I'm trying to find lessons for my 12 year old daughter. While I certainly want her to learn to read and play composed pieces, I also want improvisation and playing by ear to be eventual goals. If possible, I'd even like such things to be incorporated into her early studies.

Why?

1. I've been playing for 44 years now, the last 38 of those almost entirely by ear. Improvisation, which ranges from playing a song slightly differently on each gig to playing whatever is in my head solo, is the very core of what I love about playing.

2. She's already figuring out melodies on her own, with almost no instruction at all. It's fun for her and she's figured out quite a few tunes. I've even suggested some simple I IV V bass notes for a couple of the tunes, leaving her to figure out where they go.

My own childhood lessons, six or seven years worth, included no such instruction, but my teacher seemed to tacitly accept that I would listen to how SHE played a piece to augment my (poor) reading. I had exactly one lesson on the EXISTENCE of major and minor chords.

My journey to being a good ear player was entirely on my own. I wanted to imitate records I liked and spent hours playing along with them. Maybe my daughter would do the same, but I'd love for her to have some actual help with it. That "help" could of course come from me, and some of that is inevitable. But I'd like it to be part of her lessons as well.

So do any of you teach with those goals in mind? What methods do you use? Are there any standard course materials? I'm wondering what I should expect from a teacher and what to ask.

Thanks in advance.

Greg Guarino

I specialize in Jazz\composition.

There are many teachers like myself who have formal music educations and also teach Jazz. I love classical, but in my area, I am the Jazz guy, so I tend to teach a blended program to all my students.

gdguarino,

Wow! Is your daughter ever lucky to have you!

I would say, teach her absolutely everything you know. Sounds like you have so much to share with her, and she sounds very excited to learn from you.

Could you explain a little more here what "kind" of music you are wanting her to learn?

From your band circle, do you know a friend who would teach her piano. Someone who may know how to teach her notes and how to sight read?

But yes, 2 teachers, you and someone else, would not be too many teachers.

Also, you will have to interview lots and lots of teachers to find the right fit. This is going to take some time.

Maybe put an ad in the paper expressing exactly the teacher you are looking for. Then interview like crazy!

A good series that I use is the Christopher Norton Connections series Grades 1 to 8 set. They have so many styles of music from latin, swing, blues, character, etc.
http://www.christophernortonconnections.com

Hope this helps!

As I've been recently pushing, I think students should be taught improvisation, composition, theory, solfege, and sight-singing. It's all interconnected, and I think every musician should be fluent with these skills. I may even suggest figured bass exercises.

Make sure she reads music. If she makes something up, have her try to remember it and write it down in literal musical notation. Transcribing by ear is also an extremely valuable tool.

Greg - how lucky your daughter is to have a father who values improvization and playing "by ear" - skills I think every pianists should learn - skills that are FUN (and immensely useful)! I studied classical piano all my life and have over the years explored jazz and pop styles a bit, but this year I have finally set aside the classical to really focus on jazz piano study with an awesome, bonafide jazz piano teacher. I think most piano teachers have been classically trained, and finding a teacher who is equally competent at teaching classical and jazz is going to be difficult. Many classically trained teachers include jazz/pop pieces in their student repertoire, but learning to play written arrangements of jazz/pop pieces completely misses the point, in my opinion. Playing jazz and pop is all about learning to read chord symbols and coming up with your own arrangements, leading to improvization. So, my suggestion is that if you can't find a teacher who has all the skills to teach both classical and jazz, maybe you should consider having your daughter alternate lessons with two teachers, say, perhaps half year classical, half year jazz, or simultaneous lessons would be great, too, if you think she can handle them [Actually, that would be ideal since starting her with one or the other may lead to resistance to switching gears]. My goal is to be able to teach both, but if I had a student studying classical piano with me, I'd do everything I could to encourage them to supplement their studies however possible with real jazz/pop studies. To address your question about teaching materials, my teacher has started me right away learning a tune - no method books for him, but then I am not a beginner and I can read chord symbols quite well. I like his philosophy about learning through actual tunes, though. Good luck to you and your daughter. Thank goodness there will be one less piano student who will go through 13 years of piano lessons and wind up unable to play Happy Birthday without a score...

My theory teacher asserts that learning solfege actually improves the student's intonation on each of the notes. It has certainly been an aid to me with sight-singing, rather than a barrier. I have easily attached the syllables to the function and the COLOR of the note. Rather than thinking strictly about this:

1 = Tonic
2 = Supertonic
3 = Mediant
4 = Subdominant
5 = Dominant
6 = Submediant
7 = Leading Tone

But that's just my opinion. I can't say I'm a master at solfege, but I will defend it because I think it really helps.

Something that's coming to mind at the moment is the use of mode mixture. For each seventh chord, a particular mode or set of modes can be played over it. I think you know this. I also think, though, that the sonority and feel of each mode should be learned by singing each one. You will find that this is surprisingly difficult to do if you have never done it before. I will also recommend singing the notes as you play them, this will reinforce hearing the note in your head before you literally play it on the keyboard.

The field of music grows more competitive with each passing day, and musicians need to be as well-rounded as possible so that any gig can be taken and handled well. Paradoxically, people who have no real knowledge of music are making millions off R&B tracks and four-bar loops. We need to show these people who the real musicians are. Your daughter has talent, nurture this with every fiber of your being.

