• Software for learning and testing music theory
• Hundreds of exercises in 25 topics; ideal for exam preparation
• Creates a fun and stimulating learning environment
• Automatic test marking saves hours of time
• Designed for students of all ages and abilities

Product Description
Musition 2 is a comprehensive music theory and fundamentals package for music students of all ages and abilities. Musition’s interactive teaching makes learning music theory fun and easy. The structured drills and instant feedback create a stimulating learning environment, enabling students to achieve their maximum potential. Complete with 25 topics and sophisticated record keeping features, Musition 2 is the ultimate music tuition too…. More >>

Musition 2

Adult learners come with their own baggage, often from childhood lessons. Adult piano students may have had bad experiences with music lessons as a child. These can range from scary instructors to endless exercises or abusive teacher-student relationships. Sometimes a teacher may have punished the student for not being skilled enough, while other times a teacher may have pushed a promising student too hard. This is one of the hurdles that come with learning music as an adult.

Accepting the teacher as an authority figure is another difficulty that comes with learning music as an adult. An adult has learned to be independent. An adult wants to take part in the development of curriculum and wants to be able to self-evaluate. It may be difficult for an adult to simply listen and take instruction from a music instructor. So the best avenue for learning music as an adult may be to self-tutor or to find an instructor who teaches by long distance via the internet. There are many wonderful piano courses available nowadays on the web: just type in something like “play piano” on any search engine, and you’ll find several.

Though the process of learning music as an adult is different from a child’s, it’s not necessarily harder. For a child, making music is magical, while an adult sees the work involved to get to the music making stage. It’s mainly a mental hurdle that must be overcome. Also, learning music as a child is part of the natural development process, while learning music as an adult is usually part of a larger goal. For example, an adult learns how to play an instrument to join the church worship team.

Learning music as an adult can also be difficult because of ingrained personality traits. Even the most outwardly confident adults get insecure when someone points out their flaws. So it goes with learning music. If a tutor is used, an adult can get embarrassed when the tutor corrects a mistaken note or technique. Some adults may have difficulty breathing and concentrating when they’re highly nervous. All of these can lead to a difficult learning environment.

Adults also demand comfort. This is why adults often learn an instrument in their own home. Children are less demanding about the hardness of a piano bench, for example. Adults may have back problems or other conditions that require a high comfort level.

So the basic ingredients for learning music as an adult are adaptable tutoring, reason for learning, confidence and comfort. By taking these key points and seeking the best method of learning for yourself, you can become an adult musical genius — well, maybe not a genius — maybe just a person who has more fun. Or maybe you’ll be the guy or gal at parties who knows how to play the latest song everyone is talking about. With the right teaching, grown ups can enjoy playing music wherever they go.

To basically adhere to the problem, they are determined to research the latest music teachers’ resources. Since both teaching and learning are two dynamic processes, music teachers and their students should meet half way – adjusting to the kind of individuals they are.

And because they are up to music education, these music teachers need to update their lists and records with the most modern trends and techniques, which are believed to be very effective and influential with the kind of students they have right now. From time to time, there could have been new music teachers’ resources that could improve their teaching strategies as well as their way of relating to their dear students.

Today, music educators incorporate theories and application to give a well-rounded musical experience and to teach music in various perspectives intended for international understanding. To meet many demands and expectations of their students, music teachers keep on upgrading their available music teachers’ resources by doing some researches over the Internet. In just a matter of few clicks, they would be aware of what is really the latest in the music academe as well as the newest style and approach in teaching that they can utilize in their everyday instruction.

The perceived effort to enhance music teachers’ resources also results in a greater number of students, who are now more motivated and determined to learn and love music. When their music teachers use some personal touches as part of their resources – sharing their own insights, thoughts and experiences on a particular topic, the learners become more eager to attend to their music classes and listen to their classroom discussions. This happens simply because they feel that they have something to relate to and such experience could also happen to them in time.

Indeed, teaching and learning music can be both fun and enjoyable. Just like in real life and in our daily activities, when we integrate music into anything that we do, it amazingly turns out to be more special and a lot of fun. After all, music gives most of us such inspiration and motivation to look forward to something better and brighter. Love music and enjoy tomorrow.

During primary and secondary education, learning music is not exactly given much attention. It is but one of those “filler” subjects. But for a few more artistically-inclined people, this serves as a foundation for their future interest, or even way of living. And when one does decide to enter schools of music, one would know for sure that it is a passion, a dedication.

It is during these formative years that music teachers play their pivotal roles as future musicians’ mentors, even inspirations. Teaching is indeed a noble profession, more so a vocation. Yes, it is far from teaching math, or science. Said subjects are purely academic subjects that entail a teacher’s thorough knowledge. Teaching music, on the other hand, necessitates both knowledge and aptitude…and, probably even more importantly, passion.

