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Empowering Beginner Musicians:Blending Sight Reading and Flow State
Greetings to all the passionate music teachers!
As music aficionados, we understand the profound joy of playing an instrument — a pursuit that’s both challenging and immensely rewarding. However, conveying this love to young students can be a different tune altogether.
Today, let’s delve into the art of sight reading and how embracing flow state through sight reading can bring the joy back to the musical journey for beginners.
Sight Reading: The Gateway To Musicianship
Mastering sight reading isn’t just about learning new music faster; it makes learning new music more fun. Fluent sight reading shortens the journey to playing notes correctly, leaving more brain space and time to focus on musicianship and expression.
Yet, traditional teaching methods often don’t teach sight reading. They focus on learning new songs instead. As the songs get harder, students’ skills don’t increase at a relative rate. Because they’re only exercising that new skill in that one specific context of that one specific song. It doesn’t become ingrained in them to the point where they can effortlessly apply the new skill when encountering it in a different piece of music.
As the gap widens, students lose motivation as pieces get harder to practice. They then spend hours repeating the same song over and over to perfection, and get bored with the slow progress, never really feeling what it’s like to be perfectly challenged by something to where it’s fun to practice it! With this way of teaching, it’s either too hard or too easy. Never right in the middle.
Flow State: The Key To Sight Reading
Enter the realm of flow state, coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. It’s that magical state of total focus and concentration, familiar to musicians during jam sessions and concerts. It’s that Goldilocks zone of “not too hard, not too easy.”
What if we applied the concept of flow to beginning music education by making sight reading the engine of learning and mastering a new skill? And what if we’re were able to start a student right where the challenge meets their skill level so that they’re concentrating and engaged for hours, but still enjoying the practice?
Introducing MuseFlow: Learn Music Through Flow
MuseFlow emerges as a solution that combines sight reading and flow state. It systematically teaches fundamental concepts through sight reading by ensuring that each lesson consists of new, manageable music at a specific skill level. No repetition. Instead, it’s a continuous stream of never before seen music that challenges and exercises the new skill, pushing them just beyond their comfort zone.
As their teacher, place your students in the lesson that challenges them just enough (accuracy is displayed on screen. You want to keep them right around 85% for optimum flow). Once they hit 95% accuracy and sustain that for four phrases, they’ve successfully mastered that new skill!
MuseFlow will send you weekly progress reports so you can see if they’re practicing throughout the week and how long they spend on each lesson. Once a student passes a lesson, they can immediately apply the new skills they’ve learned to fresh pieces you assign.
Reframing The Learning Process
MuseFlow reframes the learning process so students can learn a new skill outside of a prescribed song they’d otherwise have to repeat over and over ad nauseam. They learn the new skill in a flow state, creating a positive connection between the new skill and the process of learning. Then when they apply that new skill to music that’s right at their difficulty level, they’ll be able to learn that song much faster, more thoroughly, and more enjoyably. This will allow you, their teacher, to focus on refining the fun parts like musicianship and expression in the songs you assign at their in-person lesson.
Consider this quote Kyle, one of MuseFlow’s current users:
“MuseFlow is like having a gym partner who guides you through a workout they’ve already planned out. I don’t have to spend time or energy coming up with exercises to train and wondering if it’s optimal, I can just follow along and focus solely on execution. There’s such an overload of information when it comes to learning piano that it’s so taxing (especially if you struggle with perfectionism) to come up with a routine alone. MF takes away a little bit of that decision making and it’s honestly so refreshing.”
In conclusion, combining flow state and sight reading opens a window to a richer and more enjoyable learning experience by inspiring and captivating on a fundamental level. With Museflow, we can shift from a song-first approach to the transformative combination of sight reading and a flow state-first methodology.
MuseFlow is empowering music teachers to revolutionize music education from the ground up. We, as teachers, know the benefits of music education. Now let’s bring it to every student we can.
