Practicing & Playlists

I think sometimes students do mindless repetition for practice without breaking it down in such a way that the brain retains the piece. I had a student today who struggles with remembering her pieces so we just slowly went through a series of questions and…

• Last updated 7 months ago
• aural cues, bad memory, cognitive understanding, conscious learning, deliberate practice, key names, key naming, LAWOL, learning, learning a new way of learning, learning a way of learning, learning from SHMs, learning from video, learning note names, learning strategies, learning tools, learning tools and strategies, listing learning tools and strategies, memorization, memorizing, memorizing harder pieces, memorizing pieces, memorizing songs, memory, memory issues, memory muscle, memory problem, mindfulness, muscle memory, naming keys, naming notes, naming the keys, note names, note naming, overcoming memory problems, playing-based strategies, playing-based tools, remember, remembering, remembering arrangements, remembering patterns, remembering variations, single thought process, single thought processes, STP, strategies, tips on remembering arrangements, tool, tools, tools and strategies

Please read this post with the mindset that a student is playing too fast and you CAN’T slow them down they are great students and they totally on board for the long term relationship they don’t have any other problems other than slowing down (…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• audio, audio materials, audio recording, Audio recordings, audio SHMs, breaking things down, control the events, controlling the events, counting, counting rhythms, CTE, deliberate practice, external rewards, external speaker, external speakers, extrinsic rewards, fast playing, getting student to slow down, gifts, how to play, how to practice, internal metronome, intrinsic rewards, learning slowly, listening to audio recordings, listening to the audio recordings, metronome, motivation, play along, playing along with audio, playing fast vs slow, playing slowly, playing speed, playing too fast, playing with audio tracks, poor practice, practice, practice guidelines, practice habits, practicing, practicing guidelines, practicing slowly, rewards, slow practice, slow-steady-musical-even, slowing down, speaking instructions out loud, SSME, stickers, student rewards, teaching how to practice, using audio recordings, using audio tracks, using the audio recordings to learn songs, visualize, visualize practice, what to play, working with parents on how to practice

A new adult student with a small amount of previous experience told me that it’s hard for her to watch her hands because she took a beginning piano class in college with a teacher who insisted that students never look at their hands and would…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• comparing traditional to Simply Music, eyes on hands, eyes on sheet music, eyes on the page, look at hands, look at sheet music, looking at hands, looking at page, looking at sheet music, looking at the page, outside reading knowledge, PB, playing-based, playing-based while reading, previous reading knowledge, prior reading experience, RB, reading, reading concerns, reading music, reading problems, reading process, reading program, reading-based, sight reading, SM vs traditional, source from the page, source instructions from the page, starting SM with traditional students, student wants only to read, students that already read music, students who already read, tracking the page, traditional, traditional background, traditional experience, traditional student, traditional students, traditional students to SM, traditional to Simply Music, traditional vs. Simply Music, traditional vs. simply music reading, traditionally trained, transitioning into SM, transitioning students, transitioning to SM, transitioning traditional students, using playing-based tools while reading, watch hands, watch sheet music, watching hands, watching page, watching sheet music, watching the page

I have an adult student asking if there’s anyway to slow down the audio songs in order to play along with them. She’s in Level 6 and would love to play along with the Gaz, and others but esp. the Gaz. Maybe something corp. adds…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• Amazing Slow Downer, audacity, audio, audio materials, audio options, audio recording, Audio recordings, audio SHMs, change audio speed, changing audio speed, download audio, downloading audio, getting student to slow down, learning slowly, listening to audio recordings, listening to the audio recordings, Music Speed Changer, playing along with audio, playing fast vs slow, playing slowly, playing speed, playing with audio tracks, practicing slowly, QuickTime, slow down audio, slow practice, slow-steady-musical-even, slowing down, tempo, using audio recordings, using audio tracks, using the audio recordings to learn songs, YouTube

