The other day, I received an email from a friend asking how I would begin teaching a new adult piano student who is about at intermediate level.
I have enjoyed teaching several such students. My first thought was, “They’re all different!” Just as every person has different interests, their own look, speaking voice, and preferences in reading material, movies, food, etc., our approach must honor that person’s individuality.
So in my view, no one series of piano method books will entirely meet any student’s needs. Giving each student a comprehensive look at a wide variety of sounds and styles requires diverse resources.
This is my friend’s email:
“Hi Gretchen,
I was trying to think who might be able to help me and I thought of you. I have a new adult piano student. She reads music well but has pretty bad technique so she is limited in what she can play well. She has used those collections of 50 favorites and has some fairly good exercise books. I would consider her an intermediate piano student. I would really like to find a series that I could use with her that would be fun but would also challenge her. She seems to like classical music although I would love to try something else too. Any ideas. I looked at the Alfred Adult series but couldn’t figure out what level she might be. I just don’t have enough students to really know…..and most of my adult students have been beginners…..I never had a student where I need to break some really bad habits before. Anyway, any help will be GREATLY appreciated.
C.”
And my response:
“Hi C.,
Great to hear from you! I’m honored that you would use me as a sounding board.
My suggestion would be to skip around among different books. Going in sequence probably won’t work. In addition, all series books have pieces assigned to a certain level by the person who compiled the series. Each compiler/teacher thinks differently, and each student has different strengths and weaknesses.
That said, I like Alfred’s adult beginner book, Music for Millions, and skipping around in A Dozen A Day. For the latter, I don’t think it’s necessary to do every exercise, or even complete exercises. Understanding the concepts feels more important to me.
Best of luck! Just go with your gut, and let me know how it goes. Hmmm… I feel a blog post coming on! Maybe you could let me know what you’ve tried and we could take it from there.
Take care,
~ Gretchen”
For further thoughts about teaching students at any level, also applicable to teaching other instruments, please see my ebook, “Goal-oriented Practice.”
Today I am starting to practice again after a break. This post explores some aspects of returning after taking time off.
Not perfect?
Although we may vow to practice every day without exception, we all find ourselves taking a break from time to time, whether planned or due to illness, other responsibilities, being on hold with ConEd, travel, etc.
Feeling guilty?
In the past, I would get angry with myself. Not helpful! That leads to yelling at yourself when staying calm would be the way to go. When you acknowledge that everyone has days off, getting back into the loop is much less of a struggle.
What we can expect
What can we expect when we start again? (Note that I did not say “start over.”)
Perfection? Probably not. However, if you are going back to music you have practiced recently, you can expect improvement! Somehow, “ignoring” the music for a while lets it “cook.” You will most likely find new insights when you return to it.
Jell-O fingers? Yes… so I use the first practice session to concentrate on my warmup. Skipping the warm-up after time off just doesn’t work well for me. I need to feel the muscles in my fingers, so I exaggerate the movements.
Playing at performance tempo? Even if that were possible, wouldn’t we be inviting wrong notes, fingerings, errors in dynamics and phrasing? Practicing under tempo is useful, but extremely slow practice is not necessary. I’ve already learned the notes. But right now, performance tempo invites mistakes that I’d rather not add to the mix.
First day back
I usually dislike my playing that first day. That is frustrating, but by now I expect it. By the second day, it starts to sound better.
The first day back also seems to be a good time to assess fingerings. If something feels uncomfortable (a level or two below “rusty”), this may be the time to experiment. See whether a different fingering feels better.
Dynamic changes may not sound smooth. In addition to that, if a notated dynamic contrast is completely missing, mark the spot in your music! That means you didn’t learn that spot well enough. This is a great time to eliminate the “oops” and fix the gap. When you’ve remedied the problem, that phrase will usually fit into the whole more easily when you return to performance tempo in a few days.
I find it extremely motivating to set a goal, such as a performance date. With a concert in place, I am far less likely to return to vacation mode. (I have an aversion to making a fool of myself on stage. Wonderful incentive!)
It is also helpful to keep a practice journal. You’ll be able to see your progress. I have found that dropping and then returning to a program speeds my progress toward my performance goal. If you have a journal from the time you started learning the notes, you will be able to eliminate guess work and have accurate feedback. (Do you remember what you did a week ago? A month ago? Keeping a written record is very helpful. There is no reason to expect oneself to remember everything. Remembering the notes is enough!)
