Music Teachers Blog

Prepare Your Students For A Different Kind Of Recital

Working on 'groove' with my students

Last month I discussed a different kind of recital (I call it a gig) I have implemented for my students. It takes place at a jazz club. Uses professional musicians to back the students, young and old. And is very casual for both family and students. See the previous entry for more info on that. This month I wanted to discuss how I prepare my students for this type of show.

I teach from the very beginning a reverence for the groove. Whether it’s a classical piece or a blues or even just the simplest beginning 4 measure ‘song.,’ I approach all music with the idea that rhythm and pulse…ie. Groove..is essential. Way before I discuss any musical terms, note names, technique, etc. my students are playing rhythm games. My belief is that all music flows at its base level from a pulse and students need to be aware of this from the beginning. So, the gig creates a real opportunity for them to share that groove with other musicians. But in order for them to feel ready to play with other live musicians, I need to simulate the experience in the studio.

Step one is being sure to approach every piece as a rhythmic adventure well before any mention of performing it with other musicians. Being precise about pitches comes later. Discussing musical nuances comes later. Dynamics come later. Here are different steps/activities I do:

1. Transcribe the rhythm of the piece (or a portion of it) onto a dry erase board. We sit together and each do our own transcription discussing the groups of rhythms and how we might count them.
2. Play and count the whole rhythm (or just a measure….whatever is the right amount to digest) on a hand drum or drum set. Or you can clap it, though I love to accessorize whenever possible. In this case, I explain that the piano is really a percussion instrument at heart and playing a drum helps re-enforce that notion.
3. The student will then sit at the piano while I stay behind the drum set.  The student can start by just playing the rhythm on any notes (of their choice) while I play a groove on the drums. I am now letting them show me they have digested the rhythm and I am acting as a thinly veiled metronome. Making a mess of the pitches is fine.
4. At this point we may move to the computer where I have composed a ‘play along’ track in Logic or Garage band. The ‘play along’ will consist of me playing the piece (on a MIDI piano), possibly a second piano accompaniment, a bass part, and a drum track. If it’s a baroque piece I might do a simple orchestration with strings or woodwinds. If it’s going to be a reggae feel, I might add MIDI guitar parts, etc. The possibilities are endless. And your MIDI sequencing chops don’t need to be very advanced at all.  With loop libraries available today, your sequencing can be limited to just playing the piano parts and bass parts.
5. The student and I listen to the piece with the sheet music in hand. I ask the student to point at the notes and begin singing the melody along with the play along track. Eventually, I mute the melody and we continue singing along with the accompaniment portion of the play along track. The student could also go back to just clapping the melody as well. Here is where pitch begins to matter, though. I try to keep my students singing the melody as close to what’s written as possible.
6. By dropping different parts in and out, ie. Muting the bass part or the drums, the student begins to understand the concept of playing with multiple musicians. I am always referring to the bass player or the drummer that will be on the gig. I am not referring to the computer. The student doesn’t need to know that it is a sequenced MIDI part. Let them believe they are hearing what the bass player is actually going to play.
7. Finally, I have the student sit at the piano (we take a moment to find the hand position, etc.) and wear headphones while they attempt to play along with the recording. I always keep the melody in their headphones to start and then slowly fade it out. Soon the student is only playing with the bass player and drummer. They love it. The headphones can be problematic because they can’t hear themselves well, but they love that they feel as though they are in a recoding studio.
8. The final step is to send them home with a burned CD of the play along track. I always include one version with me playing the melody and one version with just the accompaniment. Lately I have also been including multiple versions at different tempos, again with and without the melody.

I am a firm believer in using the technology to help students in their preparation for performance. But the end goal is always the same, to encourage the communal aspect of music, ie. working towards a gig where they will be fortunate enough make music with others. Students that play with other musicians and play with them often (I book three gigs per year for my students) are, in my experience, far more likely to make music a part of their life for the long haul.  And that is my mission as a teacher.

Posted in Music & Technology, Performing, Practicing, Teaching Tips |

About the Author

For 20 years keyboardist Nate Shaw has been performing around the globe. His touring groups have included Bebop Jazz sextet, Motion Poets, which released three CDs to wide critical acclaim, the explosive world music trio, New Power Trio, featuring Yo Yo Ma’s percussionist of choice, Mark Suter, and his current favorite, the Brooklyn based, Gowanus Reggae And Ska Society. Nate has released 9 CDs and can be heard as a sideman on dozens more. Nate's goal as a teacher is to inspire and cultivate a desire to explore music and all of it’s magic. He encourages creativity and discourages fear of the unknown. He is a strong believer in the notion that music lives in each and every one of us, it simply needs to be nurtured in the correct way in order to blossom. He also believes that developing a student’s musicality takes time, focus, support, and discipline.