Instructional Design in Piano Lessons: Part 2 Intensifying Successful Teaching
As discussed earlier, Instructional Design in piano lessons encompasses more than the one focus of student sequential learning through logical, well-planned and incremental portions of the material introduced.
Conscious Practicing
As the heading suggests, conscious practicing is much more than just practicing for a set number of minutes. In conscious practicing, you are fully aware of the task, sensation-sensitive in hearing and touching, and fully and actively engaged.
This makes me think of how I do NOT wrap a present. I know people who really take a long time to conscious-wrap perfect gifts; they measure, crease corners carefully, add tape that’s perfectly horizontal, and top it all off with the perfect ribbon. I prefer the gift bag and a crunch of colored tissue paper on top – that’s my style!
I have students who practice piano like I wrap presents – and it sure shows. I have a few who are model conscious practicers – and it’s very apparent! It’s like they have practiced – not only for a long time during the week – but very carefully to details. So what specifically makes conscious practice?
Ideas for Conscious Practicing
- Start Slowly: When sight-reading a new piece, start slowly – not aiming for the optimal performance tempo yet.
- Read Accurately: Make sure notes are read accurately, and if not, repeat the note/s or measure until they are. Racing through the entire piece will accomplish little except take up practice time.
- Repeat for Success: Continue playing slowly and accurately, repeating flawed areas until they are correct. Repeating errors reinforces errors. Repeat correctly multiple times, slowly then more quickly to attain muscle memory – which won’t occur during just the first practice session.
- Aim for Perfection: Work on every technical issue until they are not issues of error. You may not yet have achieved it, but you’re getting closer to playing perfectly!
- Increase Tempo: Then during the next practice (if appropriate) increase tempo to approach the correct level. This will probably take multiple sessions to arrive at performance tempo that is satisfactory.
The Conscious-Practice Teacher
To encourage the best practice habits for the student, the teacher
- instructs
- demonstrates
- observes the student’s duplication
- makes needed corrections and adjustments
- encourages repetition until the desired outcome is accurately produced by the student
For simple errors, such as a missed flat required by the key signature, if the teacher will call out a prompt (“Key signature!”) as opposed to simply stating the correct note name (“That’s a B flat!”), then the student will have an opportunity to think about and consider the error (“What’s in the key signature? Oh, I have a B flat to remember!”). Being given the opportunity to think about and self-correct the error will make it less likely to occur again, or at least more quickly corrected.
This conscious self-correcting approach can also be encouraged by the teacher’s reminding of using spaces to find the line note – rather than immediately stating the correct letter. Doing this reinforces the Instructional Design approach that fosters self-correction through a cognitive process of thinking through the “known” to correct the “unknown/error.”
This is like the old adage: Give a man a fish, and you have fed him. Teach a man how to fish, and he can feed himself forever.
The conscious teacher
gives the student the tools to correct his own errors
and make self-improvements when alone.
Feel Like Sharing?
What do you do, or have your students do, that maximizes practice time?
I invite you to share what works for you – or what doesn’t work – in the Comments section below.
Instructional Design in Piano Lessons
The strategy of the Instructional Design in piano lessons is to break down the whole task into single, manageable parts. That’s why it works so effectively.
What Would the First Lesson for a Young Student Look Like?
What Would the First Lesson for a 6 to Teen Look Like (video)?
View sample pages of all the books for students
ages 6 to teen:
View sample pages of all the books for students
4 to 5 years old:
View sample pages of all the books for older
teens and adults:
View the books on Amazon:
About the Author, Composer, Illustrator,
Educator, and Eternal Optimist
Leslie Young is the author/composer/illustrator of the Revolutionary Piano Method. She co-founded a K-12th grade charter school in Texas and has been a piano teacher for about 40 years. She has had experience teaching a variety of students tackling piano for the first time or as returning students.
Leslie believes that “learning to play the piano is more about diligence and perseverance” – but would add that just as critical to success is the method that is used, the pattern of critical thinking, and the instructional design principles that promote immediate success.
She states: “In teaching piano to students of varying ages, what also varies is a commitment of time and the amount of dedication. Children of certain ages may do very well with a parent as teacher; others may need someone who is not family to instruct them. Some older children and adults prefer to make progress on their own, and this method is designed to act as a meticulous guide through new material. Some adults and teens insist on professional teachers, which also encourages continuity. Because these books are self-explanatory, a new or experienced professional teacher will have no trouble using the Revolutionary Piano Method with students. It’s an easy and effective way to learn piano.”
