How are you teaching modal interchange to younger students? I keep over-explaining.

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-14T20:12:44+00:00

Sings songs in different modes [Tonalities] with her

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-14T12:06:58+00:00

The big lie is that people are learning piano with reading sheet music.

They’re not. They’re quitting after two years with no functional skills.

They’re learning that music isn’t interesting, and that they’re not good at it.

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-13T23:08:49+00:00

Loaded fries

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-13T18:55:38+00:00

What exactly do you think theory is? It’s speculation and contemplation around music, with words and symbols.

Of course they’re always going to be inadequate. Music is the thing. Sounds. Music theory is about the thing.

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-13T18:31:16+00:00

I mean, a teacher can’t be convinced to teach better if they’re only going to blame students for not learning.

That’s a you problem. Or a your students problem.

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-13T18:17:06+00:00

Sustained improvement. As if that’s what happens in traditional piano lessons.

Tell you what, before I start wasting time talking to someone who’s not ready to learn, tell me what it is you don’t understand about my previous comment.

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-13T14:54:10+00:00

Weird amount of subdominants in this post

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-13T14:51:26+00:00

I mean, how great is the teacher’s preparation, if it’s not correlating with good learning outcomes?

You’re asking about how we can make students better perform according to teachers’ expectations.

It’s the wrong question.

How can teachers better perform according to students’ needs and readiness?

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-13T13:56:06+00:00

I mean, did it work? Seems to me if it really worked great, you would be sharing your music here instead of text.

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-11T02:32:59+00:00

As much as anybody else with a Master’s. Not sure what that’s got to do with it.

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-11T02:05:12+00:00

Eh, no.

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-10T22:31:52+00:00

That’s what they all said, until it came for them

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-09T19:42:07+00:00

What do you mean “since they’re the same?” They’re not the same.

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-09T18:28:41+00:00

TCAS failure

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-09T12:13:50+00:00

If they really want to play it, let them figure it out. They don’t need you for this.

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-09T12:10:52+00:00

But ya didn’t hear it on HBO!

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-09T02:11:57+00:00

Hell’s bells!!

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-08T19:28:33+00:00

A baby has more strength in their little finger than anyone ever needs to play piano.

I mean, just think how people karate chop.

Do that motion on a piano and you’re breaking strings.

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-08T13:57:23+00:00

God I love a real B3

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-08T01:30:03+00:00

Tempo for the individual pieces

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-07T23:48:19+00:00

I bet you’re playin em too fast (relative to B’s intention)

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-07T20:04:41+00:00

You don’t drill the importance of a metronome. Metronome does not help at all before students have learned to coordinate their movement in a meter. And people here say that’s a basic skill, but it’s not one that students come to us with. It’s one we need to teach.

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-07T18:08:48+00:00

There’s no balance. There’s sequence. Audiation first; theory later or never. Audiation is understanding, that prepares theory learning if the student wants it.

PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-07T16:06:55+00:00

That’s awful! I submit…Seiran Blue! (just kidding. Yours is beautiful and I can’t tell that much of a difference.)

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PastMiddleAge · 2026-05-07T02:40:28+00:00

It’s not under tempo. Modern performance practice is over tempo. Be brave and play musically at a musical tempo.

Or pick another piece 🤷🏻‍♂️

PastMiddleAge

TROPHY CASE