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Lesson tips:

Week by week we teach our students the techniques of playing their instrument or using their voice, linking this with both their technical exercises and also the pieces they are playing or singing. They are often reluctant to diverge from the path of playing into the area of what they may see as ‘extras’. The aim of this series is to slip these ‘extras’ of information and learning into any instrumental or singing lesson, painlessly and almost without the student noticing, in order to broaden their theoretical understanding, their listening and reading skills, and also their musicianship.

In each ‘lesson’ of this series the song in question is likely to be well known, and it can be played or sung by the teacher, the student, or both … Any activity can be tailored to both the age and level of the student.

The tips within each lesson are specific to the given song, but they can be easily adapted for use with any piece of music, from the most simple to the most complex. These lesson suggestions will work in any setting - face to face, online, or even in an empty room (except of course for the participants). As an extra ‘extra’, the colour coded page numbers allow the teacher to locate the places in ‘Keys to Music Theory 1’ where the suggestions are comprehensively backed up by material and games that are relevant to the point being made.

With the very necessary movement to online platforms for the delivery of lessons, the introduction of one, two or more of these ideas for a few minutes per lesson could provide a welcome and differently productive change of focus for both teacher and student.

Enjoy…