Music teaching possibly started as a way of passing on a community’s tradition. India has in their ancient scriptures references to Indian classical music. The “Great Book of Music” or Kitab al-Musiqi al-Kabir was written by the Arab scholar al-Farabi in the 9th century.

In the Western world, music teaching may have started from the church, with cleric/monks teaching their hymns to those next in line, or to the religious. In fact, in the U.S.A., the first singing school was created by Reverend Thomas Symmes in 1717 in Boston, Massachusetts for “the purposes of improving singing and reading in the church”. With the continued popularity of music and its commercialization, organized instruction evolved and schools of music sprung forth around the world.

Albeit the acclaim of many musicians who graduated from these schools, music education does not seem to receive the recognition it deserves. Thus, an organization, the International Society for Music Education, was formed in 1953 in a conference convened by UNESCO. It aims “to stimulate music education as an integral part of general education”. It is now considered to be “a worldwide service platform for music educators” for their works to be recognized. It now has affiliations with national music education organizations of different countries to promote music and teaching to as many people as possible, if not to all.

Music instruction has evolved through time, in tune with the evolution of music. It also has changed, along with the changes of the times, of the people. Somehow, music teachers, of all levels, are now given the commendation they are rightfully due. More importantly, music teaching is slowly but surely winning the respect, it has earned. For what is, the worth of music if it is not taught, hence, shared.

One such approach is the Kodaly method, which stresses the benefits of physical instruction and response to music. It resides within a fun, educational framework built on a solid grasp of basic music theory and music notation in various verbal and written forms. Trademark methods include the use of solfege hand signals, musical shorthand notation (stick notation) and rhythm solmization (verbalization).

Another is the Orff Schulwerk, which begins with a student’s innate abilities to engage in music, using basic rhythms and melodies. It encourages improvisation and discourages adult pressures and mechanical drills. To accommodate the requirement of the approach, a special group of instruments was developed from modifications of the glockenspiel xylophone, metallophone, drum, and other percussion instruments.

The Suzuki method, meanwhile, uses music education to enrich the lives and moral character of its students by creating the same environment for learning music that a person has for learning their native language. Love, high quality examples, praise, and a timetable set by the student’s developmental readiness for learning a particular technique make up this said environment.

Swiss musician and educator Emile Jaques-Dalcroze also worked out a method divided into three fundamental concepts – the use of solfege, improvisation, and eurhythmics. The last, the method’s trademark, teaches concepts of rhythm, structure and musical expression using movement. It allows the student to gain physical awareness and experience of music through training utilizing all senses, particularly kinesthetic.

Other notable methods include Gordon Music Learning Theory, which provides the music teacher a comprehensive method and resources for teaching musicianship through audiation, the developer Edwin E. Gordon’s term for hearing music in the mind with understanding. Another is Conversational Solfege, which views music as an aural art with a literature based curriculum. The scheme consists of rhythm and tonal patterns and decoding the patterns using syllables and notation.

The Carabo-Cone or Sensory-Motor Approach to Music, on the other hand, involves using props, costumes, and toys for children to learn basic musical concepts of staff, note duration, and the piano keyboard. In Manhattanville Music Curriculum Project (MMCP), meanwhile, students are given freedom to create, perform, improvise, conduct research and investigate different facets of music in a spiral curriculum.

New methods for community music education in urban setting are Applied Groovology and Path Bands. It advocates parents encouraging their children to more freely experience the natural joys of improvised music and dance though “grooving and dandling”. Path Bands, in particular, use improvised multicultural brass bands for active lifelong participation in music.

New methodologies and strategies are sure to arise. These will be welcome addition to the accepted set. Yet, no matter how many choices there exist, any noble music teacher would choose only what he thinks is best.

Parents who enroll their children in music schools can help in the total development of their child. Even if a child chooses not to enter into a musical career, music lessons can provide a positive impact on the child’s development.

In taking up music lessons, there are other abilities that can be learned aside from learning music. One of the traits that can be developed is discipline. In learning music, it takes many hours of practice to become good. Others can take months and years to master it. One needs to develop self-discipline in order to succeed. The earlier a child begins to learn music, the earlier he or she starts to develop discipline within his or herself.

Another very important attitude that can be learned in studying music is self confidence. Self confidence if very essential to us if we want to succeed. In learning music, there will be recitals and stage presentations in front of a live audience. This will help develop one’s confidence when facing the crowd.

Aside from these internal traits, a child can also develop his or her ability to entertain people. With their confidence, children who learn music at an early age will have the ability to entertain friends, family or even people who are not acquainted to them.

These are only some of the positive abilities a child can acquire while studying music. There is a lot more to than learning to play an instrument or learning how to sing. Internal traits will be developed, especially if a child starts a very young age.

