teaching teenage boy, wants to learn classics yet not willing to learn basics Options

[mozart the cat]

HELP!

I have been teaching a 12 year old for nearly a year. His younger brother has also been learning with me for a couple of years and is doing really well, now picking out pieces from Piano Time Jazz 1 and working them out for himself. Their mother also plays at about grade 3-4 standard, although she doesn't actually get much time to play.

The 12 year old would like to play classical music yet is not prepared to put in the time to learn the basics or practice. He has recently got an X box and funnily enough, has plenty of time to play on this! His mother said that if he doesn't practice, his lessons will be stopped. Fair enough as they are a bit strapped for cash and it is frustrating me too!

I started him off on the Accelerated piano adventures but he didn't like this as the pieces were boring - his concept of practice was playing them through once between lessons. I tried to get him to see that he needs to learn the basics so he can then play pieces he really wants. He recognises notes competently between bass C and treble C yet struggles when reading music, which I think is more due to a lack of practice than not understanding. He painstakingly worked his way through an easy version of "Moonlight Sonata" then lost interest as it took him so long.

I then tried Wedgewood's "It's Never too Late to learn" but have since realised that this probably moves a bit too fast (although if he practised it would help!). I've tried supplementing lessons with extra material including some jazzier easy pieces (mild interest) and am despairing as to what might spark some enthusiasm

I'm reluctant to switch to yet another tutor book as I feel whatever we use he won't "enjoy". I have discussed my concerns with his mother and she says he can be difficult and will only do things if he wants to / his way.
He picks things up quickly aurally and memorises easily - if I play something, he will copy it but I've told him that will be a long, hard way to learn classical pieces.

I feel I am failing as a teacher! Any suggestions as to how to teach classics more aurally, any good books to try.
thanks

[jod]

This is a difficult one.

Firstly never believe everything a parent says about a teenage boy or even a pre-teen, especially when they are trying to give their darling offspring in appropriate music.

Is a tutor book the right route or would a repertoire + technical exercise + scales and arpeggio route be better?

A musical diet that is all chocolate milk and hamburgers is not balanced. I know teenagers like that sort of stuff, but they can be reasoned with on the level of I know you may not like scales, but view it like salad, you know it is good for you really.

Don't talk down to the lad.

Keep mum out of the teaching room and remember who sets the work.
Stipulate everything in a home/lesson practice book and stick to your guns.
Make it clear to your pupil that you are the teacher, not the parent and set a communications protocol.
Give the lad some but minimal input to repertoire, and if he asks to play something that is too hard for now explain why and how by doing the technical work this will not always be the case.

Good luck.

[Jane S]

Ask him directly what he wants to achieve on the piano. Then, explain to him what that will entail for him. This is a difficult age group, and you might find that realistically, he doesn't really want to learn. Personally, if someone consistently doesn't practise, then I assume that they aren't really interested in learning and suggest they find another instrument or hobby.

[HelenVJ]

Although in general I'm a huge Piano Adventures fan, I also have limited success with the Accelerated book. I have never liked the Wedgwood book, and haven't used it for ages.

While I can understand your reluctance to start off on yet another book, I do think that it's worth taking time and trouble to find something that appeals. The one I've had most success with recently is Joy of First Year Piano - the music becomes quite satisfying to play relatively early on. Your student would probably be able to start about a third of the way through, and move ahead quite quickly ( if he is prepared to put the work in). I have also found quite a few students who really enjoy the challenge of Bartok mikrokosmos, even if they do look on it rather as a mathematical problem. Book 2 might be appropriate, if he already knows the basics.

Hope that helps - and that you both hang in there for a while.

[Digby]

If he is able to pick things out from piano time jazz, why don't you have a look at some of the exam syllabus, Trinity initial should be approachable and you may find that the focus of an exam picks him up a bit, there is also a good choice of pieces not all of which are jazzy.

Good luck

D x

[agricola]

I feel I am failing as a teacher!

No ! more like he's failing as a pupil. You've done your share of running around trying to motivate him, now it's up to him to show a bit of gumption and start practising.

[funkiepiano]

Have a look on this website if you haven't already: www.gmajormusictheory.org . Loads of really easy classical freebies to download.

[anacrusis]

Difficult call this one - and after various experiences fairly close to home, I'd say - some kids just do have alternative ways of looking at their learning, and maybe the standard approach to instruction is not for this one. That's not to say that there aren't other ways that such kids can learn, but the scales-arpeggios-work-on-hands-separately-now-sing-for-me way may not be optimal to get results.

The approach which did work with the young male of my acquaintance was proper jazz tuition. He doesn't actually like jazz itself all that much, but is learning an absolute heap of stuff by using an aural tradition to absorb his music, and uses it to pick out melodies he's heard, is constantly improvising and reproducing, with harmonies, material he's interested in....and most importantly, making progress and enjoying his music.

[TTopham]

With teenagers like this, I tend to steer clear of the books of music in favour of individual pieces from various sources and especially ones from the internet. Does he like video games? If so, there's HEAPS of quite cool music out there (check my website for a post about it). I also think that a bit of give-and-take works well with the boys - he gets to play a piece that he really wants to learn (even if it's learnt of youtube or by ear), as long as he does these scales and your pieces.

I'd go the route of getting him to learn as many short and easy pieces as possible each week to build up his reading skills. If he's also getting to learn something HE wants at the same time, it's a win win.

Good luck (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[hoboe]

With teenagers like this, I tend to steer clear of the books of music in favour of individual pieces from various sources and especially ones from the internet. Does he like video games? If so, there's HEAPS of quite cool music out there (check my website for a post about it). I also think that a bit of give-and-take works well with the boys - he gets to play a piece that he really wants to learn (even if it's learnt of youtube or by ear), as long as he does these scales and your pieces.

I'd go the route of getting him to learn as many short and easy pieces as possible each week to build up his reading skills. If he's also getting to learn something HE wants at the same time, it's a win win.

Good luck (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Excellent stuff on your website - just paid a visit and feel re-energised with tackling my difficult teenager.