Friday, August 3, 2018

Music Rehearsal Strategies That Really Work

By Jason Taylor


If you find that the kids in your music class aren't very engaged, you might try playing a few musically related games with them. This is a great way to get people thinking in a different way because you have to be active and involved to really be playing. This is why when people are trying to think of effective new music rehearsal strategies, games are one of the first things that come to mind.

Many people who have studied very difficult subjects have relied very heavily on flashcards. These can be so immensely helpful because they give you a clear visual reference to put in your head. After you have seen it, you then try to remember what the correct answer was, and the more you do this, the more you'll be able to memorize until you have a vast musical understanding.

Getting your students to sing can sometimes be a challenging thing, but it is always rewarding. Depending on what age the students are, they might be a bit self-conscious about letting their peers hear their own voice. Once everyone gets singing, though, people start to feel more and more relaxed, and they are able to catch things about their musical part that they might never have otherwise.

When the main thing that you are trying to work on is the rhythm of the piece, you might consider just having the class clap it out loud. The advantage of doing things this way is that you don't have to focus on anything but the rhythm of the piece, making it much easier for the students to take it all one piece at a time. It also makes it much easier for the instructor to identify if someone is coming in late or early.

There are times when a class is not playing together very well, and this often happens because they are not listening to other people's parts. To help everyone get in the pocket, dancing might help. Having a physical motion added to the practice can get the kids to see the music in a different way.

You can't use the same games and techniques on a group of ten year olds that you would on a high school-aged class. You need to assess what level your students are at first. That way, you can choose a method that will speak to them.

Breaks are essential for any rehearsal. Humans have periodic needs, going to the bathroom among them. Kids also grow restless if cooped up in a chair for too long.

Some teachers like to use pop music in their classes. This can be a big help in teaching the kids certain musical elements, and the fact that these songs are generally not very complicated is a big help. Students get excited about hearing the kind of music they love and are more likely to be engaged.




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