Simpedia

Laurie Richards, Nebraska

The main purpose of teaching the variations and arrangements with no support material goes beyond just memory – it is an exercise in self-generation where students learn to apply playing-based tools that they learn with the foundation songs rather than trying to just remember a series of notes or chords. They also learn to think of clues on their own to aid the learning process, which is a vital part of SM.

There are a lot of great teaching opportunities with variations/arrangements. It’s not unusual at all for some students to come back having forgotten while others did fine. This is the juicy part of teaching arrangements, in my opinion, and benefits everyone. I address the possible issues starting with the most important –

1. What is the single most important thing you can do to remember arrangements? (play the arr. as SOON as possible after the lesson). I compare it to having a dream – when you first wake up from a strange dream, you may remember every detail, how you felt, etc. and think, “I’ve got to tell my friend about this dream!” Then as you go about your day, little details start to fade away – you might remember some parts, but the longer you wait, the less detail you remember. It’s the same with arrangements!
2. What were the learning clues we talked about in class? Example – Night Storm #1 1st half (if you’ve done BH) –

• Starting position clues –
  • RH same position as regular Storm
  • Both thumbs on A (here’s a clue one of my adult students came up with – put both thumbs up and say “Aaaay” like the Fonz) 🙂
  • RH – “everything but finger 4”

• Thumb zig-zags
• 1:2 ratio like Honey Dew

3.  How many times/week are you practicing the arr.? Two min. a day consistently will save you a lot of time in the long run vs. trying to “cram” and remember everything at once.

etc.

Ask these questions of ALL the students. Have students who remember teach the ones who forgot (with coaching). Typically the ones who remember will want to just demonstrate right on the keyboard, or place the other student’s hand on the right spot, or even push their fingers down for them! I tell them they have to describe with words what to do, without touching the keyboard. Because that’s what students actually have to work with initially when they go home from a lesson with a new arr. – the conversations we had.

Sometimes I remind students that arrangements are not “bonus songs”, they are an important part of the program and are required.

Elaine F., South Carolina

I encourage my students to keep the var and arr alive by making them into a medley with the foundation pieces. Then when they play Dreams, for example, they use dreams 1 as an intro, go into FL1 Dreams, to dreams in d minor and then the other dreams arrangement in d minor, etc. It has the advantage of making the songs into longer performance pieces.

Sheri R., California

I agree Mark that if some students forget arrangements that it’s a good mentoring opportunity–if you can make sure the more advanced student still gets something new to work on if they need it that week, then it’s a gift to the more advanced student to mentor others–the giver is really getting a gift so both benefit!

I expect my students who learn arrangements and variations to have them on their playlist and remember them as well as foundation songs. Very often it’s easier to teach more advanced arrangements if they know previous one. For example, if they remember Night Arr. 1 the unfolding of Fur Elise Arr. 1 is much easier and in fact one is a building block for the other. If they forget arrangements they have a less rich experience and certainly not as many things to draw from for comp and improv. For some students who progress at a slower rate arrangements are still learned even if at a slower pace and so not in sync with rest of class on them, as in foundation pieces. But eventually. . .

By the way I encourage my students to call each other when they need help and make sure everyone is okay with getting a call because so many feel they would be intruding by calling. I then tell them that they are doing the person they are calling a huge favor by asking them for help, on many levels, not least is that they get to learn the song for themselves on a deeper level as they teach it to someone else.

Victoria S., California

I think it’s a great way to have students who remember the var/arr. step up to the teaching plate during the lesson. It shows the student who forgot that his/her peers do remember and therefore, so can that student (positive peer pressure), and it gives the other student(s) a change to become more of a leader in the process of learning to learn.

I always have my shared students exchange phone numbers and find it useful to demonstrate in class how a phone conversation between them would go. I place two chairs back to back, both students have a keypad, and they do a mock phone call where one student explains how to play something the other is confused about.

When someone has a question or has forgotten something from that point on, you can ask if they called someone with their question. If not, I want them to tell me why not as they have all the support they need.

Once they get the idea that having a buddy to call outside of class is a cool thing to do, they will make use of the tool. You might even make mention of this being similar to the 3 lifelines on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” They can poll the audience (fellow students and life coaches) in class, do 50/50 (their best guess), or phone a friend when at home.

Cindy B., Illinois

I’ve begun examining WHY a single student forgets. I have had students who are esp thickheaded because of stresses or learned behavior patterns at home, and if they are really trying, I’ll first schedule a conference with the parent to discover if they are being as supportive as is necessary, and if not, are they willing to change. Sometimes I’ll work with that student within the group for just a couple of minutes extra each week and wait for a more compatible lesson partner to come along, or I’ll move them into a private lesson. If I discover that a student isn’t following instructions, or a parent is unwilling to change how they support the process at home, I will usually insist upon my requirements, which as you all know could result in losing the student.

I have decided that I know that this curriculum works under certain conditions, and no other way. Believe me, I’ve tried many ‘other ways’ in the last 6 yrs – and NONE OF THEM WORK!

Barbara M.

If all students in the group have forgotten it, I would be more likely to review it. If just one student has forgotten it, I may have another demonstrate it, but would not re-teach the arrangement. I explain this about arrangements when we start a new one.