My style of teaching is to get a student playing simple songs as quickly as possible. Especially songs from an artist they love. While this might not always be possible with styles like classical or jazz it is not always as difficult as it may seem. Many popular songs throughout time have been made up of three simple chords. Take U2's hit Bad for example. That haunting melody makes me grin each time I play it. It's one I taught myself to play a long time ago and it's yet to lose its hold on me.
As teachers we have a responsibility to keep our students engaged and interested from the very first lesson. Once you've gained that trust, convinced them that playing music is well within their grasp and fired that spark in their soul, you have captured their attention and made them receptive to more advanced concepts that will ultimately round out their studies. Before long they will be playing more complex pieces, understanding the theory behind those charts, yearn for more education, and begin to write and perform their own tunes.
Start with basic chords. Chords that ultimately turn into songs they love. They don't need to know the theory behind those chords at this point in their education. All they need to do is feel the spine tingling satisfaction that comes from playing music they love. A few sips from that magical chalice and they will return to the font with little or no provocation.
It pains me to think how many more lives may have been enriched by a life of playing music if only more teachers had taken the time to make music study fun first and technical further down the road.
Playing music should be just that...play. I'm yet to have the student ask me to teach them to work music. They want to learn to PLAY music.
Remember, make it fun. Earn their interest, make them play.
Stay tuned for more on how to make music instruction fun.
Thanks, from Studio 618.
This is Anthony Caraffa, and that's a wrap.
No comments:
Post a Comment