Incorporating sheet music when students are reading
Found in: Foundation Songs, Playing-Based Methodology, Reading
Stephen R., California
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 videos, or have them open and do a combination of reading and playing-based? One of my faster students can easily read at this point.What sort of conversations do you recommend I have with students who are at this point? I’m also still trying to get the hang of incorporating playing-based tools once students are working on reading projects.
Robin Keehn, Washington
Neil says one of the points to continuing the playing-based approach is to show it can be done. So, I don’t have them read any of the Foundation level pieces. I have them read other pieces. I may occasionally refer to the rhythm diagram of a piece, such as D-Part, but they never learn the piece by reading. Read other music. There is plenty of it!
Anna J., Canada
That’s the approach I’ve taken too. Foundation pieces are for developing the playing based skill set; reading skills can be strengthened and developed with other pieces. I also emphasize with my students, especially ones who become strong readers very quickly, that it can be so easy to begin to default very heavily to reading and I don’t want us to lose the valuable playing-based skills we’re also developing. They need that full toolkit to be the well-rounded musicians we want them to be. I find starting reading too soon can be a real pitfall for this reason…we’re just so text-based as a society.
Cheri S., Utah
Regarding your other question: the training for Time for More Music provides a good model for how to use playing-based tools with written music. With every piece, we study it first, looking for repeating patterns, chords, shapes, etc. It’s great fun, and pieces can be learned much more quickly than note-by-note (or interval-by-interval) decoding.
Laurie Richards, Nebraska
Also, there is still another playing-based tool presented, I believe in Level 7 somewhere – mapping. At least I think that is the first time it is mentioned. At any rate, you want your students to become as proficient as possible in playing-based tools.
Keep in mind that once students begin reading, we don’t ‘switch’ from playing-based to reading-based. It becomes a hybrid approach of both skills. So you definitely want to continue to develop both throughout the Foundation Program (Levels 1-9).
Once in the Development Program (Levels 10-18), the focus is more on the application of ALL those skills, and students becoming self-generative in doing so. It’s amazing how it all comes together.
Stephen R., California
Still wondering though if I should close the music books for these pieces for my strong readers. It may get in the way of them learning the playing-based tools.
Laurie Richards, Nebraska
I would.