Curious about whether MuseFlow is right for your students? Visit www.museflow.ai/teachers to schedule a demo. With a MIDI keyboard and a computer, you can try out our current version at beta.museflow.ai. We can’t wait to hear your feedback as we make music education available and engaging to all students!
Related Posts
How to Play a MIDI Keyboard
A MIDI keyboard is very much like a piano or digital keyboard - they both have the same keyboard layout, and they can both play that classic “piano” sound. However, a MIDI keyboard can do much more than just let you play the piano! In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of MIDI keyboards and different use cases for playing them - DJs and music producers, composers, and finally music students.
Introduction
MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It is the instrument that translates a musical keystroke into 0s and 1s so a computer can interpret your actions. MIDI keyboards, or MIDI-compatible keyboards, are used by DJs and music producers as their main sound producting instrument. You can load many different sounds onto it - a grand piano, a synthesizer, strings, whatever you’d like - hook it up to your computer, and play those sounds as part of a larger whole.
MIDI Keyboard for Producers and DJ’s
Producers and DJs write their music in any number of DAWs out there - Digital Audio Workstations.
Typically, they use a MIDI keyboard to quickly play out different parts of a musical arrangement.
Use Case for Composing an Indie/Pop Tune in Logic Pro X
Instrumentation:
- Drums
- Electric Bass
- Piano Synth
- Lead Guitar
- Horns
- Set the Tempo:
- Set the tempo (speed of the song) in your DAW (Logic Pro X) for how fast you want it to be.
- Record the Electric Bass:
- You look through a bunch of electric bass sounds and find that you really like the Liverpool Bass sound, so you upload that to your DAW.
- Start recording and play the MIDI keyboard in that sound to the tempo you’ve set.
- Experiment by recording several takes until you find a groove you really like.
- Lay Down the Drums:
- Choose a drum kit SFX that you like and that maps well to your MIDI keyboard.
- Record the drum part by playing the keys on your MIDI keyboard associated with the drums or cymbals you want to include.
- This will take some experimentation so be patient! Enjoy the cacophony that comes with this percussion instrument. you’ll soon find a pattern you love.
- Record the Piano Synth:
- Browse through the synth sounds in Logic and try out a few until you find one that fits the vibe of your song.
- Record some simple synth chords. Keep it understated… the goal is to fill out the sound without drawing too much attention.
- Record the Lead Guitar and Horns:
- Find samples of a lead guitar and horns that you really like.
- Load them into your DAW… they’ll map to your keyboard.
- Play and record these parts in time with the rest of the instruments to complete the arrangement!
If you want to add vocals to this piece, write lyrics and come up with a melody. Consider different structures for your song. Repetition is key here. We as humans like to hear things a few times so we can really understand it.
MIDI Keyboards for Composers
If you’re looking to compose something that someone else will need to play, you’ll need to write it down on sheet music. The process is very similar to what DJs and producers do, but instead of a DAW, composers usually write their music in music notation software. They use a MIDI keyboard as their main instrument.
Use Case for Composing a Classical Piece in Sibelius
Instrumentation:
- Strings (Violin, Viola, Cello)
- Flute
- Clarinet
- French Horn
- Timpani
- Set the Tempo and Time Signature:
- Open your music notation software (Sibelius) and set the tempo and time signature for your piece.
- Compose the String Section:
- Start with the strings (Violin, Viola, Cello).
- Choose a rich, warm string sound. Begin by notating the main harmonic structure with the Cello. Make sure there’s a solid bass line in there.
- Add the Violin melody, keeping it simple and lyrical. Then, fill in the Viola with harmony.
- All of these instruments will be on separate staves, so you’ll want to choose the orchestration template so you have all these instruments on one sheet of music.
- Experiment and Refine:
- Play back the string section to ensure it flows well. Make adjustments to the harmonies so it sounds good, then add dynamics, articulations, and phrasing to make it musical!
