One of the reasons I wanted to start teaching was because too many teachers focus on a purely notational method of teaching. We learn to read notes, we learn which fingers to press when we see those notes, and then we are making music! I don't think this is right. Whilst learning how to read music is important (vital in fact), it is crucial to also play without music and to use your ears to make music. I train a student's ear from the very first lesson. I have an 8-yr old clarinet student who, after teaching her the first three notes on the clarinet, was playing basic tunes such as 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' by ear. She was doing this within one hour of tuition. This would have taken weeks if we had to get to the stage of learning how to read music at the same time. This provided her with the inspiration she needed to practice like fury, without encouragement from her parents (which is ideal!!).
In my lessons we will read music, but then we will close the book and see if we can replicate what we have just done by listening for intervals. Is the tune proceeding by step or by a leap? If it is a leap, how many notes make up the leap? Once you get the sounds of intervals in your head, you are well on your way to becoming a great musician. Each time we learn a new note, I will present you with another tune which I shall ask you to work out by ear.
When we learn scales for exams, this doesn't have to be boring. Did you know that if you learn three major scales, you can play over the most famous jazz pattern of all times - the twelve bar blues? We will be improvising with scales, rather than just playing scales which can get dull. I'll play the 12 bar blues on the piano and you will play along as I shout out the major scale. Or maybe you could be clever and add in an arpeggio based on that major scale? Or distinguish between staccato and legato when you solo? I remember when I first learnt scales for exams - I wrote them all on little pieces of paper and picked them out of a hat and played them at random. How BORING! If someone had taught me my scales at the same time as teaching me jazz I'd have loved them forever!
So, in conclusion, my teaching style will really develop your ears from an early stage. Listening skills are vital - that's what music is all about. Without relying too heavily on the music for the actual performance, students will develop a much stronger sense of musicality early on in their playing career.