Mix it up!
In an online piano forum, participants were exchanging ideas about how to return to practicing after a break. (What’s the secret? How can I make this easy?) Differing viewpoints emerged, as one might expect. Looking through the comment thread was invaluable.
One participant advocated starting out exclusively with etudes. Another suggested practicing only new repertoire. Someone else planned to play familiar music, waiting to add new pieces until s/he was back in shape.
While reading the thread, it seemed that perhaps taking something from everyone might be best. In that way, etudes are included but not intimidating. Familiar music needs to be there so we feel like we know how to play! And new repertoire keeps us making progress.
What do you think?
This post has been updated from 2010.
What do you do when returning to practice after a break? How do you help your students get back into it? How much time do you need to get back to normal?
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A young boy plays with a toy drum that was given to him during Joint Task Force-Bravo’s visit to at the Sisters of Charity Orphanage in Comayagua, Honduras, Jan. 25, 2015. The Sisters of Charity Orphanage is one of seven different orphanages from around the Comayagua Valley that the U.S. military personnel assigned to JTF-Bravo have supported over the past 17 years. In addition to spending time with interacting with children, members have also collected and donated much-needed supplies and food, as well as helped in minor construction work on the buildings in which the children live. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Heather Redman). Source: Wikimedia. Public domain.
Isn’t this a wonderful photograph?
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Background
A high school flutist and I performed the piece excerpted below on a recital in April. She plays quite well, but this piece was full of syncopation. Keep in mind that she was looking at the flute part only (top line). Pianists usually play from the complete score (solo line plus piano part).
Excerpt from “Allegretto” from Suite de trois morceaux, Op.116 by Benjamin Godard
First Run-through
The soloist knew her part securely. But the rhythm in the piano part, not surprisingly, threw her off. She took the right hand part (off-beat) to be the beat. So, for example, in the 3rd bar of the 2nd system, her quarter note was one beat late, played after the last chord in the piano part.
Second Try
I played my part as printed, counting out loud. We would stop along the way to correct rhythmic mistakes. She would look at the score when the rhythm threw her off.
That approach resulted in about 50% improvement in our brief rehearsal.
Taking a Closer Look
I continued to think about her that evening. How could this be a better experience for the student, with the performance in front of an audience only a few days away? Was it sink or swim? Or could I do something to help?
In Her Shoes
After considerable thought, I realized that the student was relying primarily on what she had heard during our brief rehearsal. She didn’t have the piano score, and told me she had not listened to recordings.
Going by sound alone complicates things in this case.
Try it! When you sing one low note followed by two higher notes at the same pitch, listen to the way the higher pitch is easier to hear. It would take a lot to make the low note take over as the anchor. Hearing the pitches without looking at the score can easily sound like the low note is an upbeat.
A singer, by contrast, would have the score to refer to. Instrumental parts are published separately, so only the solo line is available unless they keep a copy of the score (or someone provides it).
To add to the challenge, I learned the next day that the student has a cochlear implant. That would make it more difficult to hear anything, possibly also causing a delay in the perception of sound.
The Next Day
Fortunately, there was more rehearsal time available. I checked with the teacher to ask whether it would be acceptable for me to call the student’s parents with the goal of finding another time to get together. We found a time for the following evening.
Recording the Piano Part
I realized that we had only rehearsed the piece one way; as printed.
Since the off-beat is so easy to hear as the beat, I wanted to try something. The student had her phone with her, so we recorded the piano part twice: the first time on the beat; the second as written.
The “on the beat” version went very well! We practiced the piece that way again. This time, the student tapped (stomped, really) her foot on the beat.
Then we practiced the piece as written. She was much closer.
The Core Problem
The student had been attempting to understand the syncopation without knowing where the beat was. You can’t have an off-beat without feeling the beat first.
I encouraged her to march around the room, stamp her feet, and sing, play, clap… whatever would get the rhythm into her body. I suggestion that she count, tap, stamp, clap, or whatever else she wanted to do, louder than the piano part.
Her First Response
“I can’t tap my foot in the performance.”
I agreed, and went on to say that it’s OK to tap your toe inside your shoe, especially the first time you’ve ever done this. And you can do whatever you need to do in rehearsal. The audience doesn’t see you rehearsing, nor does it know what you’re thinking in performance.
