Sounded like a lot of fancy language to me...can
you give me the gist?
Basically, the best way to start learning
music is by playing songs by ear and improvising, because
then we develop our inner musical sense as well as physical
proficiency on the instrument. Physical proficiency without
musical understanding is like knowing how to speak the
words of a language without understanding what the words
mean.
Where do you get these ideas about how to teach
music?
Most of these ideas presented on my website are not my own.
I get them from the oral tradition of folk and jazz
musicians and my classes at the Eastman School of Music. I
base my method on the principles and learning sequence of
Music Learning Theory, instrumental
teaching techniques developed by Christopher Azzara, and what old banjo
players have known since before electricity.
What about reading music?
I will teach students to read music when they are
ready. Reading music is looking at a piece of sheet
music and hearing it in your head before playing it--the
same process as when you read a book silently and you
create pictures in your mind. When students develop a
strong understanding of harmonic function and meter (via
improvisation and knowing songs), they are ready to begin
to recognize those same functions and rhythms on a page of
music. In language, when a person knows how to speak a word
and understands what the word means, they are ready to read
that word; the same process applies to reading music. When
a student learns to read music this way, it isn't
frustrating and slow, because they bring meaning to the
notation.
Do your students play scales and arpeggios?
A scale is not particularly musical. I'd much rather that
students learn a song that contains a scale, putting the
scale in context and giving it meaning. For example, I
think it is much more beneficial to learn "What Shall We Do
with a Drunken Sailor" (which is in dorian tonality) in all
twelve keys than the dorian scale in all twelve keys.
Learning to improvise with chord changes is better than
learning just the arpeggios, because it puts the notes in
each chord in context.
What's the difference between 3-finger and old time
banjo?
3-finger banjo is bluegrass style. The right hand "rolls"
through the banjo strings with finger picks on the thumb,
index finger, and middle finger. Earle Scruggs, Bela Fleck,
and JD Crowe play this style. The banjo is originally an
African instrument brought to America by slaves, so
old-time technique is based more on how the banjo was
originally played. The right hand thumb and back of the
index finger sound the strings in characteristic rhythmic
patterns. Uncle Dave Macon and Mike Seeger play in this
style.
Why do you want students to pay for five lessons at
a time?
Because then I can plan lessons that build upon each other
to develop a more complete set of musical skills. It also
helps establish a mutual commitment between student and
teacher.
Interested in taking lessons? Contact me.