Chrissy Ricker
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Why you should teach your students to play rock music

7/30/2016

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I recently published a new piece over at Composers Community for a teacher that requested an "epically cool" rock piece for one of her students. It was really fun to unleash my inner rock star and write in a different style!

As I put the piece together, I realized how many great teaching moments can be found in rock and pop music, if we take the time to look for them! My students often ask to play music by their favorite rock and pop groups, and I am always happy to oblige. Here are some reasons you should encourage your students to play rock/pop music:
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  1. Kids love rock music. I will start with the obvious--most kids love rock and pop music and listen to it more than any other style. It is fun, familiar, and motivating. I find that many of my students' parents are more impressed by their children playing a rock song, no matter how musically simple it is, than any other style.
  2. Rock music teaches rhythm. Want your kids to feel a steady beat and learn to count eighths, sixteenths, and syncopated rhythms? Then rock and pop is for you! An added bonus is that many rock and pop songs are highly patterned, so while the rhythms are complex, they often repeat throughout a song.
  3. Rock music teaches chords. Most rock and pop songs are based on four bar chord progressions. Rock songs are a great vehicle for teaching how chords function--look at how many songs use the same chords in the same order! Learning about chord progressions can lead to learning about inversions and how to harmonize a melody. Students can even use their favorite progression as the basis for improvising their own rock song.
  4. Rock music teaches students about form. Most rock and pop songs follow a predictable form. Students can learn to identify intros and outros, verses, choruses, pre-choruses, and bridges. Songs with words make this especially easy, but once students can identify form in rock music, they can apply the same principles to identifying form in Classical music, too.
  5. Rock music is great for teaching students to play by ear. Because of its highly patterned nature and rather simple melodic and harmonic structure, rock music is perfect for teaching ear training. Encourage students to pick out the melodies in their favorite rock songs, singing the words as they go. Listen to songs and try to identify the chord progression, or the home key. Clap the rhythm to that funky bass line and try to notate it on paper. 

What do you think? Do your students study pop and rock music? 

(P.S. If you would like to take a look at my original rock piano piece, "Epic," you can find it here!) 
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Friday Funny

7/29/2016

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My students usually figure out pretty quickly that I am a "cat person." I'm not sure what gives it away. Maybe it is the kitten of the month calendar on the piano room wall? Or the cat stickers we use in our lessons? Or maybe the real, live cat (one of the five in our family!) that likes to snooze in the chair by the front door as students enter for their lessons? 

So it wasn't a complete surprise when one of my students turned to me as he was leaving his piano lesson and said, "You must really like cats!" I smiled, and agreed with him. Then he added, as he skipped out the front door, "With all these cats, this is the perfect house for a little old lady!"

I guess to an eight year old, I qualify as a little old lady. (I am in my thirties, by the way!)

Thanks, kid! Now, get off my lawn!
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​Setting Goals, Part Three: Helping Students Set Their Own Goals

7/25/2016

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See “Setting Goals: Part One” (practicing) here and “Setting Goals: Part Two” (repertoire) here.

One of the most important questions I ask my students is this: “What are your goals for piano study?”  

I ask this question to my students at their very first lesson. I find it very insightful to learn why students want to study piano and what they hope to learn in their lessons. Some students have a specific piece in mind that they have always wanted to play. Other students may want to play in a certain style, such as jazz or pop. Some students have no idea what their goals are, but can tell me what kinds of music they like to listen to.

There are many benefits to helping students set their own goals at the piano:
  1. Setting goals helps to prepare younger students for the “real world” challenges of problem solving and time management that they will face as adults.
  2. Students are more invested in their progress because they have selected a goal that is important to them.
  3. Students are more motivated to practice pieces they have selected themselves.
  4. Students feel a bigger sense of accomplishment when they complete a goal they have set for themselves.
  5. Seeing my students’ goals helps me as a teacher to know what motivates them, so I can better plan our path of study to take advantage of my students’ interests.

I encourage my students to keep a “wish list” in their notebooks of goal pieces and other general piano goals that we can refer to throughout the year. When we complete a goal piece, or when I see that a student is in need of a general pick-me-up, we refer to this wish list for ideas. These wish list pieces aren't always what I would choose for my students, but with a little creativity I can make sure my students learn something important from each and every one!
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What do you think? Do you encourage your students to set their own goals for piano study? 
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Friday Funny

7/22/2016

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Q: Why doesn't Mozart like chickens?

A: Because all they ever say is "Bach, Bach, Bach."

​Happy Friday! :)
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Playing by Ear: Getting Started

7/18/2016

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​Playing by ear is an extremely useful skill, and one that some students seem to pick up more quickly than others. However, I am a firm believer that anyone can learn to play by ear, and the sooner students start training their ears, the better!

Below, I will share the first steps I use to help my beginning students start to play by ear. Make playing by ear fun by doing quick listening games at each lesson! Encourage students to try picking out familiar melodies at the piano, and remind them that learning to play by ear is a process and it is okay to miss a few notes on your first try.

1. High or Low? 
The first step to playing by ear is being able to distinguish high sounds from low sounds. This can be tricky for beginners, who often equate high and low with volume, instead of pitch. Using imagery can help students distinguish the difference between high and low. For example, a high sound can be compared to a bird chirping high in a tree, while a low sound can be compared to a bear roaring deep in his cave. I also find it helpful to get students in the habit of using their hands to gesture high and low sounds; this will come in handy once they begin to listen for more complex patterns.

2. Same, Up, or Down?
Once students can distinguish high and low, they can work on listening for notes stepping up, stepping down, or repeating.  Play students a set of three notes, and ask them to use their hands to show whether the notes are going up, down, or staying the same. Encourage them to sing the patterns back to you and try to match the pitches.

3. Playing Short Melodies
Once students are comfortable with distinguishing notes stepping up and down, they are ready to play by ear short melodies that use step-wise motion. Sing a melody, and ask students to use their hands to show the direction the notes are going. Then, give students the starting note and ask them to play the melody on the piano.

Some familiar step-wise melodies to use with beginners include:
“Row, Row, Row Your Boat” (first half), start on C
“Mary Had a Little Lamb”, start on E
 “London Bridge” (first seven notes), start on F
 “Ode to Joy” (first 8 measures), start on E
“Away in a Manger” (first 4 measures), start on G
 
 What do you think? Do you encourage your students to play by ear?


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    Chrissy Ricker is a pianist, teacher, and composer from North Carolina. These are her thoughts on teaching, composing, and all things music.


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