How to teach some repertoires that you don't know or not sure?

[dora96]

Hi everyone,

I am new teacher, and I passed my grade  ten years ago. I start teaching properly about 18 months. My  students are most beginner to grade 5 level. It is getting harder to teach some high grade students. Especially, some of their exam syllabus contain some of new or modern   Australian composers, and some of the music , I honestly haven't heard before. Even though there are such a large amount of repertoires, songs, music. I don't know much about e.g. Scriabin, Scarlatti, Liszt, Bach, Brahms, Debussy, Ravel , Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff. Of course, I know some but not every one, not most of them. I am just not confident to teach and know the dynamic and interpretation.

The students do need their exam, and I am their teacher. I can't say that I don't know them and I can't teach, and find someone else. Even though, for the most advanced and experienced teacher can't know everything and every composers. I can work on them and find few recording the composers. However, to know it well and teach confidently without misleading and misguiding the students could be tricky. Is there any suggestion that you guys can give me? The requirement to pass the exam on the syllabus - where can I find the information especially there is few different exam TCL, AEMB, Royal school of music......

For grade 5 and 6 repertoires are getting more complicated and even the tempo to get it right could be difficult. Please Help !!

[hyrst]

Basically, you need to review your own knowledge.  Reread the histories, start studying the most prominent styles and composers.  etc.

However, while you are educating yourself, the AMEB does have a reasonable amount of teacher resources to grade 8.  I don't know about other exam systems.  There are recordings and anlytical notes.  Also, Ross Hamilton produces analytical notes for nearly all the syllabus (rah@netspace.net.au he also has a web site but I don't know the address).

I find the most effective ways of working with the more advanced students are listening well and working through the pieces myself (when I have any uncertainties).  To listen, get some physical distance between you and the student / piano (another room often works well) so you can listen properly.  Focus on each of the different aspects of interpretation and reading.  Set up some recordings of the student (another way to get distance) - and listen with the student. 

Don't be too harsh on yourself.  You won't have confidence in your judgement until you have had students do well at the higher grades, when you have expected them to do well.  Remeber, nobody knows everything - we do the best we can - and sometimes we look for differnet things than the examiners. 

Soak yourself in music and listen critically to professional recordings - not just to treat them as the authority, but to find things that weren't quite right.  Develop your own interpretive skills - why have professionals interpreted pieces in a certain way?  Develop skills that you can transfer across pieces rather than becoming familiar with a particular recording of a particular piece.

Good luck.

[Bob]

Get to know some of those pieces.  Sounds like you have a list.

Just use a few students as guniea pigs and learn the piece along with them.  Or at least how to teach it. 

[dora96]

In the past experienced, I had couple of  things, there was specific section in Beethoven sonata 2nd movement in the exam syllabus. There was "Repeat" in the middle section. I thought and true believe that there was no need to repeat especially in grade 5. I did make few inquiries about it with different teachers. They said it shouldn't need to repeat. Unfortunately, the exam commented in the result, student failed to repeat that section. I was very surprised I thought to myself. The student and her parents weren't happy about it. They said I taught the wrong thing. Anther thing, there was Chopin Mazurka, the tempo with dotted quaver and semi quaver with semi quaver rest. Somehow, I taught the wrong tempo, and the examiner commented the incorrect and careless tempo executed.

You see, we can't know everything, sometimes, the unexpected thing could happen to us in a teaching. How the examiner's perception and his interpretation could be slightly different from what I learned before. And could be my reformer piano teacher taught me wrong, I thought that it was correct without knowing it, passing it my students. It is very tricky. I know I can get recording and some information and detail about how the requirement of the exam syllabus, but when we teach no matter how careful and prepare for our students. There are always discrepancy which may occur. And also there was once time that the aural test was describe the music  change in rhythm, or change in  tone. My little 6 years old student was in grade 2 exam, she couldn't understand when the examiner said "alternation in tempo or alternation in melody" because she has not heard that terminology.

Now I know through experienced and few mistakes in the past. But again TCL is going to change little in Syllabus again I heard. I think it is not only teaching but only catch up with the system and technology. I am also taking  higher grade lesson to enrich my skill and knowledge in music, theory, history. I love teaching because through teaching I also learn from the students. Some students are even more knowledgeable than me. Some students are not only playing one instruments, they play violin, clarinet as well as piano. They are assets.

[Bob]

You could also fish for information online, on this forum.  Just post the piece and see what comments you get.

[keyofc]

 
Not every teacher has to feel they must teach all levels - If you look in the MTNA directory you can see what levels each teacher offers.

But if I was going to keep them - I would challenge myself by learning the pieces they are working on with another teacher whose level is higher than my own. (which sounds like maybe you are doing)
And definitely get the CDS from the same place that they are being tested at - or at least a recommendation from them where you can get a good recording.

[dora96]

You could also fish for information online, on this forum.  Just post the piece and see what comments you get.

