how to play

Showing all 7 results in how to play

When To Move Ahead

I have been teaching an 8 year old for 4 months. He’s a really bright kid and generally picks things up pretty quickly. We are just finishing up Chester and I’d like to begin Ode to Joy this week. The reason I haven’t moved ahead…

“What to do” vs “How to do”

Separating the “what to do” from the “how to do” – on a basic level, I see this as separating patterns of pitch from rhythm. But I know there is a better analogy for understanding this concept. Anyone have any insight? What to do: what…

Introducing dynamics

When are dynamics introduced? By the end of Level 1 I’m having students work through “how to play” songs they know pretty well. We discuss telling the story of each song with expression. I think it is a conversation you can start having in context…

Wrist Position – Technique

I have a student whose grandmother has the whole family concerned about the position wrists are held while playing. While I have often reminded students to lower shoulders, or alter the wrist position to try to increase their comfort, I haven’t really noticed anything obvious…

Decoding Strategies Sheet

This is a great topic, and applying the SM strategies is a skill that does take lots of practice.  Below is what I have called a ‘decoding sheet’ which I put together to help remember the steps to take while developing the skill to take…