Benefits of Group Piano
Thursday, April 7, 2022 by Maffrine LaConte | Pedagogy
- Students learn from both their peers and their teacher
- Provides limitless performance opportunities
- Develops performance confidence and poise
- Exposes students to a wide variety of repertoire
- Encourages the development of critical listening skills as students listen to other students perform and then provide comments following the performance
- Challenges students to develop communication and social skills
- Aids in the development of problem-solving skills
- Encourages students to make transfers of concepts and principles
- Provides a dynamic and motivational learning environment
- Facilitates productive, positive competition
- Provides a prime environment in which to teach functional musicianship skills such as harmonization, transposition, sight-reading, improvisation, etc
- Provides a motivational environment in which creative games and exercises may be used to teach and drill concepts
- Has the potential to sustain student attention through captivating group activities, in turn permitting a longer lesson length
- Encourages the development of a strong rhythmic sense through group eurhythmic (rhythmic movement) activities
- Provides a natural environment for the study and performance of piano ensembles (duets, trios, quartets, accompaniments)
- Is a prime location in which to study technique
- Encourages the development of musical interpretation
- An efficient and effective means for the presentation of materials for the teacher
- Facilitates supervised practice opportunities
Excerpt from Teaching Piano in Groups
by Dr. Christopher Fisher,
Director, Ohio University School of Music