Teaching Procedures

Remember: we have to learn both the instrument and making-music before we learn how to read music notation

General Principles of Percussion Technique:

  • ​​First finger wrapped around, thumb squeeze on top.
  • Wrist-only motion. Watch for elbows/arms moving (they should be still/relaxed)
  • Sticks straight up and down. No “slicing”
  • Always moving like basketball dribbling, never stopping down or up
  • Watch out for pointer fingers or thumbs sticking up

Tricks for note identification on the keyboards (letter-names):

  • First: find the patterns (3-2-3-2-3 etc. of accidentals)
  • Memorize Bb is top of group of 3. Then find all of the Bb’s on the instrument.
  • Then same for Ab and Gg... lends well to relating to recorders BAG, playing Hot Cross Buns as a first song right away (good for student’s feeling of success),
  • Then into Black Key Jam, then Fresh Approach book
  • The group of 3 = like a Fork, begins with “F” before it
  • The group of 2 = like “Chopsticks”, begins with “C” before it

Note identification is worked on additionally (and separately) from playing​

  • Music staff: using hand to identify notes, extension from Elementary
    • Every Good Burger Deserves Fries and FACE
  • A lot of simple alphabet work: just saying musical alphabet forwards and backwards before applying it to the keyboard
  • Notes have a “first name” and a “last name”  ( C-Sharp;   D-Natural;   E-Flat)

Learning music through reading:

  • Any combination of the following:
    • Write in notes (very beginning)
    • Speak note names out loud (continue to write in if needed)
    • “Finger along” - touch the notes while saying their names
      • Advantage: makes more of a connection. Physically feeling and touching it
  • Play just the rhythm on one note – gets eyes on notation without trying to move left and right yet

Scales:

  • Bb Major, then usually get to C, F, Eb  by end of first year
  • Chromatic (and ability to name them all in order)
  • all on right hand, all on left hand, and alternating (RLRL)
  • Learning the “1-3-5" pattern (arpeggio)
  • Last 3 minutes of a lesson / “exit ticket”: try to play it with your eyes closed

Improvisation included within everything.

  • Bb Ab Gb notes in beginning
  • Make up your own song using the new notes of a lesson only
  • Beginning Essential Elements exercises: make up your own using those notes
  • Within scales/arpeggios
  • Have students make up their own version of “Black Key Jam”

Transitioning to Snare Drums (around halfway through the first year)

  • Sticking Patterns: 8 on a Hand, 4 on a Hand, etc.
    • R R R R   R R R R    L L L L   L L L L
    • Students get to pick a different note for each hand… make them say out loud what the note is and tell the rest of the class
    • Play along to “fun” music… pop music, classic rock, whatever
  • Reading rhythms only on one note
    • Reading from Band music’s snare drum part, or rhythm etudes
    • Increases accuracy of playing on one note on an instrument they’re comfortable on before moving to snare drum or bass drum