Category: Jam Session
Hi all, I was wondering if there was anyone on here who teaches music to say sighted folks. I'm thinking about giving vocal and keyboard lessons and was wondering how others managed to get around the issue of knowing whether the pupil was doing the right techniques you teach them, how we are able to know? of course one may have to go by sound as well touch is certainly not appropriate. Just thought i'd put it out there to see how others managed to teach with little or no site.
I'm not a music teacher persay, but i learned how to play drums and piano by ear.
I to, play by ear, though i did have lessonss, it's morer for techniques such as finger positions on the keyboard that I was wondering about.
i teach piano, braille music and aural training. i am just getting started, so haven't many students yet. i just feel what they are doing, ask for clarification etc.
I see what you mean, i guess my concern is the sexual harrassment side of doing things by touch. i guess the other option is sighted assistance.
That was my biggest concern had I chosen to stay with the violin. How on earth was I going to know if my students were standing correctly, holding the instrument correctly, using the bow right, etc, without them running to their parents and saying I was doing something inappropriate? There's so much more to playing the violin well than getting notes right. Plus, I missed out on reading the music in school as I had learned my music by ear. I don't know enough braille music to be a competent teacher. It's just my personal opinion that knowing how to read sheet music is just as important as knowing the instrument you choose to teach.
I know what you mean there, i did play the violin for a while learning the sazooki books by ear. I did do theory though most of my music training is by ear. it's more of a concern wwith kids specially. I have thought of doing over the years but this has been the thing that's stopped me from doing it.
Is there a key to the Braille code of music, consisting of all the symbols and brief discriptions thereof?
There might be, but it's a matter of reading and writing everything consistently. You'll only get better at it through practice. I only got up to reading smaller note values, sixteenth notes and such. that's where things got confusing. Dotted notes were a doozy to work with too. That as piano usic, though, and as far as I know, the Hadley School no longer has a Braille music course. I don't recall passing that one when I was part of it.
when i started learning, i was never given the option to learn brail music, my teacher taught me to learn songs by ear, I know nothing else.
Hi! I am a professional piano teacher. I am totally blind but all my students are sighted.
I would say the comunication is the key for everything.
In the first lesson I always talk freely explaining that I am blind and that this is normally a problem, that we just have to adjust the way of working and that because of my blindness I sometimes have to touch their hands in order to check their position.
I would say that 90 percent of the times, I can guess their mistakes by the sound quolity. In the piano your technic and position of hand always results in your sound quolity.
But sometimes it is not enough and I have to touch their hands and arms.
I think that it is all about not having stress and having a relaxed atitude!
Remember that students always get from your feelings and emotions. If you are not complexed and you are sure of your professional skills, they will feel and resspect you.
I believe that artificial distance don't help. You make yourself be respected by your knowledge, education and musical skills. I always end up that my students get curious about blindness and have better atitude towards disability after knowing me.
So we are not only educating musicians but we are also educating citizens.
But for me so far, the experience with my students was great and never had problems because of my blindness, they use their scores and I use mine. I ask them to write themselves in their scores my remarks and it works. Believe me, it really works if we want it to happen.
By the way, in my website which you can find at:
en.jgpiano.com
I have a online guide for Braille Music Notation. Just search in the links section.
Cheers