Monthly Archives: October 2018

Post from https://bennewmark.wordpress.com

Posted on October 31, 2018 by

I follow this blog (among many others!) and was struck by this post: https://bennewmark.wordpress.com/2018/10/25/things-that-havent-worked-for-me-and-the-things-that-have/ Ben Newmark is a Humanities teaching in a secondary school, and that will give a certain direction how is has arranged his lists. Maybe some things … Continue reading →

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Pretend you can’t play it

Posted on October 31, 2018 by

How does that work? And how did I even think of it as a solution to a problem? It’s not what I would usually suggest. Let me explain… I was teaching a young lad the other night. He was trying … Continue reading →

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A Step in Time Saves Nine

Posted on October 15, 2018 by

I was teaching ‘finger-swaps’ today in a piano lesson; something along these lines… It was the last lesson of the day, and the young man at the piano had more or less used up all his brain-power for the day. … Continue reading →

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Subdividing the Pulse – Movement

Posted on October 14, 2018 by

One of my piano teachers, the one that taught me through to my Teaching Diploma, was fanatical in demanding accuracy in subdividing the pulse. So much so, that when I heard a subway busker playing Bach on her flute, it … Continue reading →

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Questions, questions, answers, answers

Posted on October 7, 2018 by

The ‘asking questions‘ method that I was using for teaching children to learn, and trying to improve their practising at home, seems to be working. Now, sometimes, in a lesson, I hear the student asking themselves useful questions as we … Continue reading →

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My Small Group Beginner Recorders

Posted on October 7, 2018 by

I’ve a couple of small groups of recorder pupils – two or three in each group – young children aged around seven or eight years old. After talking to other woodwind and recorder teachers and looking through various books, including … Continue reading →

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How to Practice for the beginner pianist

Posted on October 1, 2018 by

This week I have been creating practice charts for many of my beginner students. They are tailored to the age and ability of each students, and how (if?) they are progressing. This example is roughly what I wrote into their … Continue reading →

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