Taking Notes in 1 to 1 Piano and Keyboard Lessons.
“Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% taking really good notes.”
I'm really passionate about making lots of notes for my students. After all, memory is a fickle thing. So why leave a lesson with nothing more than what's in your head? Making notes on your sheet music is one thing, but in my lessons we learn a lot besides how to play songs. That’s why all my students get tons of notes to support their practice.
Taking notes in the Lesson.
The majority of notes I make are about what we cover in the lesson. I write anything the student hasn't covered before, or needs reminding of. As well as anything that the student has pointed out as meaningful. After years of learning, a student with me has an entire folder including every detail of what we do in class. They can revisit any point in time in their studies, any time in the future.
Discussing Progress Before the Lesson.
I'm always engaging students of any age in discussions about their independent learning. It's really important to me that students reflect on their progress. This helps them develop a vocabulary for discussing their music learning. They can then better understand what they're doing, why they're doing it and what they might do next. As well as asking students what they’ve been doing, I ask them to rate their progress. This is self-reflective, so they have to really consider whether what they’re doing is worthwhile for them.
After the Lesson, Next Steps.
Every lesson I leave a student with suggestions for what to do next. It's up to them how they use those. But ultimately they won't be stuck for ideas on how to practice. We also discuss their schedule. Identifying the best opportunities in the week for them to practice. This leaves students really clear on what they're doing and better able to learn independently.
Lesson Project Plan and Evaluation.
I have the student write in detail what they intend to do for a project and how they'll do it. This includes specific outcomes, not just a list of songs. As well as what they want to get out of the process and any barriers they might need to overcome. At the end we evaluate the project. Thinking about whether it was successful, why it might not have met our expectations and what we might want to do next.
The Importance of Notes in Lessons.
To me, notes are the bread and butter of lessons. They hold the learning together and give students (and parents) a detailed overview of what's happening. You too can get access to my unrivalled note taking powers!
