playing-based tools

After learning Ode to Joy, mom said her son wasn’t able to “get it” with the counting, so she tapped his hand when he was supposed to change the LH chord so he was able to learn the hands together. This week he only practiced…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• counting Ode to Joy, diagrams, F1, foundation 1, learning strategies, learning tools, Ode, Ode to Joy, playing-based tools, self-generation

I have some students finishing level 9 and when I look at all the streams they will continue, almost all of them involve reading: Level 10 and up, Jazz Clues (clue 1 and 2), reading project of own choice. If they do composition, I may…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• Development Levels, playing-based strategies, playing-based tools, playing-based while reading, reading, SM big picture

I am seeing some gaps in the foundation of my two 9-year-olds. They are at the end of F1 and their playlist is strong, and they have been starting Accompaniment 1 with learning the basic chord triad shapes. They seemed to understand it well but…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• accompaniment, basics, identifying notes on keyboard, identifying notes on piano, Laurie Richards, playing-based tools

A delightful young adult with autism had his second lesson with me tonight. He loves patterns, numbers, and music, so of course Simply Music i?s a great fit. After playing Night Storm for him once, I told him “This song is all about 2’s. May…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• autism, patterns, playing-based, playing-based strategies, playing-based tools, special needs

I have an older middle-aged student who is having memory trouble with the variations. He keeps trying to write clues for himself and I’ve stopped him multiple times and told him to trust the method, and that it’s a memory builder. I’m good at seeing…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• arrangements, Gordon Harvey, Laurie Richards, memory, playing-based, playing-based tools, remembering arrangements, remembering variations, variations

Does anyone else struggle teaching Canon in D? I feel like we’ve done “all the right things”, and yet it still seems SO hard for some of my students. Neil talks about several possible playing-based strategies throughout the TTMs for Canon. I use them all,…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• Canon in D, chords, F7, Foundation 7, Laurie Richards, Level 7, playing-based strategies, playing-based tools, self-generation

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…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• Foundation sheet music, Laurie Richards, playing-based tools, reading, Time for More Music, using playing-based tools while reading, using sheet music

I have a piano student who has already been introduced to sight reading from a former teacher. Is there any reason they can’t learn the song via pattern playing first, then switch over to the sheet music instead of waiting until level 4 or 5?…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• Laurie Richards, patterns, playing-based tools, previous experience, prior experience, reading notes, reading rhythm, Robin Keehn, sight reading, using sheet music, when to introduce reading

As a new teacher, I am wondering what to tell my students if they ask if they will ever be able to learn a certain song (not by accompaniment but playing the actual melody) even if it is not in the SM curriculum. Eventually they’ll…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• curriculum, non-curricular music, patterns, playing-based tools, teaching outside music

I have a parent questioning “numbers” and how we use them as a lyric/support tool. I explained… -Occasionally we use number for sentences and patterns. -Occasionally we give numbers for rhythm -Occasional we use numbers for fingerings/positions She seems baffled by the various ways they’re…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• coaches, counting, counting as lyric, FL1, foundation 1, Fur Elise, Laurie Richards, Numbers, Ode, Ode to Joy, playing-based tools