Practicing Ideas for Playing Lightly

Anyone who has played a piano sonata (or its smaller cousin, the sonatina) knows that sometimes, it's really difficult to make your left hand play softly. There is the usual practice technique of ghost playing, otherwise known as "air piano".

When that doesn't work, there are a few other ideas. Usually, the first thing I try with students is the Mixed Media Drill. The "offending" (hand that is too loud) plays the notes on a different surface, such as the music desk or one's lap. The other hand plays on the keys normally.

Another thing you can do is change the keyboard surface where the loud hand plays. I placed a scarf on top of the bass note keys and asked my student H to play an excerpt of a song that required balance work. We only met with marginal success.

I was about to pull out some band-aids, but came across my roll of bandage tape. You can see the results of our handiwork in the photo. H played through the excerpt once again.

It's amazing! We subconsciously are more careful when there's a bandage of any sort on our fingers. In this case, there was a noticeable difference between the left hand and right hand. H's melody rang through more clearly, while her left hand played that Alberti bass groove more delicately.

Here's a piano tutorial on the Alberti bass:

Five Free Music Websites to Improve Note Reading

A guide to some free music websites available on the Internet to help music students improve their note reading skills.

Two common challenges faced by beginning music students are note learning and identifying a note's location on their instrument (geography). Until note reading fluency is achieved, this can lead to some frustrating practice sessions at home.

It is important to develop note fluency at an early stage. The process of learning new music will become easier. Sight-reading and sight-playing will be less stressful. Students will be able to read through music more quickly and play more expressively.

Online Note Reading Websites & Note Reading Games

The following list is a compilation of some of the sites available on the Internet to help with practicing and improve note reading.

musictheory.net

Musictheory.net has quite a few music drills. Under the "Trainer" section, click on "Note Trainer". Users can specify whether to be drilled on reading in the treble clef, bass clef, tenor clef and alto clef. Hints are available and Note Trainer keeps score. Users can also do ear training drills, watch flash presentations of various topics of music theory and print off blank manuscript paper. Note that the Note Trainer may be too advanced for young beginners as it tests students' reading of the entire Grand Staff plus ledger lines.

Funbrain.com – The Piano Player

Students drill their note reading and keyboard geography in this online game. Four levels of play are available: Beginner (one octave with labels), Intermediate (one octave, no labels), Expert (four octaves with labels) and Virtuoso (four octaves, no labels).  The Piano Player is best suited for younger piano students (12 and under).

musicards.net

Eight sets of online flashcards are available on Musiccards.net: Note Names, Key Signatures, Intervals, Triads, Piano Note Names, Reading Piano Notes, Guitar Note Names and Reading Guitar Notes. Reading Piano Notes and Reading Guitar Notes are instrument location/geography drills. Students try to identify the note. To get the correct answer, scroll over the card. Several "decks" are available – no ledger lines, staff and ledger lines, naturals and accidentals.

Piano Pedagogy Plus

Online flash games are available on the Games page. Users can practice note reading on all four clefs. The games are timed and points are deducted for each incorrect answer. Students can also practice their interval reading.

emusictheory.com

Five note naming games are available on emusictheory.com: Note Names, Paced Note Names, C-Clef Note Names, Piano Keys and Guitar Frets. The first three are straight note identification exercises while the last two are instrument geography drills.

Online Note Reading Resources – Just the Tip of the Iceberg

Each of these websites listed contain a variety of drills and tools to help music students improve their note reading. There are other sites out there. Explore the many sites available and choose what sites work best for the student and his music practice needs.

For more information on practicing music, read Five Free Music Websites to Improve Ear Training, Free Websites to Help with Music Theory or Rudiments, and Reasons to Practice Daily.

Originally published on Suite101.com on November 22, 2009. Updated March 24, 2013. All rights reserved by Rhona-Mae Arca.

From Playing Beethoven to Passing the Bar - The Benefits of Studying Music

“I don’t see what piano has to do with what I want to be when I grow up.”

In a pose of defiance, ten-year old Brittany made this statement at our first lesson together. Intrigued, I asked, “And what do you want to be when you grow up?” Her answer: a lawyer.

Some students study music because their parents want them to; while others are inspired by someone they know or have heard in performance. Regardless of the reason or musical instrument studied, the benefits of music study are the same. Here are just a few benefits, which I described to this aspiring lawyer that day:

Time and Project Management Skills: Whether she knows it or not, Brittany is learning to successfully balance her caseload: homework, extracurricular activities, social life and several aspects of music. By the time she passes the bar, she will be a pro at managing several cases at one time.

