C Major Scale Goals
• Posture
• Hand Position • Tone Quality
• Articulation/Bowing • Intonation
Using G.F.R. Feedback
• Did I have good posture? • Did I use correct hand position? • Did I make my best sound? (air, embouchure, etc.) • Did I use the correct bowing? • Did I play in tune?
Using very specific questions will help students who strug-
gle. For example, “Did I make my best sound” might be re- phrased, “Did I use good air and correct embouchure to make a beautiful sound?” Instead of asking, “Did I play the correct articulation,” one might ask, “Did I correctly play the slur- two, tongue-two pattern?”
Repetition Repetition serves two main purposes: to ensure that goals
are met, and to develop habits of good performance. It is im- portant to emphasize to students that habits are constantly being formed, both good and bad. Focused repetition will lead to the development of positive habits. Fundamental aspects of playing, such as posture and hand position, will become auto- mated so attention can be directed elsewhere. Each repetition should focus on achieving one or two specific goals. Before each repetition the student should know what feedback question she is going to ask herself at the end. If the answer is positive then she should do it again the same way, or move on to the next goal. If the answer is negative then the next repetition should involve an adjustment. Knowing how much repetition is necessary is also crucial.
Some students have a clear sense of when the material is mas- tered. Others need concrete parameters to guide them or when to move on. Some examples are: • Three good repetitions in-a-row • 4 out of 5 good repetitions • 5 total correct repetitions
C Major Scale Goals
• Posture
• Hand Position • Tone Quality
• Articulation/Bowing • Intonation
G.F.R. works for students because all three steps are clear
and simple. When presenting G.F.R. to students it is useful to write the letters on the board and refer to each step of the pro- cess. Students need to understand how each part of the process is interrelated. When students are engaged in setting goals and generating feedback questions they will take greater ownership over the process and will use it more effectively. As students continue to use this approach, they should generate standard checklists and feedback questions that can be applied to new material. Rather than starting from scratch with new music the student will select goals and feedback questions
from existing lists. Selecting the appropriate
procedure will encourage students to think critically about the music they are learning, and foster a deeper understanding. G.F.R. is also a useful tool for helping students who strug- gle when practicing on their own. Reviewing each step of the process can help students identify why their practicing is not effective, and guide them to improve. Rather than asking, “did you work on this?” a teacher might ask, “what sort of feedback did you give yourself?” or “did you ask yourself a question about articulation?” This type of guidance focuses students on specifically what they need to do when practicing. They are also more likely to practice when they have a clear sense of what to do and how to do it. Once the basic principles of effective practicing are intro-
duced, the process will be eventually become integrated into how students approach learning music. Using the language of G.F.R. in lessons and rehearsals will further encourage stu- dents to be mindful of their own progress. When students ex- perience the success that comes from effective practicing they will be more motivated to continue their efforts.
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Feedback
• Did I have good posture? • Did I use correct hand position? • Did I make my best sound? (air, embouchure, etc.) • Did I use the correct bowing? • Did I play in tune?
Yes
-Repeat #1 -Repeat #2 -Move on
No -Repeat with adjustment
Repetition
MARCH 2016
53
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