Theory and Scales

I swore this day would never come, but sadly, it has.

Hello, my name is Jordan, and I incorporate theory in my trumpet lessons.

*Sigh* It is true. Today, I was teaching lessons and found myself teaching music theory. Me, the girl who HATES (there really isn't a word to truly describe how I feel, but that works) music theory and everything about it. But it works as much as I hate to admit it.

I was teaching out of the H. L. Clarke book and really trying to drill key signatures. My idea is that I had no idea what the key signatures were when I got to UNCG and I don't want my students to be that way. This drilling entailed asking a few "obvious" questions: 1) How many sharps/ flats are there? 2) What are they? 3) What notes are not sharp/ flat? 4) What is the key signature? 5) Why? (Partially to trip them up, partially to reinforce that A has three sharps). After we went through this, it was scale time. I had them say the scale (A B C# D...) and then play it. Finally, after they played the scale, they played the actual exercise. I would have died if I had to do that, but that is partially why they are. I want them to know their key signatures and know their scales. There is no reason to have to pull out a sheet of papers with written scales if they know all of their key signatures.

So then the big theory stuff came in (thankfully no analyzing or anything like that). We talked about the ways to find the key signature (look at the last note, what is the 2nd to last flat, etc) and then I introduced the circle of 5ths. The sad thing is that it took me a bit to remember what I was actually doing, but in the long run it actually helped her. This, followed by the introduction of rhythm syllables.

What a sad day in trumpet lessons, but oh so productive. I just find it funny, that just like when we have kids and start sounding like our parents, I am starting to sound like my teachers. I guess maybe some of the stuff they say is actually true?