Analytical Skills: Students learn to identify patterns in their music and study its various forms. Whether a student grows up to dissect a criminal profile like Brittany or write a doctoral thesis on the translation study of James Joyce’s literary works like a friend of mine, these students will have finely honed their analytical skills.

Improved Academic Performance: Countless studies conclude that students who study music have significantly higher spatial-temporal abilities than their non-musical counterparts. The figure varies from 34% to 80% higher. Not surprisingly, music students shine in mathematics and the sciences. As adults, they excel as doctors, teachers, engineers and lawyers.

Enhanced Communication Skills: Music isa language in its own right, with its own symbols and syntax. According to Alberta Learning, studying a second language enhances a student’s communication skills and vocabulary in their primary language. Music students learn to convey emotions and imagery to audiences unfamiliar with “the language of music.” The result is more eloquent communicators, regardless of their line of work.

Develop Teamwork Skills: When musicians young and old perform with a choir, band or symphony, they learn to play in synch and blend into a cohesive unit. They must polish their listening skills and learn to work with different personalities and working styles. Hmmm…sounds like a typical office, doesn’t it?

One year later, Brittany doesn’t balk as much whenever I draw parallels between her songsand her career aspirations. It’s a complete turnaround from the person who wanted to walk out of our first lesson. These days, she just smiles knowingly and starts to play.

***

Several years have passed since I've taught Brittany. However, the benefits of learning music remain constant. Here are a few more articles that go over other benefits to studying a musical instrument:

Twelve Benefits of Music Education

18 Benefits of Playing a Musical Instrument

Benefits of Music Education

Music "Tones the Brain", Improves Learning

Statistical Support Displaying the Benefits of Studying Music: Part 1 | Part 2

Originally published in the Somerset/Bridlewood Community Newsletter in 2004. Updated on March 28, 2013. All rights reserved by Rhona-Mae Arca.

Five Free Music Websites to Improve Ear Training

A guide to some free music websites available on the Internet to help music students do well on music examinations and help all musicians develop their inner ear.

Practicing ear training exercises can sometimes be difficult without a teacher, family member or friend assisting. However, help is not always readily available. That makes preparing for a practical music examination challenging, especially for a young musician.

Ear training exercises recorded on a CD are somewhat helpful but can only be used for a limited time (until the student memorizes the order of the questions).

Thanks to the Internet, there are several interactive and dynamic ear training websites available for musicians to use during their music practice. The following list is just a sampling of what is available with a brief overview of each site.

Online Ear Training Websites

Musictheory.net

In Ricci Adams' Musictheory.net, Adams' has developed a comprehensive online theory and ear training aid. Under the "Trainers" tab, musicians can choose from three ear training exercises: Interval Ear Trainer, Chord Ear Trainer and Scale Ear Trainer. Users can customize which elements to be tested on, choose harmonic or melodic intervals and decide whether or not to include chord inversions. The Trainers keep track of your score and users can check the report to see which elements require more work. The website also includes flash tutorials under the "Lessons" section for a theory refresher and staff paper under the "Utilities" section.

Inside Music Lessons

Inside Music Lessons (formerly Practicespot.com) contains a wealth of ideas and tools for music teachers and students to use. Under the "Free Tools" section, students can use the Rhythm Gym to "clap-back" exercises and download cheat sheets to help with identifying intervals and chords.

eMusicTheory.com

Practice rhythmic dictation, identify scales and chords by ear and practice clap-back exercises online under the "Free Theory Drills" section or download the eMusicTheory software program. The site contains a student portal, a teacher portal and discussion forum. There are also pages to help with fingering (for string and keyboard instruments).

Good-Ear.com

The Good Ear website contains a wide variety of ear training drills, ranging from Beginner to Advanced exercises. Music students and professionals alike can practice identifying intervals, chords, cadences, scales, jazz chords and perfect pitch. The site also contains a drill to practice note location or geography.

iwasdoingallright.com

I Was Doing all Right is a jazz blog that contains an online ear training program. Under the "Search" window, click on the "Ear Trainer v2.0" link to use the free online ear training tool. Users can choose from practicing intervals, chords, melody play-back and rhythms. What is advantageous about this site is that listeners can specify which note direction, inversions and specify melody length. For a student preparing for an upcoming examination, this is the most comprehensive ear training tool on the list.

Online Ear Training Resources – Just the Tip of the Iceberg

Music students, music teachers and professional musicians can benefit from practicing ear training on a regular basis. Each of these websites listed contain a variety of drills and tools to aid musicians develop a "good ear" and help students improve their ear training mark on an exam. There are other sites out there, like musicalhearing.com and ossmann.com's Big Ears program. Explore the many sites available and choose what sites work best for one's ear training and music practice needs.

