pay attention part II

[Marc Piane]

All of the various videos that have been flying around from Kenny Barron, Gary Bartz, Jean Michel Pilc, as well as some of the comments on the other thread have really been making me evaluate how I play and more importantly how I teach. I feel like there was a fair amount of getting OUT of my head and following my ear that had to happen after formal schooling. I am really a classic example of Gary Bartz's example of someone who was taught backwards. I'm better now... mostly.

I have been thinking quite a bit about this and have had some pretty heavy discussions with other music teachers and players.

So the question I am wrestling with is how to teach, especially beginner and intermediate players, in such a way that the process I went through doesn't have to happen.


I was watching this clip today from Fred Hersch and it got me thinking more.

Fred Hersch: Just Hear What Happens Next - YouTube

Discuss

[Jazzdogg]

What's your current approach to teaching?

[Marc Piane]

This is maybe a hard topic to cover in this forum.

As background I have been teaching for 15 years both privately and in the classroom. I have taught 3 yo kids through college. Any good teacher is constantly evaluating their methods though.

I do think our teaching is heavily influenced by how we were taught. I am of the generation where much of the information was compartmentalized and codified.

I'd rather not give too much of my own philosophy until more people reply.

Mostly I'm curious how people approach teaching beginners and intermediate players. I feel more and more like throwing a whole bunch of theory and formulas out there is the easy way out. Teachers, especially ensemble teachers that are not bass players, have been doing it forever.

I guess I'm just wondering how others approach it.

[Ed Fuqua]

Well, my teacher, Joe Solomon, has a number of methods that I've outlined through this forum in a variety of threads, but basically we look at physical approach by two octave scale work (from quarter notes to accent 3 triplets), arpeggios on triads to four part chords in all inversions in open and closed positions. Arco work starts with Simandl but focuses on developing a relaxed physical approach with both left and right hand.
Improvisational concept is outlined in the REALLY Learning a Tune thread. Ear training is covered in another thread (I'll dig it out if no one can find it). I also learn a variety of solos in the manner outlined in a number of threads here. And then Joe and I play through tunes together.

At least where I am now, we haven't ever talked about chord/scales or harmonic function or any of the other stuff that made up the core of everything I studied at Berklee...

[longfinger]

Knowing the goals of each student is very helpful, and can help focus the lessons.

It seems there are these categories for beginner->intermediate.

- body-instrument technique
- basic music language (notes, intervals, scales, chords, tonality etc) good for all instruments.
- aural skills
- repertoire


In many ways good teacher strive to make themselves unnecessary every lesson by opening each student's awareness. My main bass teacher used to ask me "Do you notice you're doing .... ?", all the time. If you can get your students to really hear themselves play, and really feel what's going on in their bodies, and understand the basics of musical situation solving, they can go on and diagnose and solve their own problems as they arrive. They won't need you, which makes them want you even more.

Looking back, I think a 'repertoire based approach' supported by music theory, is better than a basic music theory approach that is applied to repertoire. Perhaps for jazz, it's useful to think that the repertoire is the sound, and the theory starts with the page.

[Marc Piane]

What I'm trying to develop is an integrated way of teaching all the above mentioned skills. I find that what sometimes happens is a student might have really good ears but then when asked to walk or solo they revert to theory mode and stop trusting their ears.

It's still rolling around in my noodle but I'm getting closer to some concrete exercises.

I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here either. I think all kinds of ways of understanding music are valuable and just because one player takes a more cerebral approach and one a more aural one doesn't make one better or worse than the other.

I just feel like, in all disciplines (math, science, history, english, and the arts to some extent) our education system is so focused on the use of our eyes and the left side of our brain that when we are asked to use our ears and trust the creative side we freeze. I have a hs kid that is absolutely paralyzed by soloing. Another that can recite modes until the cows come home.

I'm trying to think about integrating all of this so that the WHOLE brain is getting trained.