Curriculum

Transcribing question: in the score for Greensleeves, do the eighth notes in the RH have to be written in groups of 3 because of the 6/8 time signature? Rather than the groups of 4 we have been used to seeing in RR? Yes, because in…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• 6/8, A Traveler's Tale, Amazing Grace, cycles of 3, cycles of 4, eighth notes, Greensleeves, melody for Amazing Grace, reading, reading concerns, reading problems, reading rhythm, RR, teaching reading, time signature, transcribing, transcribing Reading Rhythm - transcribing, transcribing rhythm, transcription, Traveler's Tale, triplet, triplets

I can’t find an answer to this one, so I’m going to put it out there. The Songs for Children: Chords Used chart shows several songs that supposedly use Minor chords. Could someone please explain? Is it, at some point (maybe after introducing minor chords),…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• Chords Used, Chords Used chart, Elizabeth Gaikwad, songs for children

I am in my first go-round of teaching Reading Rhythm. I think it’s going alright, and I have looked through the ECL archives, etc, but I still just would love to hear more ideas from you all of how exactly it looks in your studio,…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• Laurie Richards, masters of the rhythm, mor, MORs, note disc, note disk, notes disc, notes disk, processing MORs, reading rhythm, RR, transcribing, transcribing Reading Rhythm - transcribing, transcribing rhythm

Sorry, it’s me again (have a few things floating around in my mind at the moment : ) A parent queried me re the diagrams this week, and I’m looking for a solid answer. The question is: why do some songs have substantial learning clues…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• brains and patterns, diagram, diagrams, Dreams, Dreams Come True, identifying patterns, Laurie Richards, learning clues, Lullaby, Night Storm, patterns, reference clues, remembering patterns, teaching Lullaby, understanding diagrams

I have a new adult student in her late 50s who started with me last week. She was given a lovely digital piano from her husband for Christmas and given subsequent traditional lessons with the piano salesman which didn’t work out for her although her…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• arthritis, deformed hand, finger positions, hand, hand position, hand positioning, hand positions, position, positioning, positions, posture, wrist position

I’d like to talk about how I’m finding and using the Ballads, Songs and Vignettes recordings in my studio. There are so many aspects I’ve numbered them. Here are some benefits I see for my students . 1.They counter a mentality I often see that…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• adding expression, Ballads Songs & Vignettes, BSV, expression, expressive playing, getting student to slow down, musical expression, playing fast vs slow, playing slowly, playing with expression, slow-steady-musical-even, slowing down

I have a student who is flying through the steps in the Jazz program. He can play the Mirron as a piano solo (with exact rhythm), with Jazz clue 1 and 2, and has almost completed all of the “dropping in” exercises for the the Mirron using just…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• comping, dropping in, ensemble, ensemble playing, Gordon Harvey, jazz, Jazz 1, jazz clue 1, jazz clue 2, Jazz Clue 3, Jazz Clue 4, jazz clues, jazz program, JC, The Mirron

I have noticed that a difficult time for many parents is right before the reading program starts. At around 15 month point, parents are expecting their children to be reading fully and start to get afraid that SM will stunt their ability to read. I have been talking…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• delay the reading process, delaying reading, introducing reading, not reading fast enough, not reading soon enough, parent pushing reading, parents anxious to read, reading as the goal, reading concerns, reading expectations, reading preparation, reading program, reading readiness, starting reading, student wants only to read, when to introduce reading

I have one student who is really struggling to get the “swing” feel for Alma Mater Blues and also Rocking Honey. It seems for some it comes so naturally, and for others, it’s a huge effort. We verbalise the “here’s humpty dumpty”, we clap the…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• Alma Mater Blues, dosage, dose, doses, Gordon Harvey, Honey Dew, humpty, humpty dumpty, microdose, small doses, smaller dose, smaller doses, swing rhythm, swing rhythms

Hi everybody – is there an optimal/preferable way to process Jazz pieces and JC 1-4? Option 1: start with the Mirron and process all 4 Jazz Clues, then move on to the next piece, all 4 clues….vs. Option 2: Learn each song with Jazz Clue…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• jazz, Jazz 1, jazz clue 1, jazz clue 2, Jazz Clue 3, Jazz Clue 4, jazz clues, jazz program, jazz program questions, JC, Laurie Richards, Robin Keehn