- Add Woodwinds (Flute & Clarinet):
- Add a Flute line… possibly doubling the Violin melody or adding a counter-melody.
- Introduce the Clarinet with supportive harmony or another counter-melody. Keep it light to complement the strings.
- Copy the dynamics you have for the strings. Make sure it all lines up nicely.
- Incorporate the French Horn:
- Notate the French Horn part. This adds warmth and depth to the harmony. The French Horn can also provide rhythmic support or reinforce the bass line with the Cello.
- Consider articulation here - A percussive articulation could be fun for rhythm, or a smooth, flowing articulation could be nice for a more lyrical interpretation.
- Compose the Percussion (Timpani):
- Add the Timpani to provide rhythmic structure and emphasize key moments. Keep it subtle; the Timpani is there to support, not dominate. Unless you want it to dominate :).
- Playback and Adjust:
- Listen to the piece with all the instruments together. Fine-tune the dynamics, articulation… balance between the sections to ensure each instrument's role is clear.
- Finalize the Score:
- Review the entire score, ensuring all notation is correct. Play along with it on your MIDI keyboard so you can be sure it’s exactly the way you want it to sound. Double-check that all dynamics and expression markings are consistent throughout the piece.
- Export and Share:
- Export the score as a PDF and, if needed, as MIDI or audio files. Share the sheet music with performers or collaborators!
MIDI Keyboards for Piano Students
Whether you’re a beginner or expert, there are piano learning software options out there for everyone. You can use your MIDI keyboard to learn piano. Let’s map the same process above to setting up your keyboard and computer and using one of the best piano learning software out there, MuseFlow.
Use Case for Learning Piano with MuseFlow
Equipment:
- Computer (laptop or desktop)
- MIDI Keyboard
- USB/MIDI Cable (compatible for both your keyboard and computer)
- Chrome or Edge Browser
- Set Up Your Equipment:
- Turn your computer is on.
- Connect your MIDI keyboard to the computer using your USB/MIDI cable.
- Make sure the cable is compatible with your keyboard and computer.
- Open MuseFlow in Chrome or Edge:
- Go to http://museflow.ai.
- Sign up for MuseFlow.
- Make Sure Your MIDI Keyboard is Connected:
- Go through the welcome flow and get to the roadmap.
- Try to play a few notes and make sure they come out of your speakers.
- If not, go to the settings and ensure that “device speakers” is toggled on.
- Choose a Level Where Your Skill Matches the Challenge:
- Find the level that fits your skill level.
- Look at the preview images of the music in the levels and see what you can play.
- Try a Few Levels:
- Go through the tutorial, and play along with the music.
- Start the level, and play through a few bars. If it’s too easy for you, try another level.
- NOTE: The first tier of each level is easier than the later ones, so you may want to play the full level to see if it’s a good place to start for you.
- Continue From There:
- Once you’ve found the level that’s right for your skills, go ahead and pass that level, then move on to the next!
- The tiers/levels should be fairly easy to start, then get harder as you go along.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a producer, DJ, composer, or music student, MIDI keyboards are the perfect instrument for you to play. See the above step-by-step guides to see how you can use your keyboard in each scenario. Keep rocking it, and we’ll see you on the next one!
Curious about whether MuseFlow is right for you? With a MIDI keyboard and a computer, you can try it out at beta.museflow.ai. We can’t wait to hear your feedback as we make music education available and engaging for everyone!
How to Start Learning Piano from Scratch with MuseFlow
Learning to play the piano from scratch can be an exciting and fulfilling journey, but it will also feel overwhelming if you don't know where to start... Thankfully, MuseFlow is here to make the process smooth, enjoyable, and effective! Whether you're a complete beginner, intermediate, or advanced plater, the new piano learning app provides all the tools and support you need to start and continue your musical journey. Find out below how to get started learning piano from scratch with MuseFlow.
