Music Rehearsal Strategies That Really Work

By Jason Taylor


If you find that the kids in your music class aren't very engaged, you might try playing a few musically related games with them. This is a great way to get people thinking in a different way because you have to be active and involved to really be playing. This is why when people are trying to think of effective new music rehearsal strategies, games are one of the first things that come to mind.

If you have ever used flashcards, you know just how useful yet simple of a tool that they can be. There is something very effective about seeing the answers you are trying to memorize clearly printed onto a card, allowing you to have a visual reference that your brain can recall. When you are trying to remember what is on the back of a certain card, you are training your brain in such a way that few other games or activities can accomplish.

Getting your students to sing can sometimes be a challenging thing, but it is always rewarding. Depending on what age the students are, they might be a bit self-conscious about letting their peers hear their own voice. Once everyone gets singing, though, people start to feel more and more relaxed, and they are able to catch things about their musical part that they might never have otherwise.

Many teachers have their students clap out their parts. This is such a great idea because it means you don't have to worry about playing the right note or anything like that. When it is as simple as bringing both your hands together, it is much easier to just focus on the rhythms written on the page, and the teacher can easily hear who needs a little bit of correction.

While it might not seem like it would help in any situation, there are a surprising amount of times in which dancing can really help a class lock in their tempo and really play off of each other well. There are some musical pieces that are just hard to get unless you really get up and put your body into it. Moving around is also a great way to make students liven up and actually have some fun while they're rehearsing.

A big reason why there is no one strategy that works every time is that all classes are different. Everyone knows that there is a big difference between the big kids and the little kids. You have to first understand who you're teaching.

Kids will always need breaks now and then. You can't expect them to stay in their chairs the whole time. At the very least, they will need a chance to get up and stretch so that they don't become uncomfortable, and kids might also require something to reinvigorate their minds as well.

Some teachers like to use pop music in their classes. This can be a big help in teaching the kids certain musical elements, and the fact that these songs are generally not very complicated is a big help. Students get excited about hearing the kind of music they love and are more likely to be engaged.




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