Shrink, compare, then reconnect
- 01
One bar
Hear an uninterrupted attempt.
- 02
Two versions
Change only the feature you are teaching.
- 03
One new attempt
Let the learner reproduce the difference.
- 04
Whole phrase
Check that the improvement survives the join.
When a passage keeps failing, shrink the task until the learner can hear what changes. One bar is often enough.
Listen
Ask for the bar once without interruption. Choose one feature: pulse, articulation, tone or direction. Say what you heard in neutral language: “The second pair of notes was quicker.”
Demonstrate
Play two versions, changing only that feature. Ask which one matches the intention and why. Do not add fingering, dynamics and speed corrections at the same time.
Try again
Let the learner reproduce the difference. If the result is clearer, connect the bar to the one before or after it. This checks whether the improvement survives the join.
Leave a usable task
“Play bar 2 slowly three times. Keep the second pair of notes the same length as the first. Then play bars 1–2 together once.”
Three attempts are a starting structure, not a guarantee of learning. Stop and rethink if every attempt repeats the same confusion.