Yes, Sure!. Thanks God for the Internet, 10 years old, the Internet wasn't known to me and not widely used. The whole wide world has been opened up. It is absolute  phenomenon that we don't know each other but we can discuss thing and talk in the screen to each other. I must admit that it is easer than before with net and the forum' s support  that's why I start teaching again.

Should you think that as a teacher must be capable of playing and demonstrating the repertoires that the students are learning. At once time, one of my students was learning Mozart Sonata K330. Her dad and the student was attending the lesson, and her dad insisted that I should play the piece  before teaching. Luckily that I knew it  really well, and able to play a section of the music. However, I don't know every repertoire that the students  are learning. Sometimes, parents want to make sure the teacher is knowledgeable but only teaching method but also performance in demand. They want to make sure that not to pay lesson  fee for nothing.

I know I shouldn't be pushed by anyone in  this situation.  Some ignorant parents think you should know everything that is why they pay me to teach as a professional.

[a-sharp]

IMO, part of your expertise is being able to teach the student how to approach music they never heard or seen before, so why not guide them through that process? Don't try to pretend like you know it already, approach the piece together and teach them how to analyze it, discover ways to interpret it, etc. You do have knowledge & the skills they don't have in order to show them how to do that, so use that. Then, after they leave, do your research for the next lesson! Good luck.

[ptmidwest]

Excellent, a-sharp!

[Bob]

Or you could even use a student's time to figure something out.  You walk them through the process you use. 

That can take advantage of the situation though, but... if they don't complain.  They might learn something about the process that way too.

I've seen plenty of teachers who are eager to learn a new piece.  And many who are willing to experiment with the lesson to find something out for themselves.

[mattgreenecomposer]

Sounds like you just need to learn the pieces along with them.  Do some homework outside of teaching.

For most of my students I can sight read whatever they bring in so showing them is not a problem, however I do have a handful who are playing Beethoven Sonatas, the WTC  and some other difficult repertoire.  I have to go home and practice it so I don't look like an idiot.  Theres no shame in that.  It gives me some extra stuff to practice that I might not have done in many years.  If its a composer I am completely unfamiliar with or haven't heard, I usually don't say "Have you played any Smekane Shostavoewgarich?"  I keep them within familiar "popular" classical repertoire boundaries.  There's tons of literature out there so nobody knows everything.

[dora96]

Yes! I do understand what you say. Even though, I past all the grade, and even to advanced diploma level, there are lots of repertoires that I haven't had the chance to touch them. I think teaching is good and give me the chance to learn and re- study them.

I find  few well known international pianists do join the masterclass in Youtube.  Learning is never end. Another thing is for me while I am busy teaching, and playing for different group and organization, it is hard to find time to  prepare thing and study student repertoires. I find that  it is struggle for time management to make a living as well as studying, attending lesson, exam for myself. I don't know what is your schedule? Do you still take class as well as teaching low grade? Do you feel discourage for no particular reason that students terminate their lesson? Last few months, I have 2 high grade students terminated their lesson. Their reason -  the repertoires are too demanding and there is much time for themselves to practice as well as coping the high school certificate exam. I do feel bit sad, they have been with for 18 months and have to leave or find somebody else. You are working hard with them and they leave for whatever reason. 

[Bob]

Yes, it's discouraging, but I think that's just the way it is.  Normal maybe.  As long as everyone isn't doing that and you don't think it's just an excuse for them to leave you for other reasons.

[flashcat]

Personally, I feel that a teacher should only teach at the highest level at which he/she can comfortably sightread. I've had a few teachers recommend their students "move on" to me after they've gone as far as they can with that teacher. There is no shame in admitting your limitations. Your students would probably appreciate the honesty. Some teachers work best with beginners to intermediate, and there's nothing wrong with that.

[omei]

 What Flashcat said is really true.

[dora96]

Couldn't agree more. What I mean is the knowledge is there, however, even some repertoires in the exam within grade 3 to 5. They introduce lots of contemporary music, from 1940. The rhythm is Jazz, modern, interpretation is hardly to predict. I don't know surely not like 10 years ago. The syllabus is classic. Nowadays, more contemporary  composers are in the syllabus especially AMEB,

I do turn away students needed more advance, not only that theory exam, music knowledge and composition etc.. just can't know it all. I went to back to study again, music change and taste change from period to period. I do get the idea how to work with students and enrich my knowledge so that I won't past on incorrect message. That will be absolutely disaster to someone.   

[squinchy]

If students are getting advanced, they can probably learn most pieces --and learn about most pieces--by themselves. Teachers exist to help the student get past intimidation, use the most efficient practice techniques, and interpret the music: being able to perform the piece yourself is a huge asset, but a good video (even from Youtube, if found quickly) or recording suffices if the teacher can explain.

I've always been impressed by teachers who can sightread music that look like toothpaste splattered on a blackboard, however. It's good inspiration.

[avguste]

Personally I think that any repertoire can be taught no matter whether you know it personally or not.
What is important,however, is to follow the composer's instructions.
This said,one thing that may help you is also performing those pieces.
Then read about the composer style,listen to some of his other pieces.And if the composer is alive,talk to him.