Here is something that every one of my students have above their pianos. Obviously if your students are in the lower foundations, intervals, counting would not be needed but I find it a great tool to help remind them what boxes need to be ticked.…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• at home practice, audio recording, Audio recordings, audio SHMs, best practices, BH, both hands, deliberate practice, enhancing practice, external speaker, external speakers, hands together, how to practice, HT, managing practice, managing practice time, play along, playing along with audio, playing with audio tracks, practice, practice guidelines, practice habits, practice ideas, practice routine, practice time, separate hands, SH, slow practice, speaking instructions out loud, teaching how to practice, together right, trouble with hands together, using audio recordings, using audio tracks, voice, writing intervals

Metaphor I came up with today while coaching a student, expanding on the notion of working slowly to learn quickly. Student wasn’t speaking instructions. I reminded. Student resisted, said it’s harder. I said, you know what? You’re right. It’s harder to do two things at…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• control the events, controlling the events, CTE, external speaker, external speakers, fast playing, getting student to slow down, how fast to move, how quickly students learn, learning pace, learning slowly, learning strategies, learning tools and strategies, pace, pace of learning, playing fast vs slow, playing slowly, playing speed, playing too fast, playing-based strategies, practicing slowly, resistant students, slow practice, slow-steady-musical-even, slowing down, speaking instructions out loud, speed of learning, speed of progress, strategies, student processing and resisting approach, students moving quickly, students speed of progress, tools and strategies

Funny sometimes the things that we need to teach/share with our students. This week we talked about performing without ‘giving away’ the fact that you had a stumble. After the conversation, one of my students played “Sit by My Side” with some imperfections BUT didn’t…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• errors, handling mistakes, improvise through mistakes, keep going through mistakes, mistakes, playing through mistakes

I’m curious about the psychology behind the brain’s ability to increase the speed of muscle memory (play a song faster), but its struggle to decrease the speed of the same task. Anyone? Not an expert neurological answer, but: Speed comes with familiarity and comfort. Slowness…

• Last updated 3 years ago
• adding expression, automatic, automaticity, competence, control the events, controlling the events, creating awareness, CTE, deliberate practice, expression, expressive playing, fast playing, flexibility, getting student to slow down, knowing, learning slowly, memory muscle, mindfulness, muscle memory, musical expression, Neil Moore, neurology, playing fast vs slow, playing slowly, playing speed, playing too fast, playing with expression, practicing slowly, psychology, self expression, slow practice, slow-steady-musical-even, slowing down, speed of learning, tempo, thoughtlessness

Looking for some advice…I have student who stutters everytime he starts to play. He’ll replay his starting note numerous times before finally getting into the song. Once he gets going, he plays well. But if there’s a break in his playing, or the start of…

• Last updated 3 years ago
• anxiety, anxious, anxious student, autism, autism spectrum, autistic, autistic student, autistic students, beginning notes, beginning song, breaking things down, calm, control the events, controlling the events, CTE, dosage, dose, doses, first notes, fragmenting, fragments, getting student to slow down, home use of practice pads, Laurie Richards, microdose, mindfulness, on the spectrum, opening notes, performance anxiety, practice pad, practice pads, relax, single thought process, single thought processes, slowing down, small doses, smaller dose, smaller doses, special needs, spectrum, starting notes, starting positions, starting song, STP, student anxiety, students on the spectrum, stutter, stuttering, teaching special needs, trouble starting song, using practice pads

Here is another playlist dilemma. Most of my students use their playlist pretty diligently however I have a 15 year old who just doesn’t. She won’t use the materials (CD, notes, DVD) plays by ear, doesn’t practice a great deal but most of the time…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• accountability, checking in, holding students accountable, importance of playlist, Laurie Richards, LAWOL, learning a new way of learning, learning a way of learning, managing playlist, managing the playlist, marking, Playlist, playlist check, playlist review, repertoire, repertoire review, responsibility, review, review ideas, reviewing, using playlist