Reading
Reading Rhythm – dotted notes and ties
My first student is at the end of Reading Rhythm! Question: for the student, dotted notes and ties aren’t as confident as I wish they’d be. What would you do in this case (he has no trouble with rests)? Would you move on anyway to…
Reading Rhythm for students with prior experience
I have a brother/sister shared lesson who can read music (although not confidently) and I’ve just assigned their first MOR. Next would be to ask them to take the rhythms to the keys over 5SS. Being that they can read music, would you still do…
Help in confidently teaching Reading Rhythm
I need some help in teaching the Reading Rhythm course. I am beginning my second year with Simply Music and I love it. Now it’s time to start several students into RR. One student is an adult, played in the school band, and is familiar…
Accelerating reading for band student
My shy, gentle 9th-grade girl student who is about mid-way through TFMM has started high school band playing vibraphone with a drill sergeant teacher who expects her to read sophisticated and complex rhythms and notes, and she is struggling. She said “It’s all been fun…
Reading Notes: Identifying location points
I need some reading advice please. Ellen has been with me for 7 years – a hardworking teenager. Getting started in a reading piece is the issue. Once she’s off and running, she gets all the reading strategies she’s been taught in an applied way.…
Student unable to identify notes on staff
I have an extremely dedicated mom (5 years of lessons, with all 3 of her kids) who is concerned that her oldest, who just celebrated his 200th lesson last week, does not recognize note names very quickly. I am wondering if there are any suggestions…
Incorporating sheet music when students are reading
I’m curious how to handle Foundation/Arrangements once studets are in Level 6 and up when we’re actively reading music at that point. Do I keep the music books closed and work with the pieces from a purely playing-based perspective since students should still watch the…
Reading Rhythm help – rests
Could someone please let me know what you tell your students to do with the lines with bar lines on the right hand side of page 32 in Reading Rhythm? Introducing rest names. It’s just used for students to practice writing rests. I have them…
Using SM sheet music to supplement playing-based learning
I have a piano student who has already been introduced to sight reading from a former teacher. Is there any reason they can’t learn the song via pattern playing first, then switch over to the sheet music instead of waiting until level 4 or 5?…
Does our license allow the use of outside reading materials?
If the agreement that we (as teachers) signed says we can’t teach other methods in addition to Simply Music, does that mean we can’t use other music books (not Simply Music) to teach the same method? I have a student who is almost ready to…