Teaching Tuning
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What is the best way to teach kids to tune their instruments? And at what age/level do you usually teach it?
I learned how to tune my instrument in 7th grade. My teachers would always talk about tuning, but didn’t do much till then. If I were to teac tuning, I would maybe start it their second of playing. This way they have an understanding of their instruments and notes. To teach your students, I would first have them play their tuning note and see what it would sound like. Then play that note on a piano and let them listen to it. Next I would pick a student to play their instrument while you played the piano and hold it out so the class can hear the waves of the tuning. This would be the time to talk about what the waves mean when you are tuning the instruments and help that student tune to the piano so the waves stop. From there, go section by section and help them learn how to tune. I would make the whole lesson for that day about tuning so everyone understands.
Christopher M. Johnson, Professor of Music Education and Music Therapy, is currently the Chair of the Music Education and Music Therapy Department and Director of the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas. Johnson earned his Ph.D. from the Florida State University.
Since his arrival at The University of Kansas, Johnson has taught courses in Instrumental Conducting, Teaching Instrumental Music, Managing Behaviors in the Music Environment, Psychology and Acoustics of Music, and Research Methods in Music Education and Music Therapy. Johnson served two terms as the editor of the International Journal of Music Education: Research, the research publication of the International Society for Music Education. He is currently serving his second term on the National Association for Music Educations Executive Committee of the Society for Research in Music Education. He also served on the editorial board of the Journal of Research in Music Education, and one earlier term as the Chair for the MENC Executive Committee of the Society for Research in Music Education. Johnson also served as the Chair for the Research Commission of the International Society for Music Education.
Johnson’s research interests include applied research in music education, and basic research in all aspects of the psychology of music. He has published articles in many journals including the Journal of Research in Music Education, the International Journal of Music Education, the Journal of Music Therapy, Journal of Band Research, Contributions to Music Education, and the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, among others. Johnson has also been an active member and contributor to the Research Seminar of the International Society for Music Education and World Alliance for Arts Education.
Johnson received a university teaching award – the Ned N. Fleming Award for Excellence in Teaching and received the recognition for Graduate Teaching Achievement from the Center for Teaching Excellence. Johnson was also awarded a lecturing & research award as a J. William Fulbright Scholar and recently received the Ella Scoble Opperman Citation for Distinguished Achievement from the Florida State University College of Music.
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