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 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.
July 2, 2015 at 4:12 pm
Don’t just focus on things like scales. Technique is just as important. (They go hand in hand, actually.)
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September 14, 2016 at 1:39 pm
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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September 18, 2016 at 2:28 pm
It seemed like half my piano lessons were scales. Now that tip is a trick. I’ll have to try it. Thanks for commenting and please come back again.
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