Solo Flute Practice
She did it! She had two days left to experiment, and addressed the problem at home without my being there.
Performance
Wonderful! She played out, sounded secure, and was not particularly nervous.
Followup
Two or three weeks later, I ran into her at school. After we said hello, I asked how she felt about the performance. Her response: “It went better than I thought it would. I felt very comfortable.”
What do you do when a student is thrown by something new? Comments welcome!
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“Goal-oriented Practice” Are you practicing well? What do you do when you hit a snag? How do you help your students practice?
Do you have a plan for putting difficult pieces together at performance tempo? How do you help your students achieve a steady tempo without slowing down in difficult passages?
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How often do you spend hours practicing, only to realize later that much of that time was wasted? Do you find that you need to revise your plan as you go along from time to time?
If the answer is anything other than “occasionally,” you can do something about it. Practicing does not have to be unconscious.
Life happens. You get a phone call, expecting it to be brief, and it turns into something else. Or someone comes to the door. Your child’s school calls, and now you have to drop everything to pick up your daughter. Schedule changes happen ever 5 minutes some days, it seems.
You had planned on having a block of uninterrupted practice time, and then this happened. Sticking to your original plan won’t work. How are you going to learn all that music?
Deciding what to do when you need to change plans
Make a plan for this practice session based on what you can realistically touch upon in the time available.
If some of your planned time has been derailed today, make a new plan.
Less time per piece/section
Save some repertoire for next time
Look at the music you need to do soon
Keep notes about what you left out; be sure to look at it next time
Adjusting your plans results in better practice than attempting to do everything, regardless.
Reserve part of your consciousness in order to self-journal your practice in your head.
How much time have you spent on one passage?
After a few minutes, are you making progress?
You may want to switch to something else for the time being.
If taking a minute every so often to assess your progress just doesn’t happen, try setting an alarm for every 20-30 minutes. Sometimes musicians, myself included, become completely involved in the music and don’t want to stop.
Tailor today’s practice to the way you feel.
If you are tired or under the weather, practicing at performance tempo can wait a day or two.
If you are feeling pressured by deadlines or having too little time, practicing faster and faster is not likely to help. If you are conscious of this as a tendency, you can set a slightly slower tempo and see better results. The hardest part of doing that is realizing that you’re caught up in going faster because of a time crunch!
If you find yourself yelling at the composer, the instrument, the editor, the publisher, the wrong notes, or yourself, something is wrong. None of that is helpful. Take a step back, take a deep breath, and try another approach.
It’s not about the time you put in. It’s about the music.
Identifying what needs to be done today, right now, can help you meet a deadline.
During college, I felt that putting in a certain number of hours per day/week meant that I was progressing. And then I found a wonderful teacher who was able to convey what was important. Learning the music well is the game plan, not awarding points for time spent.
I know from personal experience that revising one’s practice plan on the spot is easier said than done. But it is possible, and you’ll be saner for it. By being aware of how we use our practice time, we can obtain better results. Even if we reach the end of our available time today without realizing what happened, we can refocus tomorrow.
Do you have a habit of self-monitoring your practice sessions? Or do you have regrets after you’re finished for the day? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Source: Wikimediacommons
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Have you worked from scores containing editors’ markings that could be interpreted as being misleading? How did you proceed?
Last week I had the privilege of collaborating with a talented violinist, a high school senior. One piece on her recital program was the Trio Sonata for Flute, Violin and Continuo in G Major, BWV 1038, by J.S. Bach. The flutist was also a high school senior.
Both played very well. Baroque style, however, seemed to be unfamiliar to them. So they relied on the score much more than on listening to each others’ phrasing.
The edition we were using contained editors’ markings which were misleading if taken literally.
First rehearsal
This was to be our only rehearsal together, with the exception of a short time in the hall prior to the performance.
I liked many aspects of what I heard:
In-tune playing.
Good balance of sound (one player not louder or softer than the other).
Legato playing, appropriate for this largo movement.
Nice tempo.
In the “needs work” department:
• Give and take so the moving part could carry the music.
Each player needed to diminuendo on the long notes, as they had alternating parts. Both players were more familiar with other musical styles, where a crescendo would be called for instead.
Notice in this clip that the top part (flute) plays tied notes while the 2nd part (violin) has more melodic and rhythmic interest. The give and take in the sound when the players honor that approach changes the sound completely. Now it sounds baroque rather than romantic.
