What Are The Fundamental Musical Skills?, you would like your pupils to learn? Options

[funkiepiano]

Some of my pupils do not progress in the way I would like them to; some do little or no practice, and do not apper to be "learning" anything, for whatever reason. They're usually either young beginners with very little grasp of what is involved, or disaffected teenagers who think being able to play will happen by magic. I'd like to know how these sorts of pupils can take something positive away from their lessons and gain general musical skills that will stick with them for life, even if they only come to me for a few months. I'd like to spend more of my lessons working on these musical "life-skills" rather than going over pieces that they haven't practised and maybe can't see the value in, time and time again. Aural skills could be part of it, rhythm games another. Any other ideas anyone???

[gtmus2002uk]

I'm thinking exactly the same ... I spend way too much time going through pieces with my students, and hardly ever get a chance to do general musicianship with them. And I have to say, it makes so much more of a difference in more advanced students, that I've gained from other teachers, when they have a musical ear and can sightread well. I've been spending more time on notereading - using the first couple of minutes of each lesson with flashcards, and sightreading - Paul Harris has some great books. Need to get stuck in with aural though - apart from the Associated Board examples, are there any good aural resources? I've got the Improve your Aural by Paul Harris, which would be great for my students to use at home, but I'd prefer something that I can use at the piano myself, which involves us both working together?