How do I get kids to follow the right technique?

[helen radice]

I have a few young/near beginner pupils and, having had completely to

re-learn my own technique, am anxious not to inflict the same

business on them.

[donna-benier]

Hi, Helen. I have a few suggestions, but you may have thought of all of these! Since your adults aren’t having problems, could it be the height of the stool, either at your place or at the student’s home where they practice, is causing them to reposition their hands? Give them an actual photo of hand placement and tell them to put it near their harps and compare their hands to the photo when they practice. Gently hold their wrists as they play something, and explain to them how it should feel if it’s right, and how it feels when it’s wrong.

[donna-benier]

Oh, yes! and most importantly of all, pour on the praise when they are doing it correctly! Positive reinforcement and a big smile goes a long way. Children really do want to please!

[steve-m]

Hi Helen: I’m a professional pipe organist who’s been teaching for many years (and I’ve just started the harp), but we have many problems in common. Here’s my take on the issue you raised:

As weird as this may seem, I don’t think there’s much of ANYTHING I can do with my organ students’ bad habits. But I think there’s a lot that their REPERTORY can do. Let me explain: I divide “bad habits” into two categories: 1) those habits that literally prevent a student from playing the instrument TODAY, and 2) those habits that allow a student to play easier music today, but that I know will eventually need to be corrected if the student is ever to play serious, truly difficult classical organ literature.

Here’s the thing: after many years, I don’t bother myself too much over the second category. I know that sounds irresponsible, but I’ve based this decision on my OWN progression as a young organist years ago. I learned organ as a kid, and like most kids, at the time I wanted to play the “big” literature. That is, I based most of my repertory decisions on the excitement of playing big organ music that would sound like thunder. Technique bored me. I only learned as much “technique” as I absolutely had to in order to play the music that my ego was insisting I play! Oddly, I got pretty far this way, based on (mostly) sheer stamina and some natural ability. But eventually, by the time I got to conservatory, you guessed it, I had to pay attention to technique. So I did. Anyway, the point is, I try to teach technique congruently with the literature that requires it. The hope here is that the student’s excitement over learning a certain “big” piece is the best bet I have that she/he will actually be interested in the technique lever required by that particular piece. I try to allow the student’s frustration LEAD him/her to a better technique. Of course, if it’s really basic, like a difficult pedaling passage (organ pedaling, that is!) I generally try to teach a basic foundation. The point is: I think the worst way to proceed is to bog a student down by teaching all sorts of technical stuff that won’t be useful to him/her for years, if ever.

This is a useful board. Hope my thoughts add helpfully!

Steve.

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