One of the benefits of longevity at the instrument is growing a large repertoire.  To be fair, having a big repertoire comes from a long-time learning of tunes and working on them.

The longer you spend learning tunes, the more you learn about learning.  Not only about learning in general but also about your specific way of learning.  If you pay attention, you learn what is challenging for you to take in and what comes so effortlessly to you (by which I probably really mean painlessly!). 

You also learn some tips and tricks along the way.  The short cuts.  The work arounds.  With time, you begin to be able to identify little patterns in the music.  And eventually you learn to identify (and remember) even bigger patterns.  With enough practice and exposure, you might not even be aware that you are learning.  This is equally true whether you are learning by ear, learning from the paper, or the combination of the two.  If you know your music theory, you also know that there are “rules” of the game (which could be construed as a different type of pattern).  And you know which rules are malleable and which are inviolable, and when those rules can be bent, broken, or ignored. 

But there’s a secret way to learn a tune, inside and out, up one side and down the other, whether you know the rules or not. 

Are you ready for the secret?

Like most secrets, you’re going to slap your forehead at its obviousness.

Drumroll…

Cue “building suspense” music…

The secret is to teach the tune.

Told you it was simple.

When you are learning a tune, you look at it like an oncoming train – a whole bunch of notes, headed straight for you (that’s why it is so much easier when you begin to hear the little patterns that make it up).

But when you teach a tune, you look at it completely differently.  For one thing, the notes aren’t all ganging up and headed at you!  Instead, you have lovingly collected them so you can spoon them out.  You are looking at them from the other end!  And it is funny, but when you look at this this way, the tune looks completely different.

I can’t tell you how many tunes I have changed fingering for – after I had played them for years – because when I taught them, I realized how dumb my original fingering was.  My thought process at that moment goes something like, “I can’t teach that!  It’s really difficult, not to mention stupid.  Why am I doing it like that?  I’m going to show it this other way instead!”  And then I change the way I play it!

Sometimes I see whole phrases differently.  Sometimes I find little bits that are seminal building blocks of the tune.  And if I’d noticed those things earlier, I would have learned the tune faster.

Give it a try.  Next time you’re with a group, play some fun tune you love (I promise, we’ll be together again soon!).  Share it with others.  Teach it to them – so you’ll have another tune to play together! 

You might think, “everyone’s better than me, I won’t be able to teach them anything!”  That may be, although I’m always surprised what tunes other people don’t know/haven’t heard before – so it’s always worth asking.  And even if you have a small repertoire, as you learn, it will grow bigger.  Eventually, you won’t be the newest harper in the room – so you should be prepared for it.  You can also ask someone who is “harp-older” than you if you can teach them the tune – just as a means to “test” your knowledge…you’d be amazed how many people will play along (even if they already know the tune). 

Still convinced you’ll never teach anything to anyone?  Then pretend!  Or teach the tune to your (very disinterested) cat*.  Go through the exercise of figuring out – how would you teach it.  Stumped?  Then ask yourself, “How would Jen teach this?” (or your favorite teacher or your harp hero).

How would I teach the tune?  I’d look for the repeating patterns.  And I’d give them names (or numbers, or characteristics) – one of my favorites is a tune with a  cookie in the middle –  two patterns that make an Oreo (or Hydrox) – a bottom cookie (one pattern), the creamy middle (second pattern), and another cookie on top (first pattern again).   No one forgets that part of the tune!

Pick a tune you know and decide who you’ll teach it to.  Typically, summer workshops are a good opportunity because friends share tunes (and we will, just maybe not this summer!).  Look for the patterns and how they fit together.  Where do they go?  How much is there to learn really?  I love teaching tunes where the B part is the A part with one measure changed (not even different, just changed)!  What will you teach?  Let me know in the comments – and if I don’t know it, hope you’ll teach it to me!

*Someone recently asked me about my cat (since I’m always writing about playing for your cat).  I don’t actually have a cat.  I haven’t had a cat in a very very very long time. I borrow other people’s cats.  But, I like cats so they come up in my thinking.  If you’re a dog person, please do not take umbrage.  I also don’t and haven’t had a dog in a very very very long time either.  I like dogs too but I don’t seem to think of them as much.  I also know from experience that dogs will sit there and listen because they are loyal and sweet…but cats will listen because they choose to.