If there is one thing that ensures a student never learns to read music, it's this...
It's not cutting the school music programs...
It's not the rise of TikTok...
It's not even indifference...
It's...
(cue dramatic music)
writing the letters of the notes in the music...
(cue scream in the style of Alfred Hitchcock horror films)
Every music teacher has seen it at least once.
A new transfer student joyfully bounds into the room with his piano book. He opens it, and there it is...
Next to every...
single...
note...
there are letters scribbled in...
Think of the newspaper clippings that line the walls of the serial killer's hideout in the movies. That's the kind of image I'm talking about.
What's worse is when the letters were written in by the student's teacher.
Now, we teachers are professional and respect other teacher's approaches to teaching music. We're all for that, of course.
But...
The public needs to be made aware that writing letters in the music is the closest thing we have to malpractice!
There is no pedagogical basis for it.
It is a telltale sign of an inexperienced teacher or a teacher who has given up.
Why, you ask?
When we read and play music, we don't actually think about letters. We play music by reading patterns and shapes. By understanding tonalities. The letters are mainly for reference.
Trying to decipher music one letter at a time is the equivalent of reading a book and painstakingly dissecting it one letter at a time. Doesn't sound fun, right?
Writing in letters is like trying to cheat on the test, and still failing it.
What has broken our hearts over the years is seeing bright young students, eager to learn...with letters scribbled all over their music. Years' worth of music. By their previous teacher, yet.
We must then go back to the beginning to establish a proper foundation. And sometimes it's too much for students to go that far back. Then they stop. And that's the greatest tragedy of all.
Teachers have complained about this phenomenon for decades.
Yet, when you Google search this issue, where is the outrage?!? You can hardly find anything on the topic at all.
And so, let this be the first blog post to officially speak out against writing letter names in the music.
If you or anyone you know has so many letter names scribbled in their music that Sesame Street would be proud, call the number below:
I'm just kidding. There is no number.
But, forward them this post! Or at least recommend they ask their teacher to explain the pedagogical approach they are taking.
Join us in taking this stand for justice. Here's to a better future in music education!