I recently came across an interesting discussion in a piano teachers’ forum about teaching modern music. How can we inspire students who are more comfortable with pop music to listen to (and to play) pieces that use contemporary sounds?
It’s true that the majority of our students are most familiar with the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic language of Western European classical music and pop music. However, you might be surprised by how many non-traditional sounds appear in the music of popular genres and even in current teaching pieces!
With that in mind, I’m launching a new blog series that highlights popular music incorporating contemporary elements, alongside my own works for students that introduce modern sounds in an approachable and engaging way.
By sharing these listening examples with our students and having them study accessible pieces that use contemporary elements, we can create a frame of reference that makes it possible for us to introduce students at any level to the vibrant colors and interesting sounds found in modern music.
First up, we will be exploring pieces using non-traditional scales: meaning scales outside of the standard major and minor that our students are most familiar with.
Keep reading to learn more…
It’s true that the majority of our students are most familiar with the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic language of Western European classical music and pop music. However, you might be surprised by how many non-traditional sounds appear in the music of popular genres and even in current teaching pieces!
With that in mind, I’m launching a new blog series that highlights popular music incorporating contemporary elements, alongside my own works for students that introduce modern sounds in an approachable and engaging way.
By sharing these listening examples with our students and having them study accessible pieces that use contemporary elements, we can create a frame of reference that makes it possible for us to introduce students at any level to the vibrant colors and interesting sounds found in modern music.
First up, we will be exploring pieces using non-traditional scales: meaning scales outside of the standard major and minor that our students are most familiar with.
Keep reading to learn more…
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