Parent demands no timing errors while practicing.

[jpahmad]

Ideally the student needs to learn to conceive groups of short notes as having a destination that is part of the same conception as the short notes and pace things so they never run out notes before getting there.

Or you can liken this concept to a guy slam dunking a basketball.  He's up, he's flying in the air, and his destination is putting the ball through the hoop.  Maybe putting a golf ball would be better; rolling over the green and into the hole.  Imagery usually always works.

[timothy42b]

Or you can liken this concept to a guy slam dunking a basketball.  He's up, he's flying in the air, and his destination is putting the ball through the hoop.  Maybe putting a golf ball would be better; rolling over the green and into the hole.  Imagery usually always works.

Careful here.  You are dangerously close to recommending the "inner game of tennis" approach, focusing on the goal and ignoring the process.

The reason to be careful is that this approach works very very well for some students, especially the more talented ones, and NOT AT ALL for some of us.  I strongly suspect though I can't prove it that this difference in learning style is hardwired in the brain and pretty much fixed.

[nyiregyhazi]

Careful here.  You are dangerously close to recommending the "inner game of tennis" approach, focusing on the goal and ignoring the process.

The reason to be careful is that this approach works very very well for some students, especially the more talented ones, and NOT AT ALL for some of us.  I strongly suspect though I can't prove it that this difference in learning style is hardwired in the brain and pretty much fixed.

Agreed. I have no problem with metaphors but the issue here is whether the child appreciates the areas where hesitations must be quickly dealt with. It's fine to add a metaphor to the necessity to direct short notes through to a longer note that serves as a destination. But the idea of slam dunking means nothing whatsoever unless very clearly attached to this specific rhythmic concept. Personally, I'm not really sure that much urgent need for a metaphor. Ultimately, only musical awareness of the fact that a group of short notes needs another note to complete itself will yield results. In basketball it's self evident not to stop in mid air before putting the ball in. In music, we need to know what particular mental links to start from. If a kid doesn't know where the hoop is, the metaphor won't help him find it.

[jpahmad]

Well, if it works, if it gets the results I want, then I'll use it (metaphor).  If not, I'll try something else, like not using a metaphor.  It's just one of the tools in the toolbox.  I've never actually used the basketball metaphor, I just made it up for the sake of the discussion.  I have used others though.  Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.