MUSIC 4 LIFE, LLC

Motivating teachers and students in the world of music

Music Fundamentals are Mentally Fun

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Make Practicing Scales and Fundamentals Fun!

Yes, fun! You heard me, learning music theory can be fun, if the teacher can relate to the student and has the creativity and a sense of humor even the most boring of rout scales can enjoyable.

Music teachers and instructors can instill in a love of learning basic music fundamentals by taking a creative approach learning scales, chords and theory can become enjoyable instead of a drudgery.

Music Fundamentals are Mentally Fun! A reminder for music majors, band students and all musicians. Motivational music poster for teachers available from JW PepperMusic Fundamentals are Mentally Fun Poster

Music fundamentals are essential to the development of all serious-minded musicians. Basic fundamental techniques, concepts and rudimentary information in all areas of music such as performance; theory;composing/arranging; recording; etc., must be mastered prior to functioning at a more advanced level.

For instance practicing scales can be one of the most boring parts of practice. What about making it into a game, or a Skittles reward, at the end of the piano scale run you eat a Skittles (obviously this won’t work for woodwind instruments). Or, what about adding a little style and rhythm to your scales with a few staccatos, jazz it up a bit and those scales will start to play themselves.

What Are You Doing as a Teacher to Make Fundamentals Fun?

Leave a comment below on what you do to encourage building basic music fundamentals and what work for you.

Don’t forget, the poster above is available for sale at J.W. Pepper and would make a great addition to a practice room to remind students that yes, fundamentals are the building blocks to every great musician.

Author: 3 Quarters Images

Passionate about many things including photography, design, family, cooking, friends, and social media. Depending on the day, the order might change, or I might combine one or two. I am the Mother of two Marines, and as my husband says I can get very passionate about a subject. He likes to say "Who stuck a quarter in you and wound you up?" Most people can only take three quarters of my passion in one day. Hence my slogan "3 Quarters Today"

3 thoughts on “Music Fundamentals are Mentally Fun

  1. Don’t just focus on things like scales. Technique is just as important. (They go hand in hand, actually.)

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  2. I love scales! For me, as keyboard/piano student, learning them backwards and forwards is a good start; then, in the same key, left hand ascending, right hand descending. For fun, and torture your instructor, play left hand ascending in C, right hand ascending in C#/Db. Fun!

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