Have a Time Trial

Assign a method book exercise that gets the fingers/slides moving.

For everyone that can stand, have them stand for this exercise. Start the metronome at a slow speed, then increase it 5bpm after every repetition of the exercise. If a student makes a mistake, they must sit down. This works best on the honor system and when they get to the last few participants, you can tell if they are faking. The last student standing and playing correctly earns bonus points on their next test. This is a great motivator on accuracy and speed.

Tony Luzzi

Searcy Public Schools

Searcy, Arkansas

You may also like:

Repetition is the Mother of All Learning! Percussion Performance: The Drum Stroke Mastering Marimba: Laying the Foundation for Independent Rolls Percussion Performance: Timpani SBO Presents The 19th Annual 50 Directors Who Make A Difference Technology: Music Ed Apps