Playing for students

[loretta-o-driscoll]

Just curious to see if playing for students is a regular part of your teaching.

I often play small figures to show them how the hand should look. Sometimes, I play through a piece so the student can hear it in its entirety. I find this particularly helpful for students who tend to be aural learners. I certainly do not do this with every piece and every student, however.

Lately, I have begun to think about whether this is beneficial or not. I worry that they might think, “Oh dear, am I ever going to get this?” Or maybe it is helpful and can be a source of motivation?

Your thoughts?

[dawn-penland]

I’m an adult student and my teacher does the same as you.

[carl-swanson]

I sit at the instrument all the time to demonstrate things for a student. But it’s never so they can how a piece should sound. That should be something that they learn themselves by reading the notes and rhythm correctly. I’ll demonstrate technical issues, tone, hand position, etc. I think that playing a piece for the student so that they can hear what it sounds like will make them play by ear and not pay close attention to what’s written on the page.

[tony-morosco]

I think I was taking lessons for at least a year before the first time I ever heard

[loretta-o-driscoll]

I’m beginning to think I shouldn’t do it. I think you are right on…they need to learn from the music.

Thanks everyone for your input!

[elinor-niemisto]

Not hearing your teacher play seems to me like trying to learn French from a book.

[carl-swanson]

Elinor- I agree with you to a certain extent. The student should learn the notes and rhythm from the printed music. But along the way the teacher can demonstrate any number of things besides pure technique. If the piece calls for a slow crescendo over two measures for example, the teacher can certainly demonstrate that and it will help the student to hear how it’s done. Ritards, tempo changes, muffling, etc. are in the end all technical issues, and it can be very helpful for the student to hear how it’s done. But I don’t think the teacher should be playing the whole piece right at the beginning just so the student has it in his ear and will likely learn it (incorrectly) by ear.

It’s already difficult to keep beginner students from playing by ear because the material they are playing at that level is melodic, simple, and short. After they hear it one time, it’s easier for them to play it by ear than to read the music, especially if they are also learning to read music. So it’s very important to include things in the lesson that force the student to read the music, and read it accurately.

[Donna O]

Just a note from a student perspective.

[unknown-user]

I find hearing my teacher play invaluable as I am an aural learner. She recognizes this so if I´m not getting something she´ll play for me. I have to agree, however, with the trap of not paying enough attention to the actual music. I think my teacher makes a good compromise by playing something that I´m not playing that demonstrates the same feeling or technique. This is, however, often because she would rather play something she knows well rather than fudge the notes on the piece I´m playing, but the result is the same nonetheless.

Sam

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

I find that it is essential, but it depends on how you play and what you want to teach.

[Kate Hopkins]

I am an adult beginner that started lever harp just a few months ago. My teacher would often play a new piece for me or show hand position or technique. It was all very helpful. For the technique, it was easier to understand a correction if I could see it in her hands first. For the music, it was also invaluable, not because I would learn it by ear, I don’t think I would remember it enough, but for many of these pieces, I would have no idea what it was or what it sounded like….hearing the finished piece would inspire me to unlock all the notes and tempo so I could play it. It was more of getting a preview of your destination.

[cc-chiu]

I think it’s very useful. I’m also an aural learner and while I’ve gotten much better at reading the music, it’s nice to ‘get started’. (for longer pieces, she only plays the first measures so I can get the ‘feeling’ of it – usually that’s enough).

[Seoid OC]

Surely it depends on the teacher, on the student and on the musical goals/abilities?

From a student perspective:

My teacher doesn’t play much in lessons and never did.

[tony-morosco]

I think it also depends on the student’s background.

I already had a fairly decent musical background before coming to the harp. I could already read music, understood the fundamentals of music theory, understood concepts such as dynamics and articulation in music…

Until I got to far more complex music I had no need for anyone to play

[Irene C]

Hello,

I am now studying for my grade 6 RCM and I always ask my harp teacher to play some selections for me so that I can choose a song that I like.

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