Teaching music seems to be a very rewarding experience; thus, teaching music as well as how to play piano or any musical instruments can be such a challenging task especially if you deal with younger batches of students – toddlers and kids. It is expected that these children might lose focus and determination in whatever they do; they can easily be destructed by many environmental or physiological factors. However, as music educators, we have to get that edge in motivating and encouraging them to stay focused and possess enthusiasm that they need in learning music.

As early as a year or two, music teachers like us, together with the students’ parents, guardians, caregivers and nannies, can extend and lend a helping hand to help the children learn, appreciate and love music in their own little ways. Even in a very early age, children can process, accomplish and generate these three activities: the restoration of the natural human ability – speaking the language of music; the restoration of the natural human disposition to participate in music; and, the evolution of human full capacity to use music for personal expression, development and transformation.

With all these gifts, talents and innate skills that our young can acquire, they can simultaneously learn to integrate and express the music of their culture and tradition, highlighting and empowering the distance between the powers of development and the great wonders of music. Stimulated by their music teachers, parents and guardians, these children will be able to develop their birthright: the basic music competence. Motivated and guided by skilled, dedicated and passionate early childhood music educators, experts and enthusiasts, the musically active child can be at the heart of this renaissance in music education.

Music is indeed a gift and an ear for music is a blessing, a talent that has to be nurtured and shared. Many music and piano teachers nowadays do regard music teaching both as their passion and profession. As they devote much of their time on it and in enhancing their skills on teaching music to children aged two to seven, they need different approaches as well as innovative and interactive tips in piano teaching to make these things both achievable and effective.

Furthermore, as we make effort in meeting the needs of our younger batches of students in teaching piano and music, we also have to always remember that they are still children that have to enjoy their childhood – engaging in many recreational activities that can bring out the best and the kiddiest in them. So, let us enjoy each teaching and learning moment with our students and take each experience to the next level. Happy teaching!

1. Playing music improves concentration, memory and self-expression

One two-year study in Switzerland run with 1200 children in more than 50 classes scientifically showed how playing music improved children’s reading and verbal skills through improving concentration, memory and self-expression.(1) Younger children who had three more music classes per week and three fewer main curriculums made rapid developments in speech and learned to read with greater ease.

Other effects revealed by the study showed that children learned to like each other more, enjoyed school more (as did their teachers) and were less stressed during the various tests, indicating they were better able to handle performance pressure.

2. Playing music improves the ability to think

Ongoing research at the University of California-Irvine and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (2) demonstrate that learning and playing music builds or modifies Neural pathways related to spatial reasoning tasks, which are crucial for higher brain functions like complex maths, chess and science.

The first studies showed that listening to a Mozart sonata temporarily improved a child’s spatial abilities. Further studies compared children who had computer lessons, children who had singing lessons, children who learned music using a Keyboard and children who did nothing additional. The children who had had the Music classes scored significantly higher – up to 35% higher – than the children did Who had computer classes or did nothing additional.(3)

3. Learning music helps under-performing students to improve

Researchers at Brown University in the US (4) discovered that children aged 5-7 years who had been lagging behind in their school performance had caught up with their peers in reading and were ahead of them in math’s after seven months of music lessons. The children’s classroom attitudes and behavior ratings had also Significantly improved, and after a year of music classes were rated as better than the children who had had no additional classes.

For example, since generally more than three tones are used to construct jazz chords due to the extra chordal notes which are inherent to the nature of the jazz style, you will need know that scales come in many names and alterations. This means that there is a great deal of music theory to be understood in regards to improvising with them. Beginners will never have a clue as to what to do at all unless they can just rely on their “ear” for playing, because there is going to be a lot of music theory to learn and they might as well get down to the business of learning right away instead of waiting for some easy way. However, more importantly it is the intermediate and advance player who must get beyond the limited knowledge of theory, the traditional concepts and the memorized applications that have no underlying logical explanation to them.

One can simply memorize and use certain concepts for soloing and improvising and there is nothing wrong with that except for the fact that it is very limiting for the bass player because they can’t go beyond a certain level of creative expression or even understand some of the great players thinking because they don’t have a truly innovative and clarifying explanation of underlying principals of the theory being used. As a player, you want to be able to play lead bass over as many different musical styles and chord progressions within a style as possible without being limited by your missing and or traditional explanations of music theory that have not given you the satisfaction of understanding or ability to express yourself as much as you desire to do so.

Learning your bass music theory for jazz will apply to all other musical styles as well. Many times for example, classical bass players can read music great and have excellent technique playing classical pieces on their instrument, but they often lack the great world music theory which holds many of them back from being free to improvise. Or some jazz bass players have great ears and have learned many licks and progressions and solos, but they feel very inadequate in understanding what they are playing or in being able to perform with a confidence that they know what they heck they are doing. Bass players will eventually recognize how rewarding and fulfilling not only learning music theory can be, but also when they get the right system of teaching innovative and modern theory, they will be able to actually use it in more ways and styles of music than they can imagine.