How to Help Young Students Play Musically: A Teaching Story
Teaching young students to play musically can be a rewarding challenge. It’s about helping them move beyond playing the correct notes and encouraging them to connect emotionally with the music. Here’s a moment I had with my 9-year-old student that sparked a deeper conversation about musicality.
We started the lesson with a warm-up. I suggested he play something simple, and he chose the C major scale. He played diligently, hitting all the right notes as expected. After he finished, I asked, “What were you trying to warm up with?”
His immediate response was, “C scale, C major scale.”
I replied, “I know what you just played. But specifically, what were you trying to focus on during the warm-up?”
He thought for a moment and said, “Playing the right notes.”
His answer surprised me. He had been playing the three-octave C major scale for over a year now, with accuracy no longer being a challenge. I expected him to have a different, perhaps more nuanced, focus.
So, I reframed the question. “Okay, but what were you thinking about as you played it?”
Again, he answered, “Making sure the notes are correct.”
This was my opening to explore the purpose of warming up and the potential of playing musically.
I asked, “Why do we warm up with scales?”
He replied, “So we can play our songs better.”
I pressed further, “In what way will playing a C major scale help you play other songs better if your focus is just on playing the right notes?”
He looked puzzled. I smiled to reassure him and said, “I’m not quizzing or criticizing you. You played the C scale very in tune and smoothly—just like last week. In fact, it sounded exactly like the way you played it last week. I’m just curious: how will that help you improve your songs if your focus is always the same?”
He seemed unsure where I was going with this, so I added, “Have you thought about playing it a little differently each time? For example, does the C major scale you just played sound happy or sad?”
This simple question began to open a door for him to think about music differently. By asking him to consider the character of the scale, I aimed to show him that even a basic warm-up can have emotional depth and variety.
He looked puzzled, clearly unsure how to answer. At that moment, it hit me—he genuinely thought playing scales was only about hitting the right notes. That was his entire focus.
Then, my teacher's brain kicked in. I remembered that with this student, we’d been working a lot on exploring the neck position, and I had encouraged him to discover his own fingering for the 4th octave of the C major scale. Naturally, his attention had been drawn to his left hand, navigating the notes and positions.
But now, I could hear a little “uh-oh” in my head. It was time to redirect him back to the heart of music—beyond just correct notes and hand placement—to the core and essence of it all: creating a round, deep tone.
This realization reminded me that while technical exploration is essential, it’s just as important to help students remember that music is about expression. It’s time to shift gears and guide him back to playing not just with precision, but with soul.
Takeaways for Teachers
Guide Students Beyond the Notes: Encourage students to think about what they’re expressing, even in simple exercises like scales.
Reframe Questions: If a student struggles to grasp a concept, change the way you ask the question.
Encourage Variety: Suggest small changes in how they play a familiar piece to develop creativity and deeper engagement.
Make It Relatable: Connect technical exercises to musical goals, like how scales can influence the mood or emotion of a piece.
By helping students think musically during even the most basic exercises, we can foster a habit of playing with intention, emotion, and creativity. Music becomes more than just correct notes—it becomes a means of expression.
What strategies do you use to encourage musicality in your students? Share your thoughts in the comments!
