Simpedia

Kim L., Washington

You’re right – there are a few diagrams that aren’t explicitly explained in the Teacher Training Materials. And yes, there’s a source for getting explanations… Simpedia!

Back to the diagram issue, though – each of the diagrams can be a powerful teaching tool, learning tool, memory aid, and example of how to ‘deconstruct’ songs into learnable chunks in various ways. I’d certainly search Simpedia and clear up the mystery on any diagrams you’re not using! I find, too, that the students even come up with different interpretations of the diagrams that help them remember. I always feel as though when I sit down to teach I want to have every available tool I can possibly use!

Carol P., Michigan

I’ve recently begun Level Four. I’ve only found one diagram so far that didn’t seem to be explained and I found the explanation through a search on the website.

I’m really working now with my students to understand the diagrams, and the point of the diagrams. I’ve realized that my students are moving fairly quickly and then having difficulty in Level Three because they didn’t entirely understand the tools they were using and hadn’t truly absorbed the songs from that perspective. When I describe sections or sentences as “chucks of data” the older children and adults understand better, it seems, what I’m talking about. I’m working harder to teach all the variations and to come up with some of my own so that each piece will be better understood and absorbed.

I very much appreciate all the help and input from you folks. Someone posted a list of tools and strategies a while back which I copied for all of my students. We’ve added some to the list as well, like Harmony, Rhythm and Melody Diagrams. As we go through the songs, I set the list on the piano and ask them to point out the tools that we are using. I also give them examples of how I am using the tools for myself in performance. For example: I can show how my Bach Preludes are a series of patterns. I play jazz and have realized that certain scales used for improvisation (like the diminished scale) is very difficult to find with your head when you are improvising, but if you can find the pattern on the keyboard you are good to go. The adults especially seem to be comforted and encouraged by the knowledge that I am a working musician using these tools, and that I, too, have to work on my Playlist or I also will forget things and that.

I have an adult male student who respects Neil very much (from his exposure on the videos) but just can’t grasp the symbolism of the diagrams. We’ve REALLY had to work on his expectation of what the diagrams are for, ie: that they are not meant to give him exact direction for every event. The “chunks of data” explanation seems to help him and I’m asking him to try to make up his own diagrams so that maybe he’ll begin to grasp the symbolism. As frustrated as he is sometimes, he says that he’s playing better in a couple of months with SM than he did in two years of regular lessons.