• The music needed forward motion.
This could be heard primarily in the flute part. The flutist, looking at the editor’s markings, playing the slurs as indicated. In addition, because she needed to breathe, she would breathe after a short note. That took just enough extra time to interrupt the flow of the music, whereas taking time away from a long note in order to breathe would not have had the same effect.
Take a look at the top two parts (flute and violin, respectively). Notice how the markings seem to ask for the longer note to be slurred to the shorter one?
The music flows when exactly the opposite phrasing is used, as in the notation at the right of this example:
So we changed it! The sound improved immediately.
Second rehearsal
This rehearsal was with violin and piano only. However, we had an opportunity to discuss the Bach.
At the end of the first rehearsal, my impression was that the violinist understood the changes we had made. The flutist had improved, but was still relying on the printed score more than listening to the flow of the music.
My suggestion was for the violinist and the flutist to get together by themselves. They attend the same school and have free time, so this was not a problem. I asked the violinist to coach the rehearsal, finding musical lines they could play together, such as this one:
My goal was to make any differences in phrasing between the two players as clear as possible. Rehearsing alternating lines might not have had the same effect.
Pre-recital and performance
I am delighted to say that the sound was transformed! During our brief time in the recital hall prior to the performance, we had just a few minutes to rehearse this piece. After marking in accidentals that crept up on both players, likely because of nerves, I felt encouraged. If everyone could remain calm, count, listen, and enjoy it, we had an excellent chance of performing well.
And… it happened! The audience loved what they heard, and I felt gratified.
Here are two YouTube videos of this beautiful piece. Enjoy!
One version, performed with piano:
And another version, this time with harpsichord:
Have you worked from scores containing editors’ markings that could be interpreted as being misleading? How did you proceed?
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Since it is almost impossible to have the same amount of time available every day, it helps to be organized and flexible. After all, exact repetition every day is soooooooo booooring.
Do you start at the beginning of your program each time you practice? Are you able to practice everything each time? Do you have several programs going at once? It usually happens that I have many different situations to prepare for all at the same time. With all those variables of performance dates, types of music (vocal, instrumental, collaborative, solo, choral music, etc.), there is rarely a time when everything is ready to go on the same day.
I have found it crucial to set priorities for each practice session. Depending on the time available, the dates of upcoming concerts, and whether or not a piece is ready to perform, I make a list in my head ~ or sometimes on paper ~ about what I can realistically accomplish that day. (Most of the time it works. Sometimes I revise my goals along the way ~ and don’t get mad.)
Keeping a notebook of practice sessions helps immensely. When you can see the last date you worked on a certain piece, as well as what you did, progress is easier to achieve. If you don’t know what happened last time, or what state the piece is in, you could spin your wheels for quite a while just figuring out where you are. And while it may feel good to just play something, it is a huge waste of time. If you use your time well, you can learn twice as much music.
If I’m increasing the tempo, I write down metronome markings in my practice notebook (but not on the music). While things are in such a state of flux, I’d rather not have all that writing on the score. (And erasures wear out the paper.)
When I’ve worked on dynamics, I write that down. How did it go? What needs to improve?
Sometimes my impression of a composer’s intent will change, so I write that down, too. That could change again in a day or two.
Trouble spots definitely make the notebook. And then I make sure I concentrate on them until they’ve been solved. Allowing portions of a piece to stay unlearned or remain uncomfortable is truly asking for trouble in performances.
Keeping written comments is the best way I’ve found to get all elements of a program together at the same time. (It’s like cooking a large dinner, except there’s no backup such as a warming oven or a microwave!) Having one piece or movement that I’ve ignored until the week before a concert makes me very uncomfortable. (That happened exactly once. I discovered on stage, of all places, that I had never put fingerings in a Haydn trio. Oops. I felt nervous just for that one reason. A friend who was in the audience said she noticed, but that it was a good performance anyway… and I trusted her not to lie to me. And it will never happen again!)
On days when my practice time is limited, I often surf from one problematic spot to the next. The next time, I do the same thing in reverse. Why waste time practicing what you already play well? You could be reinforcing unusual fingerings, making fast passages more comfortable, calibrating accelerandi and ritards, improving dynamic contrasts, playing the end of one movement and the beginning of the next, practicing intros and interludes in piano reductions or songs, or making a myriad of other effective choices. What about the ending? If it’s faster and louder, especially, I spend short periods of time getting it to be foolproof so I can be memorable in the concert.
