Frequently Asked QuestionsDo you use Pre-Reading pieces in your instruction?
Absolutely! Pre-reading (and Rote) pieces are ideal for creating satisfying musical experiences and exploring foundational technique in the earliest lessons.
When do you begin introducing the staff?
From the FIRST lesson...
though students might not realize it.
Beginning students are assigned pre-reading and rote pieces to practice at home, but that doesn't prevent us from laying proper foundations for on-staff notation during the lesson itself.
Building Better Music Readers is my collection of tried-and-true drills to ensure smooth transitions to the staff when the appropriate time comes.
How long will it take my students to learn to read on the staff?
Repeat after me:
It takes as long as it takes.
Time is not my concern. I'm much more interested in preserving a student's enthusiasm and confidence at the instrument while they're learning new things.
With the wealth of music available to us (at every level of study!), there is no reason to build frustration and doubt by pressing students to read music in a format they are not ready for.
This "deconstructed" approach to reading will pinpoint any weaknesses that need addressed, which often results in quick comprehension of these skills.
Teachers should always be leery of any expectation that involves a timeline. Every learner is different and the goal is
always confident mastery, regardless of how long it takes.
What if these drills are too easy for my students?
Building Better Music Readers is my attempt to address the most common stumbling blocks students encounter when learning how staff notation works.
Many students will move seamlessly through the material, using just a few minutes of the lesson each week. I don't view this as a waste, rather a valuable confirmation that students are ready to progress to the next step.
On the other hand, most of us have encountered puzzling students whose struggles are difficult to pinpoint. In these cases, the framework provided in this series will help participating teachers know where to better focus their attention.
What Method Series do you use?
All of them! I consider myself an eclecticist, so I dabble in all the mainstream methods - and a few lesser-known series as well.
The most important thing to remember is this: Our books need to support our instruction, not the other way around. I use a lot of materials, but the tenants of
my instruction remain the same.
The beauty of
Building Better Music Readers is its universal application to any published method series.
What about Music Learning Theory/Edwin E. Gordon/Music Moves for Piano?I love reading Gordon and incorporate a lot of MLT-related ideas into my teaching. Likewise, I see Marilyn Lowe's
Music Moves for Piano as a reference all piano teachers should explore.
That particular methodology typically delays any emphasis on reading - with valid reason. It's important students are able to distinguish the act of
making music from the skill of
reading music.
Experience has shown me that, with small and consistent efforts to understand the building blocks of notation, students can learn to read notation at a variety of ages/stages.
Certainly, this is all done with a primary focus on making music: moving, singing, creating, and playing.
Because MLT teachers already follow a specific instructional sequence, they are not the target audience for this resource. Even still, I wouldn't expect anyone to take offense at the ideas I present. 😉
Will I need any additional materials?
There are two optional tools you will see me use frequently in this series: a
Dry-Erase Staff Board* and a
Magnetic Staff Board.
I find these two items invaluable in my teaching and highly recommend them, but the content of
Building Better Music Readers is not dependent on their use.
Printable resources are included with your purchase and will cover the basics of what we discuss, but these two tools give your endless options to customize and expand instruction as necessary.
I will also occasionally reference
the NoteRush app.
I'm a music student. Will Building Better Music Readers teach me how to read music?
This resource is designed for studio music teachers. While it might help you achieve your desired result, the amount of extraneous information is not ideal for students.
I teach different instruments. Is Building Better Music Readers just for piano teachers?In short, no.
While a few of the exercises would require minor adaptations to suit different instruments, the content in this series is designed to be applicable to all music students.
*Amazon links are affiliate links, which earn a small commission without costing you extra.
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