Teaching beginners

Teaching beginners

by Rachel Cook -
Number of replies: 9

Use this forum thread to share your experiences of teaching beginners.  

We expect everyone to abide by ABRSM's Netiquette Policy (etiquette on the Net).  Feel free to discuss repertoire, technique, troubleshoot  teaching concerns or share positive news. 


In reply to Rachel Cook

How to choose repertoire that develops students’ general musicianship?

by Chak Lai Li -
Hi folks! It is my first time sharing my thoughts here. I am a Private music studio teacher and teach applied violin, viola, and conduct orchestras at different schools. I have a habit I brainstorm a question weekly and writing down some notes and points. This week I am going to think about the relationship between repertoire and students' musicianship. Feel free to share your thoughts with me here!

  • Covering different styles of music and various musical periods
    • In traditional instrumental/vocal music learning, the repertoire is usually Eurocentric and resides in Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th-century periods
    • Besides famous repertoire, we encourage teachers to seek different historical and cultural styles
    • Historical Styles
      • Medieval
      • Renaissance
      • Baroque
      • Classical
      • Romantic
      • 20th century
      • 21st century
    • Cultural Styles
      • American
      • European
      • Latin American
      • Asian
      • African
      • Middle Eastern
      • etc.
  • Different age ranges and temperaments
    • Different age ranges of students have different life experiences
    • Teachers should consider their temperaments when selecting repertoire for each student
    • Avoid “one-size(piece)-fit-all” approach
  • Finding imaginative and attractive pieces
    • Programming music by a great composer presents the opportunity to learn about the life and work of a great artist
    • E.g.: in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 learn about Beethoven struggled with depression during his composing process
  • Developing various aspects of instrumental playing technique
    • Different styles of music require different instrumental/vocal technique
    • Instrumental/Vocal music lessons should include a wide range of repertoire that develop students’ abilities
    • including fast passages, long breathe/bow, expressiveness, pedaling, and so on
  • Choosing Repertoire
    • Music Examination Board (ABRSM, Trinity, LCM, etc.) provides excellent resources for teachers to select appropriate repertoire according to their levels
    • In the ABRSM syllabus – 
      • List A: Faster moving and require technical agility
      • List B: More lyrical and invite expressive playing
      • List C: Wide variety of musical traditions, styles, and characters

References:

ABRSM. Practical Grade Exam Syllabus.

Feldman, E. (2016). Instrumental Music Education: Teaching With the Musical and Practical in Harmony. Routledge.

Harris, P. & Crozier, R. (2000). The Music Teacher’s Companion. ABRSM.

In reply to Chak Lai Li

Re: How to choose repertoire that develops students’ general musicianship?

by Rachel Cook -
Really interesting to see what you cover. How much of this do you cover with your beginners and which topics do you leave for later?
In reply to Chak Lai Li

Re: How to choose repertoire that develops students’ general musicianship?

by Deleted user -
Hi, nice to meet you!
Very thorough, and can I just say that I really like this point:
"Teachers should consider their temperaments when selecting repertoire for each student"
I've had students come to me with repertoire they chose in the past that I didn't think they could depict well enough.. Just because of theid type of personality. Much like when dealing with different aspects of life, some things will click more than others, right?
In reply to Rachel Cook

Re: Teaching beginners

by Monica Smith -

I love teaching beginners as everyone is different and you can really see their personalities come through their playing, no matter how many notes they can play.

Like others I am very much guided by their interests when choosing music - even the tutor book will be tailored to their experience and genre interest. I always find I need to supplement them though - apt at this time of year, they never seem to have Christmas tunes in the right place for my pupils. Who doesn't love playing a Christmas tune?

What I do find more difficult is a mixed ability group of beginners, as they could start together at the same place and suddenly they will be at different places in the book and making progress at different speeds. Any ideas to help me?

In reply to Monica Smith

Re: Teaching beginners

by Zoë Booth -
I don't know if it will help, but one of the things I've found is that learning music by ear (alongside the book-learning) can be a great leveller in this situation, particularly if it's the difference in the competency of music-reading that is dividing the group We can direct a different level of challenge to the pupils, depending upon whether they feel happiest learning a melody line or, more simply, an accompanying ostinato - either way, it's good fun to make music together!

PS my pupils love a Christmas tune too!
In reply to Rachel Cook

Re: Teaching beginners

by Amanda McGehee -
I have been struggling to find the best method books for my young guitar students ages 7-12. I want to help them prepare for the prep test, but most of the beginner guitar books that I have found teach more chords and simple melodies. What are some good classical guitar books for young students?
In reply to Amanda McGehee

Re: Teaching beginners

by Hilary Smethurst-Evans -
Lots of my guitar colleagues use The Guitarists Way or Guitar Basics. Have you ever tried those?
In reply to Rachel Cook

Re: Teaching beginners

by null Laisw -

In my experience, selecting pieces that resonate with students can really inspire them. My daughter started with some classic tunes, but we found that introducing her to different cultural styles helped spark her interest even more. She loved exploring pieces from different countries, and it opened up great discussions about the music’s background.

In reply to null Laisw

Re: Teaching beginners

by null Laisw -
When she was busy with school, we switched to https://www.artmaster.com , and it worked wonders. The flexibility let her explore various styles while keeping it fun. Mixing up the repertoire really helped her develop her technique without getting bored.