Thursday, September 25, 2014

ranting on teaching.

Hello all, I've been hard at work. I am now a minister, I've been recording new music, helping with ham radio activities and all sorts of other things.

 Now I've got to rant a bit about some things thats been on my mind as of late.
 Lets say you're teaching a student music, what would be the first thing you would teach him or her.
 Scales? Terms? Notation? Cords?
 Well, if your me, I would teach you nothing. I would guide you, however.

 You don't start a child out with a bike if he or she cant walk so why teach a student cords or scales or concepts or notation. Thats just stupid in my book.
 i think a student should be allowed to make mistakes, you need to sit there and make music with the student, let them start playing, let them lead you. let them feel like they're helping you or like their in charge. you need to be a friend not just a teacher. that way the student won't feel bashful about asking a question down the road, get them interested in cords buy playing cords wen you play with them. that way they can ask wen their ready, "hey what are you doing"
 Then you can tell them "I am playing something known as cords to ad some melody to our piece of music" that way they won't feel pressured you're playing with them. Don't force your student to learn cords or something, let them experiment. Let them ask questions, they may come up with their own style.
 i had someone who was going to try to teach me. alls they did was showed off. thats the wrong way to do, he needed to include me and show me or let me lead, that way as the student I felt like I was contributing to something. instead I ended up teaching myself because he never showed me anything. this is why i say notes and all this stuff is important but you don't need to know it to make music. i am learning, we all are learning. don't try to teach someone music, let them teach you how to teach them.that way you're a guide and also a pier instead of a teacher. it makes both people feel better.
 I've been on both side of the fence, I know what I am talking about. I've worked with people and they love how I work with them because I include them and don't play over their levels if I did that, they would be discouraged and would not want to play.
 If you're a teacher don't you start tapping while your student is having problems even fingering a fret. Thats rude and it kills their ambition. wen a student makes mistakes, don't shut them down for it, don't try to fix it, let them keep doing it because they will figure out on their own that it does not work, then they can ask you what they're doing wrong. remember your a teacher, you're not an in forcer, in my case i don't teach, i am a guide, i guide them to make the correct choices, wen you start learning theory and things of that nature, go to someone other than me, because I hardly know that stuff. but i do know how to guide and make someone feel welcome and help someone to want to keep playing. thats more important than flash and knowing all sorts of names for things you know how to do. i can show how to do  a cord or how to tap but why is the name value important. it's not to me. you can know all the names in the world of different scales and cords and notes but if you know all that stuff and pick up the instrument, thats not making you a better player. i'll out play you every time. you know why? because I play to play, you people play to be flashy. well flashy is not everything people. playing with heart and emotion will always win out over someones flashiness.
 It shows wen someone knows what they're doing or had gotten it from a book.
 Not saying that stuff won't help you, because I've seen fine players come out of that style of playing, but it's not always the best way and it won't make you a better player putting names to your cords and notes.
 
 
 Lets remember to love and help always.
 Everyone take care.
 Minister James Clark. This is KC3CDV saying 73 to all.