When I first started teaching I had a student who would “get stuck”. She would open her book at home, decide that something about her piece was too difficult and then spend the rest of the week “spinning her tires”. Her mom would meet me before the lesson… “She just didn’t know how to (fill in the blank)”
And so another week would go by without any progress being made.
We all know that weeks without progress quickly become a full month. And that full month with little to no progress results in bored piano students and dissatisfied piano parents. It was a road I wasn’t willing to go down.
Assisting Home Piano Practice With “The 4 Tow Truck Tips”
No matter how many times I went over every aspect of Kayla’s piece, she’d find something else to get stuck on. I didn’t remember where my hands went… I couldn’t figure out what that note was… I didn’t know what that marking meant… I can’t remember how it was supposed to sound…
This kid was a never-ending source of excuses, no matter how well I prepared her in the lesson.
And while it would have been easy to be frustrated with my student, I decided that I needed to find a pro-active way to help her with the obvious angst she was experiencing during home practice. When I took a step back and looked at why she was creating excuses, it became obvious that she felt overwhelmed when she encountered any sort of obstacle. She was absolutely fine in lessons with me there to guide her but being alone and problem-solving solo was not her strong suit.
She needed something concrete that she could use to stop her from “spinning her tires”. If it couldn’t be me at home with her, it needed to be something that was a good substitute. I came up with my 4 Tow Truck Tips. It was a page she put into her binder with four things she could use to “tow herself out” of the problem and avoid spinning her tires at home. We talked about how to use the page and I sent her home with it that week.
How To Use The 4 Tow Truck Tips In Your Studio
If you too have a student who spins her tires (or if you want to avoid this from happening) then print out this sheet, discuss it with your student, and send it home in her piano binder.
If your student is feeling stuck, the 4 Tow Truck Tips are:
1. Compare it to a piece you know well – Show your student how to look back to a favorite or well-known piece to look for similarities that may help her (ie. “Does it look like it could be in the same starting position? Do you see similar patterns? Can you find the note you are “stuck on” in this piece?” etc.)
2. Collect cues from elsewhere on the page – Teach your student to look for all of the cues on her page. Finger numbers, written instructions, pictures, handwritten cues… sometimes kids forget to look beyond just the actual staff.
3. Make a smart guess – Teach your student to make educated guesses based on these two questions: “What would make sense?” and “What sounds right?”
4 Compose your own solution – If all else fails, I tell my students to compose their own solution to their problem. Don’t know how a certain measure should sound? Create your own! Don’t know your starting hand position? You choose! If nothing else, this at least gets your student playing something and often their “composed solution” is actually pretty close to the actual music!
Kayla came back the following week after using the sheet. Her piece wasn’t perfect, but I wasn’t asking for perfection… I was asking for her to try. And she had! No more spinning tires. We quickly fixed what needed fixing, she headed home again that week, and the piece was complete within two weeks.
We were getting somewhere. Kayla quickly memorized the 4 Tow Truck Tips and all of sudden they became internalized strategies she was able to use whenever she came up against an obstacle. There were no more excuses and there was lots of progress. Score one for the tow truck!
Skill Acquisition… With Lots of Fun
One of my biggest passions as a piano teacher is helping students to acquire skills they will need to be able to play whatever they want, whenever they want. This includes knowing how to “unstick” themselves when they come across something they don’t know or understand. This also includes knowing how to practice efficiently.
When we created Shhh…Your Piano Teacher Thinks This is Practice we did so to make practice much more enjoyable. But we also made sure that, in using the book, students would be acquiring solid and useful practice strategies. For piano students who practice “smart” check it out here!
Linda Fotis says
Great way to start the week. I’ve got two students who are stuck in the mud and I’m going to use this great ‘kick start’ to unsticking their practice on them. Thanks guys, you’re the best.
Janice says
These suggestions are really timely! I have a student coming today who often begins her lesson with “I didn’t know how to _____”, and even though I have given important clues the previous week, this student didn’t try to use them. I hope having this print-out for her will be a big help! Thank you so very much!
