The Teachers' Round Table

by N. J. Corey

Missed Lessons

"I am one who gives lessons at the homes of my pupils. In order to benefit pupils who do not feel able to pay tuition in advance by the month or term, I collect fee at every lesson. Although they contract to take one or two lessons a week, yet one of the greatest problems I have had to confront is the 'missed lessons.' Many pupils take advantage of my way of teaching, and seem to think if they do not wish to take a lesson, for any reason whatever, it is all right to call me over the phone and tell me not to come. Very often when I am out on the road filling a regular schedule, a lesson period is left vacant. It is too soon to go to the nest pupil and too far to go home. So I have to walk the streets, no matter what the weather, until time for the next. I have lost a good deal of tuition in this way, and it does not seem fair to me. If a pupil engages my time so I cannot give it to another ought I not to be paid? It Is difficult for me to make good missed lessons, as it makes them come too near together. The pupils seem to think they ought not to pay for missed lessons. Is there no redress ?" —M. T.

Paying by the lesson for a given term contracted for is like buying furniture on the instalment plan. It is represented that people would not save the money for furniture if expected to pay in one lump sum, but that they prepare in advance for weekly or monthly payments. This may be true. M. T. does not seem to realize, however, that many teachers have the same trouble even when tuition is paid in a lump sum, either before or after. In any case, however, it is all wrong to make the teacher lose his or her time. If pupils contract for ten hours of lessons at one dollar each, and three lessons are postponed, they do not seem to realize that they are thereby compelling the teacher to give them thirteen hours for the ten dollars. And yet not one of these people would ask the dry goods dealer to give thirteen yards of dress goods for ten dollars at one dollar a yard. It seems impossible for people to learn that music teaching should be regulated by good, honest, commercial principles. Art never has thrived, and never can, except on business principles. Teaching is the business side of the art. When any of these people send a child to college, they never question the advance payment or tuition by the semester, but prepare for it in advance. If the child comes home for a week they do not ask the school to return one week's tuition. The music teacher should have equal consideration. This problem has been discussed for years, but so far as I know, few have gotten any farther with it than you have. Many take a position of independence and maintain it, but there are certain communities where this seems to be difficult. If you could make your pupils come to you it would save you a good deal of time and help you to establish a prestige that would make you more independent. The missed lesson cards, which may be procured from your publisher at slight cost, are very helpful.

What Grade?

"How may I learn the way to determine the grade of a piece?" —L. K.

This is one thing that cannot be done with a measuring rod. Indeed, it is one of the things for which judgment and experience are absolutely necessary. Neither is there any way of laying down definite rules for another to follow in deciding in what grade to place a given composition. There are two general categories that must be considered, the one technical, the other aesthetic. Then from a strictly technical standpoint, players vary so in their abilities, due sometimes to the manner in which they have been taught. Some pupils, for example, are far behind in playing double thirds; and a piece that would be in the fourth grade for one might be in the sixth or seventh for one of the sort just mentioned. This cannot be considered in figuring out a grade of a given piece, but must be considered by the teacher in selecting from a list of pieces. One composition may be very simple and innocent looking, until suddenly a seriously complicated passage confronts you, and may prevent your being able to learn the piece properly for another year or two. The middle portion (to take a familiar example) of Moszkowski's Serenade in D is a grade more difficult than the opening and closing sections. There are many more aggravated examples than this. In some of Beethoven's sonatas there will be one simple movement and one, and perhaps two, difficult ones. Furthermore, some compositions that are technically simple, are emotionally very difficult, and can only be attempted by advanced pupils of experience, who have shown themselves capable along this line. Every piece you take must be considered with all of these things in view, if you would determine where it really belongs as to grade of difficulty. Your wisest plan will be to send to the publisher for A Selected Graded List of Pieces, Studies and Books (in which there are listed 600 representative pieces) which was prepared by experts who spent months at the task. Use this as a working basis, take note of the pieces with which you are familiar and their grades, add more to your list from it, and gradually you will acquire the experience you desire, and will be able to determine approximately the difficulty of any piece with which you come in contact.

Scales, Scales, Scales

1. The scales should be learned for rapidity, equality, smoothness and shading; in single octaves, third, sixth, tenth, and in contrary motion; finally for grouping and accent. Properly qualified judges should be selected, and the pupils should play behind a curtain or out of sight of judges, so that no favoritism can be shown. The pupils should play in rotation, and at the close of the meet the judges will render their decision.

