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Hi there other forum users,

So...first post!

Basically I am having a couple of issues with pupils that I'm asking for advice on. I should say that piano is actually my second instrument, 'cello being my first, and I have only recently started teaching piano (I have fairly extensive experience as a 'cello teacher). The issues are as follows:
I have one pupil who is, although not a complete beginner, not yet at a standard I would describe as "intermediate." I am actually teaching him on a keyboard. He had some lessons before starting with me, and his previous teacher appears to have taught him by putting stickers with the note letters on the keys and teaching him songs by ear using the note letters. Reading notation is a real struggle for him. I should also add that he wants to go more in a gospel/r'nb direction rather than classical. My impression is that he would like to develop the ability to improvise harmony parts and basslines to popular songs, however he does not have the technical and musical grounding to really develop this ability. I have discovered all this from trying to work from notation with him, and the process being laboriously slow (he does read notation to some extent but seems to have had little tuition in notation). Basically my feeling is that he wants to be able to take on the role of, say, a keys player in an r'n'b band, but does not realise how much he needs to develop his technique to get to that stage, and also would not, at this point, have the necessary motivation. He's twelve years old i.e. at the age where lack of imput that he feels is catering to his needs could easily result in a give-up, so I'm reluctant to force him to do scales and studies etc...help!!!
I have another pupil (7 yrs old) who is a total beginner, and also does not yet read notation very well. I am trying to teach him music theory whilst teaching piano technique and am trying to think of good, integrative ways to do this. So far I have written a couple of little tunes for him to illustrate note values in practice, and done c and g major scales. How does one explain the circle of fifths to a seven-year-old child? And what about the fact that one note appears in a totally different place on the stave in the bass clef than in the treble clef? Any ideas anyone??
I have a third pupil (adult) who is around grade 2/3 (ABRSM) standard. She does not have very much confidence, and I can tell that, where she plays wrong notes, she often knows the right notes, but a lack of confidence and the resulting nervousness means that they then come out wrong. At the moment I find myself telling her that, after thoroughly learning the music, one has to tell oneself that it is actually all "there" and the less we worry about making mistakes, the better the playing will be and the higher our confidence level will be. But I feel that this is not helping her at the moment. Can anyone recommend any practical exercises for overcoming nervousness and increasing confidence?
At the moment I am not using any teaching books, but if anything I've said prompts a recommendation of a particular book, that would be great...

I would very much appreciate any advice on the above issues!

Many thanks

Matthew.

Matthew,

I've had success with using John Schaum's note speller with students ages 5-15. They are fun excercises, and students learn much by completing the excercises. I would all the students you've mentioned go through these books, as the basic foundation of musical rudiments seems to be lacking from them.

Also, regarding student number two, it seems that teaching the circle of fifths to a student at that age would be over their head. Try the note speller and the theory speller from the aformentioned author. It goes through theory, without being over young students' heads.

Hope this helps!

For student #1, I'd get him to agree to certain conditions. You will teach him what he wants to learn, if he practices what you tell him he needs to learn. I had a boy around this age who anted to do Jazz, and refused to work on anything else. Before I took him, I let him and his mother know that I was not a jazz pianist, and while I could help guide him in playing some jazz tunes, he'd have to agree to do the things I told him to because it would make him more capable of playing jazz well. With some time to adjust and some ups and downs, he finally agreed in action (as opposed to just saying OK) and his playing is taking off. Knowing that he would have to audition for college playing classical music in oder to later major in jazz piano helped too. I don't know how serious this kid is, but whatever it is that inspires him, help him learn the things he will need for that. Of course, he'll have to learn to play scales & chords so he can improvise within a key, as well as play chords underneath. If he agrees to it, then you can work on some pieces in his style of choice, while he also work son pieces that will help him become a better player.

Student #2 should really have pieces to play! I do like using a method book because it provides all that stuff in abundance. Piano Adventures by Faber & Faber is a good one to start. You don't have to go all the way up to level 5, I'd say just the first 3 books or so, then you can move him into ABRSM repertoire. As far as explaining the circle of 5ths...I don't. Not at the beginning. It is far too complicated a concept for most kids this age. I have them first work on a C major scale. Once they can do that hands together (usually after a few weeks), then I have them try to play a scale starting on G. I'll ask them which note sounded "weird" and we may play through it a few times for them to really hear it. They usually pick it out after that. Then I point out that because we're starting on a different note, we need to add an F# to make it sound right. I'll just continue on like that around the circle a bit. I will always ask them what the next scale is going to be by playing the first 5 ascending notes of the previous scale(on the sharp side), or play the first 5 descending notes (on the flat side). If they catch on quickly, I may even ask them to figure out the new sharp by going down a half step from the new tonic.

