Short Cuts What do you love about teaching? What short cuts have you discovered that shortens your learning curve for you or your students?

One of my students, and I, had an ah-ha moment today. “I heard there are no short cuts in life,” said one of my students in response to my telling him that if he practiced from one measure to the first beat of the next measure, that would help his brain focus like a laser on getting across the bar line and would short cut his learning process.

I had to stop and think for a moment, because, of course, he’s right. The statement is true. As in life, so in music, there are certain things that can’t be bypassed. In piano, it’s fingering. In building a house, for instance, you can’t skimp on the foundation.

But the statement can also be a bit of a trap. It can force us into thinking that it is only virtuous when we work hard, very hard, and then and only then can we feel good about ourselves when we accomplish something.

In piano, it seems like some people can just put their hands on the keyboard and music flows out. A lot of us can’t do that. We have to learn how to make good fingering choices that will allow us to play fluidly. That just doesn’t happen without thought and planning. Of course, that process takes less time the longer we’ve been playing.

I shared with him that when I was younger I heard a lot of pianists play who seemed to learn so quickly, where I had to work so hard. It appeared to me that they did a lot of their learning instinctively. I used to feel bad about myself, that I wasn’t as talented, and not as worthy as they were. But then I decided that I would figure out how to learn faster. And I discovered short cuts to the learning process. Steps that I could take that helped me speed up my learning curve.

And this is one of the things I love about teaching, that I can share these short cuts with my students and help them learn faster, so their process can be more effortless and they can have more enjoyment in playing.

I love helping students enjoy playing the piano. I love helping them feel good about themselves. I love helping them unlock their potential, to see their possibilities.

What do you love about teaching? What short cuts have you discovered that shortens your learning curve for you or your students? Please feel free to share in the comments below.