Probably one of the most obvious teaching methods for music lessons, hands-on learning can really help engage students with their subject matter. Instead of teaching the conceptual elements of music (those that can be written on a board) having a student play a chord with her own hands gives an active and physical attachment to her learning. The alternative is a passive form of learning in which students associate no physical memory with the lesson. Studies by professors such as Ronald Berk, Ph.D,. show that individuals absorb and remember 90 to 100 percent of what they do and only 20 percent of what they read and hear.
One of the more famous music teaching methods used today does not use instruments at all. The Kodály Method is an approach to teaching music that focuses on the vocal aspects of sound rather than learning the intricacies of an instrument. Some specifics of the method include having pupils recite music they have heard in basic vocal rhythms. One activity, for example, encourages the students to draw vertical lines onto paper to represent the single, double or triple beats of a rhythm in a song -- from there the students recite the beats by singing or humming them. According to the British Kodály Academy, the idea of using the vocal chords as a key instrument also allows the students to express themselves with confidence and can act as an effective precursor to more advanced learning techniques. The British Kodály Academy also adds that singing is a fun and sociable activity and can be taught in groups.
Carl Orff is another musical composer who developed a teaching method still used in classrooms today. His form of teaching -- known as Orff-Schulwerk -- teaches younger students the basics of music through dynamic and holistic experiences. Approaching the lesson in this way means that students connect to the music through some form of emotion, cultural awareness, memory or even physical touch. Xylophones are one of the instruments used in the approach because they require simple and basic skills to play them, which gives pupils an opportunity to play music that sounds professional and complete while allowing them to experiment. The approach focuses on creation and Orff said he believed that allowing children to make their own rhythms, songs and structures was what created the most positive learning environment.
The Jaques-Dalcroze method of teaching music explicitly involves teaching movement and music alongside each other; for example, dancing in time to the rhythm of a track or moving different parts of the body in relation to the different pitches of a musical piece. According to the official Dalcroze Society, this method of teaching improves creativity, coordination and concentration; all qualities needed for learning musical instruments. Teachers can use the Dalcroze method of teaching music in the teaching of dance, acting, musical theater and circus.