Student #3, do improvising with her. This will really help her to open up. Make sure you set parameters so that there is no way it could sound bad or wrong. I like to do improvs on the black keys. It is important you improvise together, so it's not a "performance". You can also improvise by emotion, like I have a list of about 60 different emotions. I have a student pick a number between 1-60 and then we find out what emotion that is. Then I ask, "How do you think excited would sound? Legato or staccato? Forte or piano? High notes or low notes? Fast or slow?" There are no wrong answers to any of these questions. Once you've nailed down some things, then ask her to improvise something say, fast and staccato on high notes. Assure her that the actual notes don't matter as much as it matters that it is high, fast and staccato. Sometimes if they really like it, it's fun to help them put it on notation software to really help define which notes they like better. They are very proud when they see a page come off the printer with their name in the Composer's place!

I'm not a piano teacher but I can respond as a student to #2 & #3. I took piano for eight years (ages 10-18) and never understood the circle of fifth. Because I was supposed to know it, I just faked it. I think what would have really helped me is if my teachers worked on intervals and what a third or fifth or a seventh is in different keys (when you get there).

Now as an adult, I'm student #3. My teacher has become a close friend, but when we are in our "lesson," my hands actually shake which makes it hard to press the right keys. My scales are off, and my fingering goes awry. But now, I play the "rough draft" and then immediately do it the second time and then usually by the third repetition, my nerves have calmed down. For pieces, I now start with two or three measures that gave me difficulty and I play those and narrate why I'm having problems. Then she asks me to play it from the beginning and I usually feel pretty good about the effort. Then, we talk about what I can improve on and we play together. Also, I notice that I do a lot better when I have a few minutes to run through things right before the lesson vs. when I go to the lesson straight from work.

Susan

P.S. I understand the theory behind the circle of fifths, but I can't really USE it yet to help me identify key signatures.

This student doesn't really know keyboard geometry, so isn't at the level you think she's at.

Although it's really difficult to diagnose by short postings, there are some general practices which would probably help you and her.

Get a repertoire book or series from a level below where you think she's at and start learning a large number of pieces. Keith Snell's Piano Repertoire series is carefully graded, as are many others, and would be a good place to start (pub. Kjos).

Even if she can stagger through the whole piece pretty much, identify troublesome measures and work on those, including the measure before and after. Often, it's helpful to work by phrases, so you might find that you're working in 4 measure groups. Keep the tempo very, very slow, untl the passage is executed correctly, several times in succession. You may have to work hands separately a couple of times. BTW, when my students are working HS, I generally will play the other line, so they hear the complete passage and are forced to stay in tempo.

Get a series which has fingering included and religiously stick to the suggested fingering. This is not because it came down from Mt. Sinai on engraved tablets, but because she lacks the wisdom at this point to invent her own fingering.

If you're not including scales and chords as part of the lesson, please consider doing so. They may be boring, in fact, I make a big deal with my students about how REALLY BORING they are, so that most tackle them with great delight, just to prove me wrong. And it really helps them learn keyboard geometry.

I'm a big believer in memorization and then continued playing so the piece percolates and improves. It doesn't make any difference what level the student is at. The more they repeat playing something familiar on the piano, the more comfortable they get.

Hope some of these ideas help.

John

Thats exactly right. I have had several students just like this one...in each case, I had to explain that the fundamentals of piano playing, and of music in general, are pretty much the same regardless of the style of music played.

Its the same scales, same chords, same fingers, same hands, same piano, etc.

I tell them, "lets get through this basic lesson book, then you will be able to play at this level, and thus be able to play this..." and I play the last song in the book, then something along the line of what they like that is equally simple.

So there is a goal to get through the book, and a reward at the end.

Hi!

My first reply & post!

I have been teaching piano for over 20 years and hope to share & learn from others.

All your students would really benefit from a course of study. I prefer Thompson, Bastian and sometimes Schaum with supplemental Dozen-A Day.
I also always teach scales right away because the fingering & basic knowledge
is so important.

I find positive encouragement the most helpful for those who are timid or nervous. Comfort and trust are so important and then even my shiest students open up when they are ready.

Good luck in your new teaching area.