A word of caution: I have found that I often feel rushed when I have limited time. So I play faster. NOT helpful. I have improved upon this tendency by being aware of it. Now I frequently practice under tempo when there is too little time. That increases my concentration and keeps mistakes from creeping in due to tension and anxiety.
And on those days when there is plenty of time, I revel in it. Finally! Time to “perform” an entire program!
How do you manage your practice time?
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These thoughts go through my head every time I open a difficult score for the first time. How about you?
Background
This is the slow section of Mozart’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra #5, first movement. In other words, the “piano” part is an orchestral reduction.
The right hand, when played by the orchestra, is divided between two string parts. Pianists, though, are required to perform gymnastic feats in the reduction, playing both parts in the same hand.
This section of the concerto is serene, slow, and quiet. To achieve a murmuring sound on the piano is difficult, especially due to the fingers passing over one another and because the normally resulting accents must be avoided. (It is not possible to play all the notes in the right hand while keeping the hand quiet, playing only five keys ((one for each finger)), and not moving to a different range on the keyboard several times. In other words, don’t try this at home!)
Facebook comments
When I posted the above pic on Facebook, the following discussion ensued:
First, on 5/1:
[Photo caption]
The most recent addition to my catalog of Finger Busters.
[Discussion]
DG: Finger busters is right!
AE: What she said!
HW: Dang!
MDS: Wowser.
CBW: Oh my! 😦
Then, on 5/22:
[Photo caption]
Remember this? The “ack!” phase? Aced it in today’s performance. I feel a blog post coming on.
[Discussion]
CH: Looks “Greek” to me Gretchen but I’m grateful there are artists like you that let those like me enjoy the music!
CBW: OMG!!!
TP: Makes my head ache just looking at all those notes!!!
GS: Exactly. My 1st thought when opening a score is often, “I can’t play this… I’ll NEVER be able to play this… NO ONE can play this!”
And then I learn it.
TP: Some people like a challenge and some are gluttons for punishment!GS: And some find it necessary to freak out EVERY TIME. I don’t think child prodigies do that…
TP: In my trade we call it it SIDS…self induced disaster, the process of psyching yourself out before you even know what you’re up against! lol
GS: I b the expert!
SN: So how did the tempo end up?
GS: 120 and 72. Felt reasonable, thank God…
GN: A great feeling to have worked something out in practice and then play it in performance with no “hitches” . . . .nice work!
GS: Thank you!
KC: cool, still growing into the job, Gretchen, that is so great.
GS: Oh, I have the same reaction every time I open music I haven’t played that looks difficult.
Reality check
How long did it take to reach performance level with this piece?
Although my Facebook “bookend” posts were three weeks apart, I was busy when I first looked at the score. There was no time to practice it right away.
After consulting my practice notes, I realized that I had learned the piece at performance tempo in 8 or 10 days.
Got perspective?
This is not an idle question. I am genuinely curious. This is an aspect of people’s careers that is rarely talked about, as far as I know.
I am well aware that many musicians learn music faster than I do. One of the vocal coaching fellows at Tanglewood (there were 3 of us that summer) could learn even a newly composed score still in manuscript form and perform it in 3 days. He had the enviable ability to skip the practice stage most of us need to get the music into his hands. Currently head of the composition department at BU, he is a conductor, composer, wonderful pianist, and vocal coach.
My teacher at Aspen was practicing Hindemith slowly with the metronome when I arrived for my lesson one day. She had never played the piece. Four days later, she performed it flawlessly, much faster. So I went home and learned how to practice slowly with the metronome, increasing the tempo in increments.
On the other hand, another teacher practiced Schubert’s “Die Schöne Müllerin” for an entire year before performing it.
What was Horowitz’s time requirement for mastering the repertoire he performed? Rubinstein? Glenn Gould? Myra Hess? Clara Schumann?
A pianist who was interviewed on NPR, when discussing a recent CD release, let it be known that he had practiced one piece for 15 years before ever performing it!
So it seems that preparation time is highly variable.
First take
What do child prodigies say to themselves when first opening a score? Have you heard anyone talk about that?
I suspect that my self-talk may stem from the fact that I was not a prodigy. While there was music in my family, many musicians I know listened to recordings and attended concerts from an early age. Several had parents who were professional musicians. They had mentors who connected them with effective teachers. Good instruments were acquired early. All of that makes a difference. I’ve been playing “catch up.”