Abigail Poirier says
Really great ideas, thanks! I tell my students about #1 and #2 a lot, #3 occasionally, but I’ve never mentioned #4! Besides, just because I’ve told them is no guarantee they’ll remember, and this is a great way to make the information more “sticky,”
Sara says
I think I will use your idea in a different way. I have theory students who come back with blank sections because they didn’t understand. Usually there is an explanation with example right on the page, or it is a review of something they did on previous pages. Thanks for the great idea!
Joan says
One of my students has a lazy brain. He can’t comprehend that he really can read music. When we begin the process of learning a new song, he will look at the page, put his hands on the keys and then look at me, waiting for me to tell him what the first note is. I say: Do you see the note on my face? He solemnly shakes his head. I say: Where is the note? He plays it. I say: which finger plays that note. He uses the correct finger. The strange thing is that when we use flash cards or an iPad game, he names the notes beautifully and can find them on the piano. There’s got to be a connecting link here somewhere.
emily says
*Do you see the note on my face?* LOL–I’m going to steal that line!
Christobel says
I say this all the time! Seriously thought, he is probably worried about your response, that’s why he is looking at you, to read your body language and your expression. Probably has something to do with mum or dad or school teacher.
Michaela says
I’ve had this same problem with a kid and its not that hard to fix. Usually, I’ve noticed that its really that they don’t see what fingering and such is there. Try having all the fingering highlighted and circled. It could be that the colors and highlighted fingering would get to his brain. Also, try putting a colored plastic sheet over the music to see if its a mild case of dyslexia. The colored pages helped my kid and others with it.
Roxy says
Oh my gosh…I’m not the only one who says that?! Awesome!
emily says
Thank you for this! I have one student who is certain that every new piece is “too hard” and he’ll “never ever get it.” These ideas should help him to get over the hump!
Ann says
I also have a young student who thinks every new piece is “too hard”. We sometimes go back and play an earlier piece which he originally thought was also “too hard” and while this seems to work at the lesson, the positive thinking disappears when he gets home (despite us covering all obstacles during his lesson). I am sure his Mum will appreciate the print-out too. Looking forward to less “spinning tires” and more “chequered flags”. Thank you.
Barbara says
Great, great ideas. This is empowering the student, and as you say at least the student will be playing “something” which is far, far better than playing “nothing” all week. Love the graphics, too! Thanks.
Roxy says
I love the language “smart guess”–I’ve been using that ever since I heard it. It really encourages them to think for themselves.
Marcia says
Sometimes I say to the student “Who do you ask at home?” OR “Do you have a plan for solving this problem?” This comment opens the door to the discussion that students don’t have to remember everything…they have the knowledge to figure it out.
Jane says
At yesterday’s lesson, I had my overwhelmed student colour code all the bars that were exactly the same (colour group 1, 2, 3). Suddenly the piece had an organization and she could see more than the mass of notes.
My other great find is Post-It tape. It really helps to focus their attention on the page, so they play this bar, that line…
Andrea says
Highlighting similar measures and other patterns (sequences etc.) is one of my favourite teaching tips. It really does help your student to feel more comfortable when they get home! I haven’t ever seen post-it tape.. now I’m on the hunt! 🙂
Roni says
Jane, that’s such a good idea, I will try that, thanks
Cheryl says
Andrea,
I just looked over this post and noticed a comment by Michaela about putting a colored sheet over the music regarding possible mild dyslexia. Can you tell me anything about this?? color of the sheet, it’s purpose, or what to do to help a dyslexic student?? I believe I have one now, but I’m not comfortable asking his parents and don’t know what to do to help him anyway. Any advice will be appreciated.
Cheryl says
Andrea, not sure if my post came thru earlier (system said it was a duplicate message)…There was a post from Michaela (2014) about putting a colored sheet over the music for a possible dyslexic student. I think I have a dyslexic student, but I’m not comfortable asking his parents. Can you tell me about the color of the sheet I’d need, what’s it purpose, and how can I help this student. Thank you for any answers or any links you can give me to read !