Music Rehearsal Strategies That Really Work

By Jason Taylor


Sometimes the best ways to reach out to the kids in your class is by playing some games with them. Music rehearsal strategies often involve something like this to lighten the mood a bit. Most of the time these games are educational, but they don't always have to be.

A huge part of understanding the more complicated aspects of musical theory is simply a matter of memorization. If you are unable to retain information very easily by memorization, flashcards can be very helpful. What makes these tools so useful is the way that they show you the correct answer, and then immediately require you to recall the information, which is the best way to train your brain to retain things like that.

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.

If you are trying to focus on rhythm, there is hardly a strategy that is more basic than clapping out the part. This is so effective because you don't have to worry about what your fingers or mouth are doing, as is the case when playing musical instruments, and instead you only have to bring your hands together. This makes it very easy to hear who is late and who is rushing, and who is just plain wrong.

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.

You can't use the same games and techniques on a group of ten year olds that you would on a high school-aged class. You need to assess what level your students are at first. That way, you can choose a method that will speak to them.

If you don't give your students enough breaks, they will never learn effectively. People have to go to the bathroom every so often, and there is nothing they can do about it. Children are also full of energy and need to be allowed to get up once in a while.

A great way to get everybody interested and excited is by using popular songs that people know and love. These tunes have very familiar aspects that make it easier to teach certain musical aspects. It might be a good idea to ask your students what their favorite songs are if you're not sure what is popular nowadays.




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