Rote teaching got a bad rap for a while. But piano teachers are starting to realise the value of teaching pieces by rote and incorporate this puzzle piece into their teaching.

Teaching rote pieces alongside reading pieces provides so many benefits. Kids who learn pieces this way are better at finding patterns, using their ears and navigating the keyboard.

You might feel like a fish out of water when it comes to rote, pattern-based piano teaching. Many teachers are apprehensive of trying this style of teaching if they’ve never done it before. It’s scary not to  have a book to point at.

Well, Amy Greer is here to help you get started with rote pieces. She’s giving us step-by-step insight into her rote teaching style. I hope Amy will inspire you to give rote pieces a try this week.

Transcript

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In this episode, you’ll learn

• How Amy got started with rote teaching
• The role of rote teaching in Amy’s teaching
• The idea behind the Repertoire by Rote book
• How to scaffold the learning of rote pieces
• The exact steps Amy uses to teach a rote piece in the first lesson
• Why “circling” helps reinforce learning in the piano lesson
• What to look for when scouring for rote pieces

Links Mentioned

• Repertoire by Rote by Amy Greer and Dennis Alexander
• Exploring Piano Safari with Dr. Julie Knerr and Katherine Fisher
• Dalcroze Eurhythmics with Paula Melville Clark

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Whether you’re at the gym, on the bike or in the car, I know that you and your students will get lots out of what you learn in the long run.

Just make sure you try out some of the ideas before they get lost in the business of your next lessons!

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How much rote teaching do you do?

Any? Do you see the value of teaching pieces by rote? If you haven’t tried it yet, what’s holding you back?