Kids Technique Paper

[SandyMC]

Hai there.. i was asked to made a paper about how to teach some technique in pra elementary or elementary (age 4 - 10). The technique can be whatever such as teaching legato, tenuto, the depth of fingering, hand position or anything else that is not physcology one. Can someone please help me to refer me some website that help me whith this? or... if do you have one? then... it will help me also.. . Thx

Ouch, by the way, i have 6 gmail invitations left, anybody want it? just post here your email address.

[jlh]

oh cool!  I'd love a gmail invitation...
Thanks!

[Brian Healey]

I'll take one, if you don't mind.

bcheal01@louisville.edu

[jlh]

You might try this forum... it's focus is primarily on pedagogy:
 https://www.pedaplus.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=elem

[Piazzo22]

Please, please!!!

rchme2@yahoo.com.ar   

[pianonut]

Dear Sandy,

In the original texts of most classical and romantic music, you have the composers intentions of phrasing (which is very dependent on fingering and learning articulation) unlike the baroque (where you don't have as much written in about how it is to be played.  Also, tempi is often a vague topic to most youngsters.  I tend to like teaching from the present day backwards, so that included with "technique" there is an understanding of the whole of what a composer is trying to say.  You can get contemporary music which has a certain technique thought out and built into it.  It can even be modal.  (helping little fingers) I would certainly start from the beginning, and not assume anything.  Technique with children, to me, means understanding terminology (giving them terms weekly) and teaching them how to apply it (without you having to be there each time they practice).  I try to use mnumonic memory aids to help them remember what i am saying.

[pianonut]

ps  I guess what I mean by mneumonic, is that you and the child can be creative and actually put words (or some, ie bastien) to phrases.  You show them how a phrase/ sentence work.  or question/answer.  I try, from the very beginning to show them to use the "1/2 principle" at the end of a phrase if it is connected to another one immediately.  I say, let's change this 1/2 note to a quarter note and write in a quarter rest.  This way, we can hear a "breath."  This is different than just using a staccato at the end of every phrase.  It is more detailed.

[pianonut]

ps  for the older students you can explain a bit more about dynamics in phrasing, and also cut the "1/2 principle" down to simply making sure you have an eighth rest before the next phrase.  Starting with a little more time, gives them opportunity to look at what is coming next.

Sightreading is another technique that sometimes teachers overlook teaching.  I think, personally, it is the idea of looking ahead (at first) WHENEVER YOU COME TO A HALF NOTE OR WHOLE NOTE.  You've already found the note--keep looking forward and don't wait until the last minute to know where to go.

Smoothness in playing is another technique.  I was just reading another posting about a 42 year old student.  Eliminating unnecessary movements is VERY important, i think, from the beginning.  Sometimes you will see children who think they are too short, scooting on the bench to play something higher or lower.  I always say lean this way or that, but DON't scoot.  Let arms hang naturally from sides, and let hand be relaxed.

Using the metranome in playing pieces DOES help with the smoothness idea.  You can take the time out of a measure (as mentioned above) but should not practice a lot of rubato technique until later.  (ie adding time to the phrases)  Playing in strictness of time