A childhood friend recently reminded me that, when I would be invited to go somewhere, my response would always be, “I can’t. I have to practice.”
Following my senior recital in college, a few friends came back to the recital hall from the distant reception to ensure that I was planning to attend. They were afraid I would go back to the practice room immediately. (I’m slow about packing up after a performance.)
B.B. King said it very well:
“It seems like I always had to work harder than other people. Those nights when everybody else is asleep, and you sit in your room trying to play scales.”
And now I’d like to thank my audience, who listens attentively whenever I practice and never, ever complains. And thanks also to everyone who commented on Facebook.
What do you say to yourself when you open a difficult score for the first time? Do you have a panic response? See it as a challenge? KNOW you’ll be fine even before you begin? Do you have an idea about how long it will take you to learn a piece before you’ve even started?
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This post went viral when it was first published. Here it is again for your enjoyment. Please contribute to the discussion in the Comments section!
Do you have perfect pitch? Would having perfect pitch be useful? Can it be learned? Taught?
Please scroll down to Comment #50 for an expanded view on this topic.
Perfect pitch cannot be acquired ~ either you have it or you don’t. A discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of perfect (“absolute”) vs. relative pitch would be pointless, so I’m not going to go there. Instead, this post will help clarify some of the ways in which the two types of pitch are different.
I don’t have perfect pitch, but feel fortunate to have very good relative pitch.
Someone with perfect pitch can:
instantly sing any pitch name when asked
always sing the “Hallelujah Chorus” in the original key, D Major
hear any music they know in the appropriate key
“hear” a score by looking at it, in the printed key
begin singing a song note-for-note with accompaniment without anyone giving the pitch in advance
A story!
In a class coached by Martin Katz, I partnered with a singer who had perfect pitch. We were about to begin “Ach, ich fühl’s” from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte when Martin whispered, “Give her the pitch!”
I chose to defy authority and ignore his directions. We began the aria, the singer was right on, and Martin said, “Oh.”
Another story!
An organist I know also has perfect pitch. During a wedding in which I collaborated with a singer, he proved it! The last song before the processional was in the key of A-flat Major, transposed down from the original key.
The organist did not know what our program was, and I was as yet unaware that he had perfect pitch. In addition, even if had known the song cycle we performed selections from, he didn’t know we were using a transposition.
Immediately following the final song’s piano postlude, I heard John playing the organ nearly imperceptibly. He began in “our” key, in “our” dotted rhythm, modulating with a big crescendo to D Major, the key of the processional.
I was not only impressed ~ I knew I’d never be able to do that.
Yet another story!
At the wedding reception, John told me that prior to being hired for his full-time position, he was part-time with an additional job in a synogogue. The Rogers electronic organ had a transposition function. During one service, he decided to check it out!
He programmed the transposition he wanted and started playing. When he heard the sound come out in a different key, his hands moved over!
That may be the flip side. Perfect pitch makes transposing nearly impossible.
Relative pitch allows people to:
sight-sing easily by using interval relationships
transpose more easily than someone with perfect pitch
learn music quickly
“hear” a score just by looking at it, but the key may be incorrect
come close to singing A-440 (just now, I sang a “G” instead)
comfortably listen to music not exactly “at pitch”
When I was in college, a chorus I was singing in lost pitch during a concert. The conductor looked at me to ask for a pitch for the next piece! He must have though I had perfect pitch.
I gave him a pitch and hoped it was close. (Having a discussion with the concert in progress didn’t seem like such a great idea.)
A few years later, everyone in Tanglewood‘s vocal program was required to attend sight-reading classes. All of us were excellent sight-readers, so we loathed going to class. It felt like a waste of good practice time.
So we took turns showing up, a few at a time. After four or five days of this, we began getting notes in our mailboxes from Seiji Ozawa! We had to go to class or be dismissed from the program.
To be fair, this was a class in sight-singing contemporary music. The method used was fixed “do,” with numbers. (“Do” was always “C,” so “C” was 1, “D” was 2, etc.)
Learning relative pitch
A person’s pitch can be improved through the use of solfedge and other methods. (But again, perfect pitch cannot be learned.) I have also found that when someone takes piano lessons, s/he can acquire a visual context that provides a consistent reference point.
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