I recommend that you expose her to plenty of jazz, but do not neglect classical. The late romantic period is replete with extended harmonies that jazz uses all the time, and these can be very interesting to hear. Listen to Rachmaninoff's preludes, etudes-tableaux, sonata no. 2 in B-flat minor, concerti, symphonies, and choral works. It's important stuff. I'm a bit biased as Rachmaninoff is my favorite composer, but it's important to realize that classical music can be incredibly intense and powerful.

Polyphonic music is also incredibly important. Multiple melodies occurring at the same time can be difficult to understand at first, but if you get her listening to plenty of Bach, Handel, Rameau, and Scarlatti, she will be rewarded tremendously.

We've got to revive improvisation and theoretical studies. All the great composers improvised, we should be able to do it as well.

-Colin

Great post!

My daughter has already figured out harder songs than that essentially without instruction. I suppose it's possible that there's something innate going on, but I'm skeptical. I think that her most significant advantages are 1. Interest and 2. Knowing it's possible. "How hard can it be? My DAD can do it" :rolleyes:

Greg Guarino

So true!!

Hi Greg,

I teach in an effort to have my students learn both reading of music and being able to play be ear and to improvise and arrange pieces that they know and to compose original music as well.

If you do a search on the Suzuki method (Not that that is what or how I exclusively teach) or search my screen name, you will see a lot of posts regarding how I teach.

I think both abilities are highy important, reading music and playing by ear. Technique is also important as well as the ability to produce a quality tone at the piano.

I would be a terrible teacher if my students could not play Happy Birthday without the music. Or any Christmas carols for that matter.

I have an 11 year old who is having so much fun with arranging Christmas carols that she is now writing her arrangements down so she will have a Christmas Carol Book for others to read.

I have another student who is trying to figure out the harmony to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". No music involved. He's got the "A" section down but is a little stumped with the "B" section but I am helping a little with this.

But at the same time my students are also learning Scarlatti Sonatas, Bach's inventions. Sonatas, Sonatinas, 20c classic repertoire, etc...

It is so much fun and all very important.

So the point is. I'm sure there are teachers out there that can do both, since I am one of them.

If a student really wanted to know and learn jazz piano exclusively. I would send them to a iazz piano teacher. I'm not as well versed in jazz as I am classical. But I am learning!

PS. I do think solfege is important and I teach it as well. Fixed solfege though. This is how my students start out, instead of learning the letter names.
The "Moveable Do" system I introduced later as an example and tool to theory and ear-training.

Hello Greg:

Willie Myette with Jazz Kids at www.jazzpianolessons.com has tons of instructional dvds that you could guide your daughter through rather than having to go at it all on your own.

With my own children, I find that it's so hard to have a weekly lesson with my own children (how strange that I could have weekly lessons with all my students). I've had great luck using instructional dvds that I created for beginner and intermediate pianists teaching them to play totally by ear. When they get "stuck" then I help out. But, I'll have to admit, their little minds are so fresh and just like sponges, they rarely get "stuck"....only when they don't want to practice....lol

Matt

I think part of every practice time should be to attempt to play some simple familiar melody by ear, and to make up one's own melody. All technical exercises can be adapted to have one hand improvise while the other does the exercise. Another related point is to have students play a well-learned tune in a different key, as part of daily practice.

Hi Greg,

Great goals for your daughter.

(Quick disclaimer: I'm not an accredited music teacher, although I have taught some aspects informally on other instruments. I currently study piano, in a casual fashion).

Some good replies above. Here’s a few quick points from my perspective:

• 1. I would completely agree with your idea that she should learn improvisation and playing by ear right from the start and that it should not be treated as something that's to be repressed or put off until later. It's how we all took our very first musical steps, and I'd never want to abandon that side of things.
  
  2. Find a teacher who can show her the joy and ease of making simple music before embarking on the complex. Music can be fun at any level, and it's extremely sad to see students drop out from lack of motivation, and 'learning stress' before they ever had any fun.
  
  3. Have her play with more experienced players early and often. As you obviously know from your own band experience, provided they can keep in time, any individual musician in a band might only be called on to add the simplest of contributions in any given song. It can be anything from a highly complex solo to a few supporting toots, strums, bangs or squeaks. Start at the toot and squeak end of the deal.
  
  I found it immensely motivating when I first played along with an experienced musician. I quickly found out that I could add something that was quite easy at my current level, and still contribute something to a greater musical outcome. You can also learn a lot about music from somebody by playing it together, in ways that aren't always easy to convey with words alone.

Good luck with her journey,

Chris

This is how I learned to play by ear as well. My teacher was pretty good as a jazz pianist and guitarist but he did not specifically teach me to play by ear. He would however be happy to help with anything I took to the lesson. The other thing he did for me was to introduce me to the conducter of a local big band. I took over as the pianist from my teacher's son when he left for college. It was during my years in the band where I learned to read chords and improvise.

I try to include these things in my lessons where possible. I do find though that some students have an aptitude and interest in it and others do not. Everyone is different. Most of the ones who play in this way will spend a lot of their own time experimenting and might not respond well to being taught in a more formal manner.

If you play by ear then there is a good chance your daughter will want to. The best thing to do is look for a teacher who is open minded about such things. Formal training is great but I would guess that if the lessons are too rigid and inflexible it might put her off.