Hovering On The Brink...., ....of giving up Options

[Misterioso]

I have a 12-year-old girl who comes to me for violin and piano lessons. She's taking Grade 3 violin in the November exams, and was working steadily towards Grade 2 piano after passing Grade 1 last year with a merit.

Last week she announced out of the blue that she wanted to give up piano. As it was so sudden, I had a brief discussion with the mother and the student together, and we agreed that we might do some "fun piano" (of course it should all be fun, but fun as opposed to exam work) for ten minutes at the end of the lesson.

I think this girl might be under too much pressure; she's also doing flute with a teacher at school, and took Grade 1 a few months ago. So I'd like to make sure anything she does now on piano really is fun. Previously, we have looked at some pieces from Classics to Moderns, Fanny Waterman's Piano Lessons, and a few of the easier duets from Duets with a Difference, but now I'm running out of ideas, and even some of these she has found hard-going.

Please, any suggestions?

[fsharpminor]

Well the first thing I thought of was Christopher Nortons 'MicroJazz' series. Not sure which book would be the most appropriate for her standard, someone better informed that I can advise. I just have Book 3 here from which my daughter did a piece for an exam 15 yrs ago, and they are Grade 4 ish, so maybe it would be Book 2 for her.

[maggiemay]

In addition to f#minor's suggestion, I would also look at Martha Mier's Jazz Rags and Blues.

Thanks to a recommendation a couple of years back on the forums, these books have become firm favourites with me and a number of my pupils. I think there are four books: book 1 might be slightly on the easy side for your student, but for something that she can tackle with minimal help could be just right. Otherwise book 2.

Hope you find something to keep her interest going.

[Hannah74]

Pam Wedgwood's Jazz Upgrade series are popular with my pupils, with a few in there that they know, and a few of Wedgwood's own creation. She also does the great Jazzin' About series - you'd probably want "Easy Jazzin' About" first.

[maya3]

In addition to f#minor's suggestion, I would also look at Martha Mier's Jazz Rags and Blues.

I totally agree with that suggestion.

My brother (12) took his gr3 in june and passed though the whole thing was a nightmare (his teacher left 6 weeks before the exam and he got a substitute CELLO teacher.) He absolutely hated playing and wanted to give up.

He had his first lesson with my teacher last week and she started him on this book. He's practiced nearly every day and has even tried to sightread the rest of the piece and others from the book.

x

[upbeat]

...He had his first lesson with my teacher last week and she started him on this book. He's practiced nearly every day and has even tried to sightread the rest of the piece and others from the book.

This has happened with a few of my reluctant practisers when I introduced them to the Cool Piano series by Heather Hammond. It includes lots of jazzy/popular pieces.

You mentioned duets....Piano Time Jazz Duets books one and two are excellent and well worth a look (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[barcarolle]

The Famous and Fun series published by Alfred are fun, I am not sure what level they go up to as I use them mostly for beginners but I think there are 3 books in some of the series. Carol Matz has made simple arrangements of famous classical pieces, or from films, or pop music etc. Might make for some fun sight reading especially as there are easy duet parts for the teacher.

Also how about just getting her doing some improvising - if you've never done it before using the black notes is a good place to start, with the teacher just providing a simple bass accompaniment and student messing about over the top. After that you can move onto using scales she's learned.

Also some composing or playing by ear and then harmonising & transposing e.g. twinkle in C major and G major etc.

[LizzieT]

Also how about just getting her doing some improvising - if you've never done it before using the black notes is a good place to start, with the teacher just providing a simple bass accompaniment and student messing about over the top. After that you can move onto using scales she's learned.

Also some composing or playing by ear and then harmonising & transposing e.g. twinkle in C major and G major etc.

I think Barcarolle may be hitting an important point. Adding yet more music involving reading and practising, however fun and simple, may be counter-productive in this case. Majoring on aural and creative skills may be a better option.

[Misterioso]

Thanks so much for these replies - some really good suggestions here that I will look into. I'd really like to keep this student going; she even bought a piano to replace her keyboard after Grade 1!

I think you are right, Barcarolle and Lizzie; it's probably best not to add yet more music that needs to be practised, especially with Grade 3 violin on the agenda, so we'll just take things very gently now and try some of these different avenues to see what appeals to her.

[Digby]

The Famous and Fun series published by Alfred are fun, I am not sure what level they go up to as I use them mostly for beginners but I think there are 3 books in some of the series. Carol Matz has made simple arrangements of famous classical pieces, or from films, or pop music etc. Might make for some fun sight reading especially as there are easy duet parts for the teacher.

Also how about just getting her doing some improvising - if you've never done it before using the black notes is a good place to start, with the teacher just providing a simple bass accompaniment and student messing about over the top. After that you can move onto using scales she's learned.

Also some composing or playing by ear and then harmonising & transposing e.g. twinkle in C major and G major etc.

The Famous and fun go up to book 5, that I have my grade 4's and 5's playing with for fun, at this level I would look at book 2 and 3, the arrangements have very logical hand positions and movements that can often consolidate some of the moving away from 5 finger hand positions pieces which sometimes if they have moved to grade 2 fairly quickly they can still find quite tricky.

[all ears]

Just tiptoeing in here, because I can see some similarities with our situation - several "main" instruments to practice, piano not as advanced, therefore not as interesting...but also last in the list of time priorities.

Viohazard was just talking about this situation 2 nights ago - he says he enjoys improvising harmonies more than anything else on piano, because it's something that his other instruments don't touch (classical guitar is too quiet to really accompany anything but itself).

As for what to play, it's oddly not the "fun" or "cool" stuff he wants to play - what he wants is heaps of emotion - "melancholy", "brooding", "wistful", or sometimes "calm and dreaming" pieces. However, he wants the modern keys/harmonies he hears in game or anime music, and that really involves learning pieces by ear...

So, in short, what Barcarolle said!