Accompaniment struggles
Found in: Accompaniment
Jessica H., Utah
I have a 7-year-old student in Level 3. He plays beautifully and has a strong ear for music. He really struggles with accompaniment, though. He understands the chords and can play each chord on its own. But when playing songs, he skips lines, plays lines more than once, skips measures, etc. I decided to delay accompaniment and come back to it when he’s a little older and more mature. Thoughts?
Leeanne I., Australia
It sounds like he is struggling with two thought processes: following the page and playing. Try pointing to the chords while he is playing. I find most of my students find Accompaniment a bit difficult at first, but once it clicks, they find it easy and love it. Just persist.
Ian M., Indiana
With younger kids, I’ve sometimes found that there’s more that needs to be pointed out in terms of tracing the order of events and defining what terms mean. What is a measure, how many times do you play the ratio per measure, what happens if there’s more than one chord symbol per measure, etc. Another helpful idea for younger kids is to put in repeat chord symbols when they’d normally be left out because it’s the same chord – mapping the piece so that there is a chord symbol for every incidence of the song’s ratio.
I wouldn’t do it for everyone; just those for whom it’s developmentally appropriate.
Cate R., Australia
He also could have an eye tracking problem. Does he sing or you or parents sing? Some kids find accompaniment doesn’t make sense without the lyrics. I would stick with it but go slower and use it in every lesson. Just playing to his strengths isn’t doing your student justice.
Unmani U., Australia
The eye tracking occurs to me. Get four meters/yards away and watch his body in profile. Watch for ease/not ease.
Terah W., Kansas
It does sound like a “readiness” issue. I feel certain that some aspect of the mysteries of how the brain starts and continues the decoding process of reading is part and parcel of what you are dealing with here. I’d just be cool about it and keep doing what you are doing. You are going to have a front seat to the fun stuff that follows.
And no, I wouldn’t press him at all. Be encouraging and appreciative of his effort.
Georgia H., Australia
Have him play along with the music.
Mandy H., Virginia
My younger students are trying to play from memory and will do it even when they’re allegedly looking at the page. Once they’ve learned the mistakes, though, it’s hard to unlearn them, and the more you try to point it out, the more stressed they become. Stress doesn’t help. Maybe move on to the next, but be sure to control the events of transitions more carefully. Also, let him write out the form in his own way, using shapes or letters for each sentence. That will tell you whether he understands the order but then goes on auto-pilot while he plays.