on the piano.  We don’t care about the correct finger yet.

Step Three: Position – NOW have them name the finger number that goes with that note (usually their book will tell them the finger number for the first note), and have them put that finger on the note.

I basically review this system with my students again and again – each time reinforcing that they can find the hand positioning on their own.  We do whatever we can to help them remember this system and use it when necessary.