General music techniques in the instrumental classroom

There are a wide variety of techniques in the general music classroom to help students interact with music. In general, a music teacher will emphasize a certain pedagogy (Music Learning Theory, for instance). I think that emphasizing one pedagogy over another is an unnecessary limitation. Effective general music teachers will use every available resource to help their students learn the material. I have observed several very effective teachers in action who combine multiple elements of many pedagogies. The benefits of exposure to various pedagogical methods will help students as they progress musically, especially as they enter a band or orchestra setting.

Breaking a piece of music down into its constituent parts is a central part of any good approach to music learning. This is as true in an instrumental setting as well as a general music setting. In an instrumental setting, however, there are many more elements that need breaking down. A good instrumental music teacher can break these elements down using a variety of approaches that can be found in the general music pedagogies of Orff, Kodaly, Dalcroze, and Music Learning Theory. In reading the article entitled "Bringing General Music Techniques to the Instrumental Class," I found myself realizing that I already teach my horn students using elements taken from many general music pedagogies. I also learned about some new approaches that I can take to continue to help my private horn students progress, and to integrate into my future career as a music educator in the public schools.

A lot of my teaching is based on careful listening and imitation. I have students listen to an aural example of how something should be played (either I play it or we listen to a recording), then we break the skills down into many parts. Typically, the first element I approach is aural awareness. Is the student not "hearing" (audiating)? On the horn, where "having a good ear" is critical, this is an important first step. Once a student is audiating a passage correctly, a student can move on to the physical elements of instrumental technique. To help the student feel the movement of the tongue and lips as air flows by them, I have them do a "wind pattern" with the tongue, lips, and air (imitation--Kodaly and Orff). I play the passage while the student concentrates on just the tongue, lips, and air. This emphasizes both audiation and the connection between mind and body. After I have the student do the wind pattern, I have them do the wind pattern with fingerings, again, while they audiate by listening. Often, after the student has done all three things, in sequence, they will be able to put the elements together onto the horn. Using these active and engaging techniques goes a long way in helping a student "hear" and play the instrument.

All of these techniques, and many more, can be adapted to various aspects of playing any band or orchestra instrument. As an instrumental music educator, being aware of what the students already know (what pedagogy did their General Music teacher use?) will help me adapt instruction to help make learning meaningful for as many students as possible.