Level 8, D-Part
Found in: Foundation Songs, Playing-Based Methodology, Reading
Shelly E., Utah
I was wondering if anybody else has had difficulty memorizing D-Part? I can play the hands separate from memory, but to put them together and do it from memory I can only do it using my ear rather than really knowing what I’m doing. I can’t play it on the keypad so easily or start at different sections with both hands. Is this normal for this piece? I think this is because Neil instructs that we read the music as a rhythm diagram. I can’t help but actually read the notes (this is too easy for me).
I had a student come back today, where the same thing happened–he is actually reading the notes. He can’t play this piece unless the music is in front of him. He started with me as a beginner in piano and now is a strong reader. I told him that he needed to review the video and be able to play his RH alone from memory using the numbers as Neil teaches it. The Mom even asked me in the lesson today what was wrong with him just reading this piece (and all pieces from here on out since he now knows how as is pretty good at it). I had to explain to her that we are still developing that playing based muscle (through playing based and also turning many reading projects into playing based using his acquired tools), and when he reaches level 10 it’s more of a development phase in which all pieces come from first reading and then to playing based.
Is that right? Did I explain that right to the Mom? I’m only at level 8 now and haven’t looked beyond.
I guess I need to break it down and fragment and *work* (usually it’s not work) to commit to memory D-Part for myself. Yes? What should I do with him now?
Sue C., Australia
I like Neil’s idea of teaching d part like telephone numbers, saying them out loud, i.e.
1 1 1, 3 2 1; 1 1 1, 5 3 2 1; 1 2 2 2, 3 2 1 1 1.
It is different from other songs and fun. Not sure if this is what you are talking about, but posting this just in case it helps.
Sandy L., Nebraska
I have only one class who has progressed this far, but with them, I did as Sue says below. Like Shelly, I want to be careful with my students about protecting their playing-based skills. So, with D-part, I also really hammed it up with them and had them singing the tune with me using the numbers below. After singing it together quite a few times, until they could sing it alone, we then put it on keypads.
We did RH, LH, then BH on keypads. Or maybe we did LH first, since it’s so simple for them. They pretty well had the first half of the song down before we even went near the piano with the music book on it.
At the point of going to the piano, I emphasized to them that, although they could just read this song, all of our foundation songs are still meant to be learned playing-based. So, the music was to be a rhythm diagram only. I got out the level one book and reviewed the Alma Mater rhythm diagram with them, explaining that the rhythm diagram in front of them for D-part was really not different than their playing-based experiences so far.
So, I guess you could say, I just really set them up to treat this song playing-based. I know that to a certain extent, they probably were reading the notes too, but I felt it was a good cross-pollination and part of the transition process of bringing their playing-based and reading skills together.
Darla H., Kansas
I understand completely what you mean. I think D-Part was the first song that I needed to use the book to learn, and I had the same trouble, because I’m a strong reader and can’t separate out just the rhythm and not notice the notes. One thing that helps me, is to really break it down into small chunks. Then, to say out loud Right-right-together,etc. I have an adult student who also is a strong reader and when I taught this song to her, I told her not to look at the book at all, and we worked on saying the rhythms together in lesson for her to learn it. That worked for us.
I think the explanation you gave to your student’s mother was right on target. It’s great that he is a strong reader, but his skills will grow so much more if he also develops the playing-based tools.
Laurie Richards, Nebraska
The thing is, it’s really hard to ‘turn off’ your reading-based skills when the page is sitting there. If you’ve already taught your students the playing-based clues for D-Part and processed them, they will likely use a hybrid of reading- and playing-based skills when the music is in front of them. What they may discover is that it’s much easier to play and remember using the ‘1 1 1, 3 2 1….’ pb clues they’ve already learned than to read the music. But the music can still be used as a rhythm diagram.
Neil mentions somewhere that once students begin using the hybrid approach of pb and rb clues, those who are stronger on the playing-based side will naturally utilize more of those clues. Those strong in reading-based skills will naturally lean more toward the written page. Either way, they are using both. That’s the beauty of it!
I wouldn’t worry much about using their reading skills for D-Part. It’s good practice for ‘reverse-engineering’ what they’ve already learned onto the page, which only strengthens their reading skills. And there are still plenty of playing-based-ONLY projects ahead of them.