How Do You Teach Fluent Chord Reading?
Countless times, teachers hear something similar to “I don’t want Johnny to be a concert pianist, I just want him to be able to play hymns.” Usually, we take the time to explain that hymn playing-or any chord reading for both hands together-represents one of the hardest kinds of reading any student has to learn to do. Regardless, the myth continues as many parents-and many adult students-still...
Do You Use Summer Lessons for Special Reading Activities?
Keyboard Companion Summer 1991; Vol. 2, No. 2
Both writers for this issue’s Music Reading Department take the view that summer is special for piano students. A good case can be made for discontinuing the regular curriculum and making sure that summer study is something that makes the coming autumn a thing to look...
How Do You Teach Students to Plan Fingering?
Keyboard Companion Spring 1995; Vol. 6, No. 1
The subject of fingering may be one of the most neglected aspects of reading. I suspect we might all be surprised if we really knew how much fingering affects the student’s ability to read. And, we might all be surprised at how many things about...
What Role Do the Eyes Play in Sightplaying?
Asking what role the eyes play in sightplaying is like asking what role a steady pulse plays in rhythm. The eyes, of course, are central to any consideration of sightplaying. Our respondents, wisely acknowledging that there is much more to fluent sightplaying than eye skills, offer some useful...
What Do You Do When the Notes Go Up and Your Students Plays Down?
Keyboard Companion Autumn 1994; Vol. 5, No. 3
Every aspect of piano teaching has its share of problems that relate to the question for this issue–those things that seem so natural and easy for us, but are not always so natural and easy for our students. Even though we readily recognize that some things...
How Do You Teach Students to Read Who Already Play by Ear?
Keyboard Companion Autumn 1993; Vol. 4, No. 3
from the series: Independence Day: Music Reading We’ve all heard, countless times, “Would you play it for me?” after a student has spent a week with a new piece without satisfactory success. If we know the student well, our response will be based on knowing why...
Do You Teach Sightplaying from the Very First Lesson?
Keyboard Companion Autumn 1992; Vol. 3, No. 3
When children begin to learn to read word s, it is assumed that the goal is sight reading-the ability to say the word a split second after seeing it-and that this goal will be reached rather quickly. And furthermore, it is assumed that the ability to...