Klarinet Archive - Posting 000247.txt from 2003/07

From: "Stan Elias" <elias1@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Teaching problem
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2003 23:21:00 -0400

Collective wisdom,

I have a couple of middle-school kids, ages 9 and 11, as students. They are
both having a hard time with rhythm, both counting evenly and dealing with
the complexities of dotted quarter notes. They both know that a dotted
quarter lasts as long as three eighth notes, but they are having trouble
translating that knowledge into performance (I have them on the Rubank
elementary book). We have tried speaking the rhythms and clapping the
rhythms; they have tried to imitate my playing; and I have tried to get them
to play simple patterns without reading any music.

I tried to get one of these students to learn to count evenly by watching
the stepping second hand on a wall clock and counting "1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, . .
." without getting either ahead of or behind the moving hand.

I have tried lavish praise when they do it right. I have tried rote
repetition when they don't. They still don't get it.

What have I missed? What am I doing wrong? Is rhythm recognition and
understanding a developmental thing? What have you done that works on
particularly tough cases? TIA for your help.

Stan

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