Step 1: Download and Set Up MuseFlow
Setting up MuseFlow is straightforward. The app will guide you through the initial setup process, including connecting your MIDI keyboard. There is a 7-day free trial so you can take your time and test the software before making any payments. The team will also always be there to help you if you have any questions setting up the new app.
Step 2: Start at any level - Take an Initial Assessment
MuseFlow begins with a self-guided initial assessment to analyze your current skill level. This assessment is important for creating a personalized learning path tailored to your specific needs. You get to choose where in the curriculum you'd like to start. You can go through all the levels, seeing which one is best suited for you to start at. Note that each tier gets progressively harder in each level, so that by the of the level, you're playing the new skill within the context of the known knowledge you've gained from the rest of the curriculum so far. Don’t worry if you’re a complete beginner— MuseFlow is designed to be easy and straightforward. You can start from level 1 which is 1 note, two hands, and three rhythms.
During the assessment, you’ll be asked to play a few notes and rhythms. MuseFlow’s AI will analyze your performance to understand your starting point. This information helps the app customize each level to match your abilities, making sure that you start at the right level and progress at your own pace. This helps you learn faster or learn slow; you can learn at your preferred speed! How cool is that?!
Step 3: Personalized Learning Path
Once the assessment is complete, MuseFlow will create a personalized learning path just for you. This path includes a series of lessons and exercises designed to build your skills gradually... Each lesson focuses on a specific aspect of piano playing, such as note recognition, rhythm, hand coordination, and music theory. If you're better at one than the other, the app will automatically adjust your lessons.
These lessons are interactive and engaging. This makes learning fun & effective. The California headquartered company built the app so that it uses a combination of interactive video tutorials, practice exercises, sight reading lessons, and repertoire (songs), to reinforce your understanding and help you master each concept. The best part? You’ll receive instant feedback on your performance, allowing you to correct mistakes and improve quickly...that's why so many users call it the best piano lessons app.
Step 4: Embrace the Flow State
You can already hear it in the the name MuseFlow. It's called that because the app is designed to help you achieve a flow state—a mental state of complete immersion and focus. We've all been there before, in that state. The app continuously adapts to your skill level, providing just the right amount of challenge to keep you engaged without feeling overwhelmed.
When you’re in flow state, you’ll find that time flies by, and you’re fully absorbed in your practice. You've probably been there before while doing something your really enjoyed, and time just flew past. This state of deep concentration not only makes learning more enjoyable but also enhances your ability to retain information and develop skills quickly.
Step 5: Utilize the Real-Time Feedback
Customers love this unique feature, the real-time feedback system. As you play, the app listens to your performance and provides instant corrections on notes, timing, & technique. This immediate feedback is like having a personal tutor available 24/7; a personal tutor that is friendly and has patience for you.
Pay close attention to the feedback and use it to adjust your playing. This is the fastest way to learn. Correcting mistakes as they happen helps you develop proper techniques and prevents bad habits from forming. This real-time feedback really makes sure that your practice sessions are effective & productive.
Step 6: Practice Regularly
Consistency is key to learning any new skill, and playing the piano is no exception. Think about anything that you're really good at... growth comes from doing it regularly. That's often the hardest part to learning. MuseFlow makes it easy to incorporate regular practice into your personal routine... The app’s flexible design allows you to practice anytime, anywhere, whether you have a few minutes during a break or a dedicated session in the evening.
Set aside a specific time each day for practice, and stick to it. As you keep doing it, the routine will build up. Even short, daily practice sessions can lead to significant progress over time... MuseFlow’s gamified elements, such as progress bars and levels, help keep you motivated and make practice sessions enjoyable.
Conclusion
Starting to learn piano from scratch will be an incredibly rewarding experience, especially with the right tools and support. Learning a new skill and get great at it is one of the best feelings you can have. MuseFlow makes the journey accessible & enjoyable by providing personalized learning paths, real-time feedback, and a supportive community. By following these steps you’ll be well on your way to becoming a confident and skilled pianist.
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