About The Method

One of my new students (a 16 year old, very disciplined at practicing, and he and his Dad both love SM so far, he is on Jackson Blues) just told me today that he is also learning some extra songs (songs he likes and knows…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• base tools, developing generative skills, generative, generative learning, generative students, generative tools, importance of playlist, learning clues, learning tools, learning tools and strategies, managing playlist, managing the playlist, mastery of tools, outside materials, outside music, outside pieces, outside repertoire, PB, pieces outside the program, playing-based, playing-based strategies, playing-based tools, Playlist, playlist management, reference clues, self generating, self generative, self-generate, self-generation, songs outside the repertoire, students teaching, students teaching each other, teaching, teaching clues, teaching outside music, teaching students to coach, tools, tools and strategies, YouTube

Is there any such thing as readiness in the Simply Music process? I am teaching a very bright little girl who is 6, but she is struggling even with the five fingers over five notes after 6 lessons. She can play the right hand of…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• adapting for young students, BH, both hands, communication, control the events, controlling the events, CTE, dose, doses, getting student to slow down, hands together, HT, it takes as long as it takes, learning slowly, moving slowly, multiple thought processes, Ode to Joy, Ode to Joy BH, patience with slow learners, playing slowly, playing-based, practicing slowly, putting hands together in Ode to Joy, readiness, ready, separate hands, SH, single thought process, single thought processes, slow learner, slow pace, slow progress, slowing down, small doses, small hands, smaller dose, smaller doses, starting younger students, STP, struggle, struggling, teaching very young students, teaching young children, teaching young students, trouble with hands together, young children, young students, younger siblings

How would you answer this question from a parent? “Why does the way we learn 7th chords only have 3 notes? To make a F#m7, isn’t that an A chord?” I’m very comfortable with the practical application of the voicing idea between the notes over both…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• 7th chords, accomp, Accompaniment‏, accompaniment 1, accompaniment program, chord diagrams, chord inversions, chord strategies, chord structure, chord theory, chord voicings, chords, defending accompaniment, extended chords, forming chords, identifying chords, inheriting chords, Laurie Richards, learning chords, playing chords, playing-based, playing-based strategies, playing-based tools, root chords, shortcuts, theory, trick, tricks, voicing chords

In this webinar, Laurie discusses some tips for managing several different streams in the curriculum and answers teacher questions. Topics include: Introduction & Purpose (0:05) When to Teach Variations & Arrangements (1:05) Expected Level of Mastery (07:25) Planning Your Training (11:03) Teacher Questions: Comp &…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• arrangements, fitting in all the streams, lesson planning, multiple streams, repertoire review, song order, student mastery, time management, training time, variations

The Introductory Session has always been a successful marketing tool for Simply Music teachers. However, we live in a different world now than when the FIS was first created. We now have the opportunity to share how learning with the Simply Music method can equip…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• communicating benefits, FIS, introductory session, music education role, relevance of music

I have an adult, private student who came to me already reading. She is near the end of Foundation Level 6, has completed Reading Rhythm and Reading Notes, and is working her way through Read n Play. I’m realizing I’ve procrastinated on introducing Time for…

• Last updated 8 years ago
• big picture, Laurie Richards, playing-based strategies, Robin Keehn, simplicity of TFMM, tfmm, Time for More Music, value of TFMM

In many SM pieces, learning by the playing-based strategies, I very quickly see chords. For example, Dark Blue starts with an A flat chord plus G. Lullaby has C, F, and G chords all over the right hand part. It’s almost like my brain sorts…

• Last updated 8 years ago
• Accompaniment‏, chords, discovering chords, Laurie Richards, seeing chords in songs, seeing songs chordally

I taught a student yesterday who had trouble understanding half-steps (introduced in order to learn Bishop Street Blues). She successfully learned the chords just by learning their geography, but I’d like to return to the concept from another angle. Any suggestions? You know how the…

• Last updated 8 years ago
• bishop street blues, foundation 1, half steps, Laurie Richards, teaching half steps

When do you record your students’ playing? I’m at a point where I should be able to become certified, but I haven’t been good at doing the student recordings because I feel like it’s unfair to them to take up their class time with recording…

• Last updated 8 years ago
• recording students, student recordings, teacher certification, teacher certification requirements

I have a very talented student who has a keyboard and he learns songs from the tutorials on the keyboard, i.e. Fur Elise. The version he has learned is more difficult than the Fur Elise in Foundation 2. I’m afraid he won’t want to learn…

• Last updated 8 years ago
• cross pollination, Foundation 2 Fur Elise, Fur Elise, learning strategies, playing-based, playing-based tools