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 Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 12:10 pm
How do you teach children to understand notes and rhythm?
I just recently started teaching guitar and I don't remember much from the
time I began my guitar lessons. Nor do I have experience in teaching. It's
been exciting. mrgreen
Children are at age seven ... to eleven years.
And I'm curious of how did everyone's first intrument lesson go?
I remember the class room, building, teacher, that there were two other,
older kids with me..
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Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:51 am
Well, I recently started teaching a 6 now 7 year old on piano and I was in the same situation. I followed the book really and its working.
It starts with learning each type of note slowly, what it looks like how many beats it is. I started with the quarter note one lesson, learned the half note the next week, and now were on the whole note. The book has the kids draw the note several times, and tap or say the rhyhms out loud. Also when thier learning songs it helps to have them tap or say the rhythms out loud before they start also.
As tedious as some of the simple things children do to to learn, like drawing note over and over and counting. It's there to train their brain to learn habits. I have to try to remember that their not at the same thinking level as me. I have to bring myself down to their thinking and teach them in a way they understand, as well as talk in a way that keeps their attention. You almost have to think like a child to teach a child. Also might I suggest stickers.
It's amazing what some children will do for a sticker. Its like the sticker is an actual trophy. I give my student stickers for every page they pass off and learn well. Then I give him one to take home after the lesson.
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Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 12:33 am
Well... I used to teach drumset in Cantonese, so it won't apply for you. But you could probably find a way to create a similar system. We used the names of fruit to talk in rhythm.
Strawberry had 4 syllables and was used as semi-quaver
Apple had 2, used as quaver
Orange had 1 used as crochet
A uhh... "hard orange" was a minim
I also tell stories about the actual notes. A minim is slower than a crochet, for example, because it has run out of fuel. You can tell because it's empty. And a quaver is wearing Nike shoes.
My first piano lesson was quite the nightmare. The teacher assumed that I had absolutely no knowledge of the piano and did not ask me to show what I already knew. I had to start from scratch even though I had been improvising nursery rhymes with their proper chords months before I had my first lesson. I was deathly afraid of piano lessons (my teacher was a grouchy old woman) until much later, when I picked it up again with a different teacher at my own accord.
My advice to you, as an informal private music teacher, is to be sensitive to your students' needs. I tailor my classes differently to suit each individual. It's important to take the initiative in asking THEM questions and figuring out what they want to get from playing music.
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Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 12:48 pm
I know I'm far from being a good teacher. Thank you for the replies, I will definitely try that drawing part. I need to think about applying the other ones.
After I had held my first lessons ever, my guitar teacher told that they'll remember the first lesson for forever.
as for my first guitar lesson, I was very nervous and shy. Didn't dare to play because there were others in the classroom...
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Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 6:44 pm
I dont remember my first lesson, and it was a year ago. I do remember the day I picked my first instrument. I was like 10 or 11. Anyways, I ended up getting quite good at flute and now im an oboist.
When I picked flute I remember very clearly my teacher telling me I wouldnt be able to play it because of my lips or something. She kept trying to steer me into something else. I was a quiet but stubborn child though, you couldnt tell me I couldnt do something. I would try to prove you wrong. I think that characteristic helped me when I picked up the oboe.
------------------------------
Come to think of it. My teacher recently told me I probably wouldnt be able to learn all my music for this competition in time. Im taking on one 5 min song and now instead of half of a concerto i've decided today im taking on the whole thing. I have 4 weeks. I think I can do it.
Darn my stubborness...
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Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 1:17 am
It's a good thing. ;] This happened about three years ago.. I had my third exam (, guitar,) coming in two weeks and I haven't had practised much, my teacher snapped and he said I won't be able to pass it! Etcetc He sentenced me to failure and I got stubborn about it (I was very resentful too) and passed it~ 8D
That's awful! Teacher should encourage students not push them away. D: That reminds me that one of my students parents has asked many times can she do it (play the guitar)... I think the child needs to decide that by herself..? That's what I think. :]
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Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:40 am
Though I can't offer any advice on HOW to teach music..what I can offer are my experiences with taking private lessons.
I started taking private lessons when I was in the 6th grade [which admittedly is quite a while ago..], and though I hated lessons in general, my teacher always had some sort of treat to give at the end of each lesson. You know those HUGE tins with butter cookies that most often make their appearance around the holidays? At the end of each lesson, while I was packing away my instrument, he'd dissapear into his kitchen and come back with a little cupcake foilcup with two or three cookies in it. On a day that lesson was particularily bad [I would occasionally go home crying], the cookies would always help calm me down.
For some reason, the cookies I got from him seemed more special than regular cookies [though I knew exactly what brand they were and could buy them at my local gorcery store if I wanted to], and I'd often save them until I got home instead of eating them on the car ride home.
After so many years with him the cookies did stop, and it was a gradual thing, so by the time I stopped recieving them, I was okay with dealing with a bad session and would always return next week in a better mood. Of course we're all human and occasionally I'd hold that grudge until the next time I saw him, but even though I don't take lessons with him anymore, I still recieve phone calls from him and I just about melt whenever I hear his voice because it brings back so many good memories.
I know teachers don't get to hear this a lot, but you guys really do shape people's lives for the better heart
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Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2009 5:15 pm
I remember that I played a lot of games at my first lessons.. I was only six or seven though. We used flashcards so I could learn to read music, etc, and I took theory a few years later to learn even more.
I found listening to the music while following along with the sheetmusic very helpful as a child.
Suzuki method for the win, I guess.
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Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 10:21 am
If anyone's still checking this thread, i'd like to confirm this:
do you teach one thing at a time? like when the kid is playing a piece, i remind him/her to look at how his/her hand is, is the pose(?) correct..
and i find myself unable to give advice when they can play the song from the beginning to the end. (there's usually no interpretation or passion in the song, they're playing it technically & slowly quite right) however they have only played guitar for ~six months.
Any hints about that? i guess i can help the kids with some clear mistakes but not subtle things.
I hope you understand what i mean.
JulianFai,
I should bribe them with cookies/candy biggrin and maybe not afterwards so they'll have time to get the energy out of the sugar for my class too. ;] thank you for telling <3
Lime Kiss,
I don't know Suzuki method but I've heard the name. smile Is it about repeating after repeating?
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Posted: Thu May 07, 2009 8:46 pm
As far as teaching one thing at a time. Before a child goes to play a song I ask them questions about it first. What is the time sig? Im worling on dynamics too so I may ask, What dynamics does it want you to play? things like that, to teach the child to look at these things before they decide to play. I want the to be aware for themselves.
And I think its more important that they understand the technicallities of the songs first just like you described. At first anyways. If they grow to really love the music, I think the feeling and passion will come in time when they understand it. It can be taught as well and should be eventually, but I think that might be a matter of age, understanding, and experience.
Oh and I find that stickers work extremely well as a bribe with younger children. For older you might want to go with candy or cookies though.
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:38 am
piano pedagogy is a b**** ><' when i firrst started learning violin though, the teacher was like ohh practice different rhythms with words with a certain number of syllables x] so i guess that works. not that im a violinist now...so i dunno xP when i teach little kids piano sometimes..the hardest thing is keeping them interested in the piece they are learning >.< also dun forget good ol' scales and technique etc. technique being defined by me as the capability to play some scale or arpeggio in whatever key/inversion/interval/rhythm/dynamic i can call out, be it in contrary motion or otherwise. technique is importante kiddos cool (unfortunately most every kid never wants to sit at the piano, or with any other instrument for that matter, and play "x" scale however many times)
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