Teaching Music Theory
Unless there are any people on here who can qualify to have Grade 8 theory, Grade 8 Piano, Grade 5 percussion, Grade 4 Guitar, Grade 3 violin, Grade 5 voice, play saxophones and clarinet in jazz bands, profesionally, blah blah, then having power as a Music theory Teacher feels pretty good. It's a new language, you have to start at the bottom and there are no short cuts, you can't even go to the country like in foreign languages to live there and learn it.

My latest Student is on retiring age and they are the worst. Why, why why, they keep asking me. When I started to learn it at the age of 8 I just accepted it was the form and normal. It took me 10 years to complete it, and my student wants the same information within a year.

You have to be bossy - and practical - and sometimes severe. If they dont do their homework or never practice the instrument they play it's curtains and wasting their money as well as my time.

So, anyone taking lessons in this will know the true hardship of writing a 32-bar answering phrase, open harmony and recognising cadences (to mention those are easy excercises for me) WITHOUT the use of a piano.

I did it, so they have to.

The power is GREAT :)
( Tiggy the diver, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 0:21, 16 replies)

So you're very good at playing a tune on a few things.
but a really really really shit teacher.
(waxdart hello., Fri 9 Jul 2010, 0:54, closed)

A shit teacher?
My student doesn't think so. He welcomes my methods. Other musicians that I play with in the bands agree with my methods. I even test myself now and then in higher grades as I did them a long time ago.
The problem with this site is that people assume I'm the same person that I portray.
Think about it :)
( Tiggy the diver, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 1:45, closed)

Ending a post with "think about it" is patronising.
It won't win you any friends. It implies that you think other people don't generally think about things and require instruction to do so.
(ThomsonsPier consumes, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 11:46, closed)

LOUD NOISES

( brown-wings Made with three kinds of butter, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 13:59, closed)

"I did it, so they have to"
I really wouldn't consider that a sound instructional technique.
You may understand your subject perfectly, but a good instructor understands how to help others understand perfectly.
For the record, I'm really good at what I do, but I'm really shit at teaching it.
(M61A1 CUPID- STUNTS, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 1:17, closed)

Excellent!!
no wonder so many people drop out of learning music. I can't imagine having a teacher who is obviously such a rampant egotist... it'd be like learning English from some twunt who thought he was better than Shakespeare.
How do you manage to teach with all the "me me me me me me me me" shit coming out?

And just so you know, I am FANTASTIC (nay, Grade 8) on the Linoleum.
:-)
( Sallyrsm, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 7:55, closed)

Fine, though I'd disagree with your comment about their money and your time.
They may be wasting their money, but you're getting paid irrespective of their progress. Therefore your time is not wasted.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 10:22, closed)

blimey
i'm glad you were never my music teacher!!

jonny_power: Grade 8 Theory, Grade 8 Piano, Grade 8 Drum Kit, Grade 8 Orchestral Percussion
(jonny_power boom chika wah wow, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 11:08, closed)

You should threaten
to spank them if they are naughty, or better still, six of the best with the Dragon Cane. Hmmm, yeah, you'll earn plenty more money then.


RSoles - Grade Zero in music theory and practice, but I look fucking cool posing with my Flying V
(Rsoles, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 11:26, closed)

These are the thoughts of a ghastly person put in prose.
The part I find most objectionable is your assumption that a retirement aged student should learn in exactly the same way as an 8 year old who was apparently immersed in music by his parents. Just because your music teacher seemingly rammed things down your throat (fnar fnar) and you accepted them without question (more fnar) doesn't mean an adult should or will. Having an inquisitive nature and wanting to understand 'why' is a trait that good teachers encourage rather than dismiss.
(ElectricSexPants would like to be the Sultan of something, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 12:14, closed)

Cadence?
She was the fit bird in American Pie - The Wedding. Stifler wanted to bone her, then he ate a dog turd, then killed the flowers, and eventually butt-fucked Michelle's grandmother in a closet.

Can I play the trumpet now?
( brown-wings Made with three kinds of butter, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 13:58, closed)

I do believe you have the cancer of the Honda Accord

(PassTheKhat, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 14:17, closed)

hmmm.
It doesn't mean a damn thing. One only takes Grade 5 Theory in order to progress to Grade 6 on instrumental exams. Anyone who takes Grade 6 Theory or above is simply wasting their time. And, to be honest, instrumental exams are a waste of time anyway. You don't need to take them to read music at uni, but just be capable of taking them.

I used to teach music theory, and you don't need to be "bossy and practical", you need to adapt your teaching method to suit the pupil.
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Fri 9 Jul 2010, 16:03, closed)

^ Pretty much this.
Before I started my music degree, the only exam I'd ever taken with ABRSM was Grade 5 theory. I didn't do well as they like concise answers, and apparently claiming that a plagal cadence gives the effect of "sounding cautiously optimistic" isn't what they're looking for. ;-)

OP: Strangely enough I was always the one who asked "why" during theory lessons, meaning I always got awful marks... but I now tend to get better marks at a higher level because I never just accept things. It works especially well when you start learning about Schenker and Agawu. ;-) Having an enquiring mind is something that should be encouraged in all topics IMHO. Music theory is a static field; once you start questioning its application it gets fascinating.

EDIT: Why would having power feel different if other people are equivalently qualified? Is knowledge of someone else's hard work somehow detrimental? Because if it's a competition of mad music skillz then Empress would win. ;-)
(Sivvus trolley collision in the fruit aisle led to a jam, Tue 13 Jul 2010, 19:47, closed)

I would like to prescribe
a course of getting over yourself.
Followed by a course of getting in amongst yourself and having a word.

I teach children to read and write. This year 25 children can to me all of whom were unable to read or write a word, Now all these children can read and write, some better than others granted, but my power is greater.
( Mrs Entity is in hiding., Sat 10 Jul 2010, 17:09, closed)

.
They can to you what?
( browser still relating boring anecdotes into a void on, Tue 13 Jul 2010, 12:46, closed)