About The Method

What are some top reasons that you think playing based is a useful approach? One for me: It helps the student see the piece holistically – understanding through patterns the form of a piece. (The ‘puzzle pieces’ as it were.) My favorite is just that…

• Last updated 3 weeks ago
• applying PB strategies to music, benefits, communicating benefits, confidence as a student, expressive playing, freedom, identifying patterns, Laurie Richards, LAWOL, learning a new way of learning, learning a way of learning, learning by doing, learning strategies, learning tools, learning tools and strategies, memorization, memorizing, memorizing harder pieces, memorizing pieces, memorizing reading pieces, memorizing songs, notation, number of songs on playlist, patterns, PB, playing, playing fluently, playing with expression, playing without looking at hands, playing-based, playing-based strategies, playing-based tools, playing-based while reading, Playlist, playlist size, rate of learning, reading, reading-based, remember, remembering, remembering patterns, size of playlist, speed of learning, using playing-based tools while reading

A teacher asked what are the benefits in transitioning from being a Licensed Teacher to a Certified Teacher. Here is Neil Moore’s response. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4ZjB91gzcI Original video posted April 5, 2017

• Last updated 1 month ago
• benefits, benefits of teaching, certification, children filling out evaluation forms, evaluation form, evaluation forms, evaluations, family involvement, family learning, license, licensing, multiple family members, Neil Moore, Neil's Responses (YouTube Videos), progress, status, student evaluation forms, teacher certification, teacher certification requirements, teacher status, teacher training, teaching experience, teaching family, teaching family members, teaching simply music and family, training, training the trainer, training time

A student has note names taped to the piano keys. What do I do? Have you ever seen an instance where this was necessary? I don’t want them to get used to that. I always say it’s cheating and it makes the process 10 times…

• Last updated 2 months ago
• geography of keyboard, key, key names, key naming, keyboard geography, keyboards, Laurie Richards, learning note names, names taped on keys, names written on keys, naming keys, naming notes, naming the keys, note names, note naming, piano keys, stickers, stickers on keys, writing names on keys, writing note names on keys

Kat Marie’s Facebook Marketing Initiative Hi all. Several of you have been asking about how to advertise online for students. I said I would share anything that I came across. . One of our newer Simply Music Teachers, Kat Marie, has been posting about her…

• Last updated 2 months ago
• advice about FIS, advice on FIS, attending FIS, benefits of online lessons, Calendly, distance lessons, facebook, facebook business page, Facebook Messenger, Facebook private page, FaceTime, first introductory session, FIS, FIS followup, FIS for traditional piano teachers, FIS handouts, FIS transcribed, free information session, free introductory session, free introductory session chat, Free Introductory Sessions, Google Hangouts, importance of FIS, info session, information session, intro session, introductory session, leading a FIS, learning online, learning via webcam, marketing, marketing online, marketing to adults, marketing to homeschoolers, marketing to traditional teachers, Messenger, My Music Staff, Neil Moore, online, online FIS, online learning, online lessons, presenting FIS, recorded FIS, recording FIS, scheduling FIS, screen share, screen sharing, share screen, Skype, social media, students attending FIS, teaching online, using a webcam to teach, videoconference software, Zoom

Has anybody had to do their introductory session online yet ? Has anybody thought about recording themselves talking and sending it to possible future students or post it live on Facebook ? I don’t know if I’d do a recorded version as I believe it…

• Last updated 2 months ago
• advice about FIS, advice on FIS, attending FIS, benefits of online lessons, distance lessons, facebook, facebook business page, Facebook private page, first introductory session, FIS, FIS followup, FIS for traditional piano teachers, FIS handouts, FIS transcribed, free information session, free introductory session, free introductory session chat, Free Introductory Sessions, importance of FIS, info session, information session, intro session, introductory session, leading a FIS, learning online, learning via webcam, live stream video, live video, managing videos, Neil Moore, online, online FIS, online learning, online lessons, presenting FIS, recorded FIS, recording FIS, scheduling FIS, screen share, screen sharing, share screen, students attending FIS, taking videos, teaching online, technology, using a webcam to teach, video, videoconference software, videos, YouTube

In the TTMs Notes for Foundation Level 5 song In My Eyes (5.1), there is a reference to “Fragmenting-Layering” in 5.1.2. I know what fragmenting is, but layering in this context is confusing to me. 🤔 In the TTM video Neil does say something about…

• Last updated 3 months ago
• applying PB strategies to music, FL5, Foundation 5, foundation level 5, fragmenting, Fragmenting-Layering, fragments, In My Eyes, layer, layering, learning strategies, learning tools, learning tools and strategies, Level 5, library, playing-based strategies, shapes, single thought process, single thought processes, STP, strategies, tool, tools, tools and strategies

In Church Song, Level 7, one of the learning strategies is “Locking”. Could I get a clearer definition of what the locking strategy involves? Here’s the definition: Locking: A learning strategy where the hands essentially lock their ‘shape’ into place, but move from one position…

• Last updated 3 months ago
• applying PB strategies to music, Church Song, FL7, foundation level 7, glossary, hand position, hand positioning, hand positions, learning strategies, learning tools, learning tools and strategies, Level 7, library, locking, Neil Moore, Neil’s compositions, playing-based strategies, position, positioning, positions, shapes, strategies, tool, tools, tools and strategies

Could someone explain the “mapping” strategy? I’ve noticed it a few times in the TTM, but I’d like to make sure I understand it completely. Here is an official definition: Observing any section or piece of music as a series of shapes, and assembling those…

• Last updated 5 months ago
• applying PB strategies to music, geography, geography of keyboard, keyboard geography, Laurie Richards, learning strategies, learning tools and strategies, mapping, playing-based, playing-based strategies, playing-based tools, shapes, strategies, tools and strategies

Two questions: 1) How do practice requirements change through the foundation levels? Level one is 15-20 minutes, but as their repertoire grows, it would seem they need more time to keep everything alive and also with the addition of multiple streams and songs getting more complicated. 2)…

• Last updated 5 months ago
• at home practice, best practices, dropping songs off playlist, encouraging practice, enhancing practice, extra practice time, frequency of practice, how to practice, keeping playlist alive, keeping playlists, keeping the playlist alive, Laurie Richards, managing playlist, managing practice, managing practice time, managing the playlist, managing time, number of songs on playlist, Play it Forward, Playlist, playlist management, playlist size, practic, practice, practice frequency, practice guidelines, practice habits, practice ideas, practice time, practicing, practicing guidelines, repertoire, repertoire review, retiring pieces, retiring songs, size of playlist, time at piano, time management, time on the piano

A parent asked me tonight “when will my daughter be able to hear a song, and just know how to play it with all the chords and in the right key?” I was unsure how to answer this, so of course I told the truth,…

• Last updated 5 months ago
• Accompaniment‏, chord, chord structure, chord theory, chords, communication, different facets of musicianship, ear training, expectation, expectations, FIS, four goals, free introductory session, goals, Gordon Harvey, Laurie Richards, managing expectations, matching pitch, musicianship, parent expectation, parental expectations, perfect pitch, pitch, play-by-ear, playing by ear, playing by ear method, playing chords, relative pitch, SM goals, standard of musicianship, talking about expectations