Joan

I agree with Edwardian, that "comfort and trust" are tantamount. Also, don't forget the wonders of positive reinforcement. A few "good job" and "great work" go a long way, when well deserved.

I do this too with some students. One doesn't get particularly nervous, I don't think, but her first time through is always a bit rough. In fact for many students, that is how it is unless they were able to practice a little before the lesson. Believe it or not, a teacher can actually tell when a student knows something better than they are playing. They can always tell when a student practiced but when it's just not going well. Sometimes a 2nd run through helps a lot.

true, but the lesson should not be used for practice. This brings up a good point- practice. Emphasize

Emphasize PRACTICING over PLAYING while at home. The lesson should be reserved for mostly learning new material.

Tommytones

I don't believe anyone suggested using lessons for practice. Did I miss something?

I believe what most of us do is this: we keep talking about HOW to practice, and we spend a good deal of each lesson reinforcing better ways to practice or introducing new concepts (as music becomes more complex).

Students do not inherently know how to practice. They must be taught by example. Therefore, all lessons must include a considerable amount of actual practice with the student. I'm not saying that you spend the entire lesson or even entire pieces in practice at the lesson, but unless we teach them (just telling them does not work), they will not learn the skill and it will be completely our fault.

I wouldn't worry about the circle of fifths. I never was taught it outright but just picked up that if you hop up by a fifth you pick up another sharp until the flats start showing up ... and that hopping up by a fifth always gives you the seventh that resolves into that key. You probably won't need to say it out loud.

Jazz Kid is another matter. Ask him who his fave jazz players are and get him some bio on them. Chances are they'll have had some classical training. Just tell him that he needs to fill his toolbox before he starts building a house.

The circle of 5ths is one of the simplest things in music, if you know it.

To help those who don't, it's a matter of finding a way to explain it that clicks with their way of thinking.

Wow, I was student #1 when I was his age. I hated practising anything my teacher gave me, just stuff I wanted to do. Im a big fan of students like these following their musical desires. However, a good musician knows how to sight read, has good technique, theory knowledge, ear training, etc. I think the best thing you can do is take what they are interested in and use it to teach him/her something. For example, if you want to teach this student how to sightread, get him to write out his favorite pop tune on blank staff paper using key signitures, clefs, etc. If you want to teach him scales, get him to improvise using scales over his favorite R&B tune. If you want to teach him theory, teach him the intervals and chords that exist within one of his tunes. He needs to see that these rudiments are relevant. You can motivate him by finding some gospel/r&b music materials on youtube and show him some keyboard playing where those skills are used. Maybe he could transcribe it and try to play it. He might try to get it up to speed, and see why he needs this good technique. This would take place over a series of lessons, obviously. Good luck!

Cheeze...

Here is an example you could try: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5fXhoxJqQQ

This is Fred Hammond, gospel artist from the states with an insane band/choir to back him. There are several different bells/strings/lead sounds that the keyboardist does throughout this tune. Especially around 3:20 listen for the scale he is using with the lead sound. This might motivate your student.

Cheeze...

[quote=Minniemay]Students do not inherently know how to practice. They must be taught by example. Therefore, all lessons must include a considerable amount of actual practice with the student.

I agree with MinnieMae. By adding my comment about practicing, I was bringing up a relevant topic in piano pedagogy.

Tommy

Forget about teaching kids the Circle of 5th and cluttering their mind with useless theory. What is music, it is SOUND. Teach them to play by ear. Especially the first kid, if he's interested in jazz and improv.

This is how you play a song by ear:

-Take a simple melody, play it for him, then break the song down into 4 bars.
-Get him to SING ONLY the melody for the 4 bars. Repeat up to 10 times, so it's in his brain.
-Figure out what key the song is in
-then start playing right hand only the melody, singing the note out loud as he/she is playing
-work out the left hand chord progression and play separately
-put the hands together
-repeat with the next 4 bars...then piece them together, so 8 bars, 12... until you have the whole song

I don't know if your background is in classical or jazz, most gospel and R&B derive chords and scales from jazz. It's the rhythm that's altered.

Teach the standard 2-5-1 chord progression.

Same with the 7 year old, forget the note reading and focus on the sound. Play him middle C, get him to sing it and internalize C, go up and down the register, and then let him play the key. Do that with all keys.

Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles was blind, they sure have no problems playing the blues or R&B!

To the illiterate, language is sound—and only sound. To disregard reading notation seems like a recipe for remaining musically illiterate.

Steven