Questions are great because a teacher can see how much a student understands different concepts. Asking lots of questions is a simple way to incorporate music theory into private lessons.When introducing a student to a new piece, the following questions could be asked: “What is the key of this piece—what scale has the same key signature?” Point out that the piece often ends on

The Circle of Fifths is one of the greatest teaching tools because it relates to so many aspects of music theory: scales, key signatures, the order of flats and sharps, intervals, chord progressions, modulation, etc. Any easy way to introduce the Circle of Fifths to students is to have them learn scales using the Circle of Fifths chart rather than scale books. Even young students can have great success

Playing by ear has many great advantages. One of the biggest is that a student who plays by ear generally LISTENS to his/her playing more than one who doesn’t play by ear. It can also help with memorization, improvisation, and even intonation.An easy way to get a student playing by ear is to have him/her pick a song each week to learn by ear for the following week. At first it may be best

A great way to begin or end a lesson is the “Echo Game.” The teacher plays a short melody (or even a 3-note motive) and the student repeats it. This game is often harder for students who are used to excelling, as it takes a lot of practice for most people and lots of “trial and error.” When introducing the “Echo Game,” you might include mostly whole steps or half

The great thing about music theory workbooks is that the teacher can monitor the student’s understanding of concepts. Also, many students/parents are not computer savvy, so an Internet assignment can be overwhelming. Music Theory for the Flutist is different than other music theory workbooks in that it is designed specifically for the flutist. Examples use the full range of the flute, and

Kids love computer games! If you are willing to purchase a music theory program and you have access to a computer in your studio, you can give the student 30 minutes of computer time following his/her lesson while you teach your next student. Many parents would consider this a “bonus,” and you could even charge a small “computer fee” to help pay for the program.Computer Games

My favorite interval study is a variation of a long-tone exercise by Marcel Moyse (de la Sonorite). Basically, I start mid-range and descend by a chosen interval to my lowest note. I then start mid range and ascend by the same interval to my highest note. Step-by-Step Directions:Play a starting note somewhere mid-range (I usually start on Bb above the staff) and descend by the chosen interval.

Conducting is a great way for students to learn to feel meter. It can also help with ear training—it is much easier to dictate a piece when the meter is felt. The following conducting activities could be done in a lesson: Before a student can conduct, he/she must be able to feel the beat. Practice finding the beat with different songs at different tempos. Have the student conduct as you

Familiarize your students with important music terms by using them throughout the lesson. Terms to use include the following: Tonic Leading tone Dominant Half step/whole step Key signature Meter Modulation Triad Arpeggio Cadence Enharmonic Interval names (“perfect fifth,” “minor third,” etc.) Exposition (for students playing a concerto)

When a student learns to compose melodies, he/she must think about the basic elements of music theory, such as key signatures, time signatures, and scales. A “first-time” composition assignment could be as follows: On a piece of staff paper, write the key signature and time signature of your piece. Start on the tonic pitch (1st note of the scale with the same key signature). Use pitches