I love to give classes de bandoneon. There are three aspects which seems to me the most important:
1. Motivate
To pass my enthusiasm for the bandoneon and the music.
“Where there’s a will there’s a way” – this I experienced myself when I was beginning to learn the bandoneon. When the piece of music attracted me, it did not matter how difficult it was, I just wanted to be able to play it and practiced as long as necessary.
So for me as a docent that means that I have to propose the student a piece of music which she/he likes a lot and which she/he will be able to manage.
2. To help to find an efficient way of practicing
Rubén Juárez once said: This instrument (the bandoneon) you have to dominate, if not it dominates you.
Especially in the beginning (and when you did not study an other instrument before) it is not easy to practice in a way that you feel that your are advancing. So I understand my task in helping the student to detect where are the concrete difficulties and to find together a way how to overcome them. Most times it means to become more conscious of the fingers and what they are doing, to learn to observe yourself during the practicing.
3. To do music
From the very beginning I try to encourage the student to do music and not only to press the right buttons in the right moment (which is already a lot). Even in a few notes, in a bass line, a scale or a very easy piece there is already music inside, but it wants to be “pulled out”.
Musical genre:
tango argentino, classic music, Piazzolla, film music, and others
Possible teaching languages:
deutsch, español, english, français, nederlands
You can take private clases (also via Skype) or you can take them via the Music School Jugendmusikschule Staufen
Almut Wellmann 