Reply To: Out of tune players

[nafmeadmin]

KStarrWU added

There are tons of exercises you can do for ear training. I teach beginning students in 6th-8th grade. I tell mine that they should always trust their ears over their eyes. If their finger is on the tape, but the note sounds wrong, IT’S WRONG! I make it clear that the tapes are just a guideline, and try to transition them away from tapes when they get ready to leave me for HS. I usually start kids out with silver tape and then when those start to come off after about a year, I ask if they want more (some don’t). If they do, I have black tape that is less obvious. It is most important for them to know to rely on the sound instead of the sight! They also need to be able to hear the beats in the sound, which is easy to demonstrate.

My students enjoy the “snake” game – I get one person on one side of the room in tune, then the person beside them plays the same note, adjusting intonation until it sounds like one player. The first player then drops out, leaving player #2 by themselves. The next person joins #2, and the whole process starts over, and it “snakes” around the room. Just make sure they don’t move their finger after they place it correctly!