2. In piano study a given number will be assigned for the hour's lesson. If there are four students, each receives fifteen minutes of personal instruction at the keyboard; if six, then there are ten minutes for each. With some famous European teachers taking only the most advanced students, a morning or afternoon would be given up to the lesson with an indefinite number present. Perhaps only one or two would be invited to play, and all would profit by the instruction. Each one was expected to be prepared any time he or she was called upon. I have heard it reported that some whose talent the teacher did not rate very highly were but rarely called upon to play. One musician, who studied harmony in class with a famous European name, told me that the teacher would play a theme over once on the piano, and then ask this or that student to write it on the blackboard, when the lesson would proceed. I asked him what he did in the case of students who were unable to instantly write a melody they heard for the first time. He would ask them to erase the exercise when it was finished, was the reply. I doubt if such methods would "go" in this country.

3. If you use the Standard Graded Course, when a pupil has satisfactorily completed any given book, he will be ready to be graded as in that represented by the book to follow. If you do not use this book, you will have to use your judgment as to he point a pupil has reached. I should think it would be better to assign the grade cards at the close of the teaching year.

4. It is a good plan to let the pupil practice contrary motion when learning to play parallel motion. In the first learning of the scales it is better not to confuse pupils' minds with too much, but confine their first practice to major scales only. They will learn the minors better when they know the majors well enough to understand how the minors are derived from them, and their mutual inter-relationship.

Memorizing

"I have a student who is doing first year college work in piano. She is a good student, with the exception of memorizing. She memorizes and plays in concerts without her music, but she says she cannot visualize the notes, but is guided entirely by her fingers. I will appreciate any help you can give."—G. M.

I am afraid you are laboring under the impression that there is one conventional manner of fixing the music in one's head for memorizing. But along this line the great artists have agreed to disagree for many moons. Some say they see the page before them as they progress in their playing. Others declare they would be completely lost if they should try to memorize the notes by the eye. It seems to be a matter of individual temperament. I am inclined to the belief that the process in which the ear and the hands work in conjunction is the most reliable. The brain retains the music long after the music page is forgotten. Indeed, the mind can memorize music of which it has never seen the music, as for example the rote memory of both children and adults. In the latter case many cannot even read the music page. This memory is very reliable, however. To carry in the mind indefinitely the printing of the music page, and many hundreds of pages of them,' I should think would be a Herculean task. And yet some maintain that it is the simplest for them individually. Meanwhile I should not insist on the pupil you mention learning to visualize the printed notes, if such is not the manner natural to her. It seems to me that no cut-and-dried manner can be devised for this. The general response of the whole musical system seems to me the best. Leave her to her own devices along this line, for by trying to force her along a line incompatible with Nature's endowments you may do her more harm than good.

From Across the Sea

1. There is but little difference between an adult and a child insofar as the absolute beginnings are concerned. Each has to go through the same processes in getting hands and fingers ready for the keyboard, and each must begin with simple exercises and pieces. There is one curious difference betwen the two, however, in the matter of progress. The matured mentality of the adults will lead them rapidly through the elementary stages, while children will make slow progress at first. Later this condition often is reversed. The fixed muscles and ligaments of the grown-up pupils sometimes come to a sudden stop, as if against a ratchet, and make but slow progress afterwards. The progress of the talented child, however, gathers greater momentum constantly. The New Beginner's Book or the First Steps, together with the Standard Graded Course, are excellent books. - When pieces begin to be selected, of course you will need to avoid the little numbers so dear to small children that concern themselves with Dolly's wardrobe, Teddy Bears, etc. Older students do not like such infantile titles. The Suggestive Studies of Caroline Norcross is a book designed especially for adults.

2. It is a good plan to introduce memorizing from the start. The longer the pupil waits to begin this the more difficult it seems. At the start it is comparatively easy. Always select the most interesting pieces for this purpose.

3. I have not found it advisable to use the metronome with small beginners. The first use of the metronome is to ascertain the correct tempo of a composition as indicated by the composer. Next it may be used to grade a gradually increasing speed for exercises and etudes. If a student's sense of time is very bad it may sometimes be used in the endeavor to correct this in pieces.

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