For more information on practicing music, read Five Free Music Websites to Improve Note Reading, How Much Practice is Required to Learn Piano at Different Levels? and Motivating Students to Practice.

Originally published December 22, 2009 on Suite101.com. Updated on March 22, 2013. All rights reserved by Rhona-Mae Arca.

What is an Audition-Interview?

Before signing up for music lessons, learn what's involved when a music teacher meets with a prospective student and parent(s) for the first time.

The audition-interview can be a vital part of the selection process when finding a music teacher. It gives the prospective student, the parent (or guardian) and the music teacher the opportunity to gather information needed to make a final decision on where to study. The meeting occurs after first contact (phone/email) between a private music teacher and a prospective student’s family.

Purpose of an Audition-Interview

During the audition-interview, the prospective student and parent can learn more about a music educator’s teaching philosophies and policies. The music teacher uses this meeting to assess the student, the family and determine compatibility.

Determining compatibility is a critical part of the meeting. It’s a case of determining whether the student’s communication and learning style is well-matched to the teacher’s communication and teaching style, determining how well the parents’ vision meshes with the teacher’s and how well all parties “click” with each other.

How to Prepare for an Audition-Interview

Each person involved in the audition-interview has to prepare in advance. A music teacher should have printed copies of his or her studio policies, studio calendar, assessment tools and registration form ready.

A beginner student should think about why he or she is interested in music lessons and why he or she is interested in a specific instrument. A transfer student should practice a couple of pieces learned with his or her previous teacher and review some technical exercises.

Parents of transfer students can prepare for the audition-interview by bringing a copy of their child’s previous exam transcript(s), music books used previously and assignment book. All parents should bring a list of questions and their cheque book.

What Happens at an Audition-Interview?

The audition-interview can take between 30 – 60 minutes. The meeting can be broken down into three sections: Teacher Interview, Assessment and Policies, Philosophies and Final Questions.

During the Teacher Interview, the teacher can direct some questions to the prospective student and the rest to the parent/guardian. Some questions that a music teacher can ask a potential student are:

1. Why do you want to take music lessons?

2. What do you like about music?

3. What are some of your hobbies and interests?

4. Do you like taking music lessons? (for transfer students)

5. Are you willing to practice regularly? How much time are you willing to commit?

6. What would you like to learn?

The following are sample questions that can be directed to the student’s parent or guardian:

1. What is the setup, practice environment and support structure to help the student organize his or her practice?

2. What extra-curricular activities does the student have?

3. What amount of time do you feel is reasonable for daily practice?

4. Is the student or the family involved in other musical activities?

5. Why did you discontinue lessons with your previous teacher?

During the Assessment, the teacher may ask a potential student to perform one or two pieces and technical exercises, followed by aural, reading, theory and rhythm questions. This helps the teacher assess technique, musicality and posture.

The teacher may ask the parent to wait in another room during the assessment portion. This gives the music teacher and student an opportunity to see how well they “click” without outside influences or interruptions.

During Policies, Philosophies and Final Questions, the music teacher outlines his or her studio policies with regards to attendance, expectations, rescheduling lessons, termination of lessons and tuition fees. He or she may also present the Studio Calendar at this time.

The music teacher also shares his or her teaching philosophies and approaches with the prospective student and parent(s). He or she may do a walk-through of what happens during a regular lesson.

Finally, the parent and prospective student have an opportunity to ask questions that haven't been answered yet. They can also voice concerns that they would like the music teacher to know.

After the Audition-Interview

All parties should take some time to reflect and review the information they have been given. During this “cooling off” period, one may conclude that the student’s or the family’s goals do not mesh well with the teacher’s methods and teaching style.

Arrangements should be made to follow up after the audition-interview. The final stage is to either complete the registration process with the potential student or have the teacher recommend several other qualified teachers in the area that may better serve the needs of the student and the family.

Taking the time to meet for an audition-interview is a vital part of the process when finding a music teacher. Music lessons are a long-term commitment and investment. Registering with a music teacher is the beginning of what can be a long and fruitful relationship. The audition-interview sets the tone for the relationship.

References:

Color in my Piano: Printables updated: Student Info form, and Student Interview forms (accessed August 4, 2010).

Torney, Helen, “The Professional Studio: Interviewing Prospective Students”, Music Matters, January/February 2002, p. 2 – 4.

Originally published on Suite101.com on August 6, 2010. Updated March 22, 2013. All rights reserved by Rhona-Mae Arca.