Hands Separately with Audio
Found in: Curriculum, Foundation Songs, Playing-Based Methodology
Ian B., California
This past month, I started making a point of assigning students to both LISTEN to the audio tracks and practice playing along with audio tracks HANDS SEPARATELY.
Specifically, I’ve started directing students to try playing one hand alone with the audio tracks on a routine basis before they dive into the BH video for any Foundation song. This routine had made a huge difference for students that typically struggle putting the hands together.
Since moving all my lessons online it had been much more difficult to control the events when teaching students how to marry the hands because I cannot *physically* do so anymore. I think adding this extra step has helped compensate for that missing element that is so crucial.
Maureen K., California
Great idea. I also find it helps to have students sing the melody. For example, sing Minuet in G RH, then sing RH while playing LH. I’ve used this way more since starting online teaching.
Ian B., California
Maureen K. That’s fine for “singers”. I do have students sing and speak instructions, but some students have trouble actually singing along unless there is a lyric. For that reason, I sometimes will either make up a lyric (“Top, one two three four … See More
Maureen K., California
True, nothing is a rule; what works for one student may not work for another.
Mark M., New York
Even when there is a lyric, singing/humming along with one’s own playing means adding a thought process, conflicting with the tenet of using Single Thought Processes.
Relatedly, not long ago I came across Neil affirming that, with accompaniment, while we definitely do want the melody to be present in order for the student to have the full accompaniment experience, it never needs to come from students themselves, precisely because the added thought process can be complicated.
Some students take to singing along while they play, whether a solo piece or an accompaniment. Many have trouble doing so, though, and it may have nothing to do with whether they are “singers.” It’s just multiple thought processes.
Singing/speaking when directly playing the melody is sort of like adding “half” a thought process, because it’s so connected to what’s being played. Singing/speaking when one or especially both hands have to play anything else beyond the melody being sung/spoken/hummed can be great but takes more hands-only familiarity for most students.
Playing each single hand along with a recording is like adding that “half” thought process. I’ve at times encouraged my students to do this, and I think I’m going to do so more often from here on!
Original discussion started March 7, 2021