Keeping the Music in Music Teaching

Do you ever wonder what happens to that bright-eyed new student who fairly bursts into the door of his or her first lesson so eager and excited about starting piano lessons? The prospect of getting to play music is a dream come true and life could not be more exciting! Months later the same student drags in the door muttering the familiar phrase, "I didn't get much practicing done this week."

I have heard teachers, myself included, explain such dramatic changes in enthusiasm with statements such as: "Students now days just don't understand the discipline it takes to play piano," or, "These kids are just too busy to practice," or, "Parents don't see to it that their children practice." All of this may be somewhat true, but I often wonder if we somehow disappoint our students by getting so involved with the intricacies of teaching the fundamentals of music that we tend to overlook the sheer joy of making music.

I am not suggesting that what we teach isn't absolutely imperative to the study of music. But if we present these basic music concepts within a musical framework, we can give students the pleasure and fun of creating music along the way. A very effective way of doing this is through improvisation.

Many teachers (maybe even the majority) who attend my workshops on keyboard improvisation express a real dread and fear of improvising. I certainly can relate to those feelings as I remember so vividly that knot in my stomach when I was called on to improvise for the first time in a graduate pedagogy class. But through the years I have discovered that removing the analytical and judgmental aspect from improvising allows us to experience a wonderfully satisfying creative endeavor.

Beginning Improvisation

Any beginning attempts at keyboard improvisation will be much easier when the idea that "improvisation is for everyone" is thoroughly embraced. Unfortunately for many of us, improvisation is often intrinsically linked to the jazz musicians -- those amazingly talented men and women who appear to hear the most incredible harmonies seemingly from another dimension and magically reproduce them with their fingertips. Once we get over the notion that these uniquely talented individuals "own the right to improvisation," we can begin to experience the fun of spontaneously creating music ourselves and with our students.

I have found that introducing improvisation exercises with a set of definite parameters and clear-cut instructions eliminates some of the fear and overwhelming prospect of too many choices. When students understand that the improvisation is based on a few notes, a set hand position, or a particular scale, the task is less intimidating.

Providing a musical background that is vivid in its emotional appeal is a great way to inspire musical expressiveness in beginning improvisation. An accompaniment or ostinato pattern that sets a definite mood often stimulates students to express themselves through the keyboard without the interference of judgmental or critical analysis. In this way, even the most elementary pianist is able to experience the joy of creative self-expression through the keyboard, without waiting for all the musical elements to be mastered before the music begins.

The following are some examples of accompaniment patterns for beginning improvisation which are particularly effective with older beginners. Continue the patterns for several minutes as often it takes some time for students to let go of their self-consciousness and relax into concentrating on the sound and the mood. Emphasize an intuitive and spontaneous approach without pre-planning what to play. (You can also download this article in a printable format for use away from the computer.)

Accompaniments for Beginning Improvisation

Improvisation on the Black Keys

Accompaniments for Improvisation in the Major Five-Note Hand Positions - White Keys

Accompaniments for Improvisation in the Major Five-Note Hand Positions - Black Keys

Accompaniments for Improvisation in the Minor Five-Note Hand Positions

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