It’s the season where many of my students are performing the same tunes. The same tunes that I have taught for years…and I’m okay with it.
When I student contacts me about lessons, we discuss scheduling, and policies, but I also send a rundown of how I like my lessons to run.
My teaching concept (which is the same concept I use in my own playing) revolves around efficiency. If I have to think about playing my instrument, I’m probably not making music, and ultimately, not having a great time. Also, when a student comes to me, I tend to break down embouchure and air issues right away. Sound is the foundation of music, and if we can get to a point where the sound is consistently open and in tune, it will make our lives’ easier doing everything else on our instruments.
I will assign studies from a method book, and I let my students pick their songs. I find that when a student plays music that they love, they dig into the lesson material, and stay interested in all elements of their instrument.
My students have chosen their instruments for a reason that is personal to them, and because I teach woodwinds, the students are typically older than a five or six year old piano student. To me, this means that they have started to develop their own taste in music, and that is something that I should respect.
As I learn about the music that they enjoy, I am able to shape the technical aspects of our lessons to fit their needs, and I find that they get more out of their lessons because they see the value in practicing. They need to love the music that they’re playing!
There are a few concepts that are great to introduce this way.
- Playing by ear – the students can sing the songs that they love. It makes a great connection for them to start to learn how their instrument sounds. It also takes the pressure of sight-reading vocal melodies away.
- Improvisation – as they work on their tunes, we can start to introduce embellishment, and work our way into improvisation eventually. This also helps introduce scales, and chords.
- Duets – I have been writing duets using my students tunes, which then allows them to focus on playing with others, playing in tune, and with good rhythm. Some of my arrangements are available here, with more to come in the near future.
It’s also great for the parents who are not always musical to hear their child perform music that they hear on the radio. Not every saxophonist’s parent is into Coltrane! When the parents start to hear familiar melodies, it gives them a clearer picture of how their child is progressing, because they have a point of reference.
In my experience, as a student progresses, they end up digging deeper into the music that their instrument is more known for, and my saxophone students who started playing Careless Whisper, start playing from the Charlie Parker Omnibook – it’s all about getting them to love the instrument, and finding their path.
I don’t shy away from Christmas music, or pop tunes, or video game music, or movie themes! Everybody should be able to perform the music that they love!