Mapping music: some simple strategies to help students learn.(Pedagogy Saturday X: THE ART OF TEACHING)

As teachers, we are always looking for ways to help our students learn music faster and more easily. We try to discover what works best for each student's individual learning style, and determine the appropriate level of challenge at each step of the way. Beside the immediate goals of preparing for a recital, contest or theory exam, our ultimate goal is to give them the tools to become independent learners, and prepare them for a lifetime of musical growth and enjoyment.

One technique I have found useful over the years is mapping, which my students and I have used to learn and memorize music more efficiently. Mapping can be used at any stage of learning, either for gaining an overview of a piece, or as a practice tool for solving specific problems. The unique ingredient is diagramming the main features of a piece and using this diagram as a "map" for learning the music. It can be done at the instrument or away from it, depending on the student's level, the complexity of the piece and the purpose of the activity.

As an introductory experience, try mapping a short, simple piece away from the instrument. Choose something with obvious patterns, such as a teaching piece by Kabalevsky. You might ask the student to first "play" the piece, or part of it, at an imaginary piano or on the fallboard, counting or chanting the rhythm to help them get a feel for the piece. Then ask them to draw a map and see how much they can play from the map. Take a small section at a time, hands separate if necessary, since it requires more concentration to remember the music without first playing it from the score. Sometimes I let the student glance quickly at the score, then play anything they remember--even before they begin their map. They are often surprised at how much they remember.

If a student doesn't know where to begin, have them play just the melody or harmony at the piano. These may suggest an approach for mapping the piece. If not, map a few measures yourself as a model and see if they can continue. Some students may find it more helpful to draw a map after first hearing a piece or even after playing through it once. Every student is different, so use your own judgment to decide just what kind of challenge is best for them.

The basic approach can be adapted in many ways to suit individual learning styles and teaching situations. Everyone sees different things in the music and has different ways of remembering them. Some students like to use colors, while others use words, pictures or musical symbols. In a group lesson or piano class, students might map a piece "by ear," read each other's maps, or each map a different section of a piece. Beginning students can also use maps to notate their original compositions so they can remember them.

Mapping is a great way to apply music theory to the learning of music. It makes learning more efficient, and it also develops theory skills. Even students with little theory background can learn to recognize "same" and "different," or to identify and label chords, melodic or rhythmic patterns, or sections of a piece, and they can invent their own symbols if they don't know what to write.

Mapping can also develop skill at improvisation, or the ability to "fake it," which helps when sight reading. If students can't remember all the details from their initial map but can "make up something like it," they are improvising on a piece. And by doing this early on, they become less fearful of memory lapses and are better able to deal with them. They also gain a better understanding of the musical content.