Developing the Students' Thinking and Learning Skills in the Instrumental Lesson

Abstract

Developing the learners' thinking and learning skills can be defined as helping the latter not only to acquire a deeper understanding of the content they have to learn, but also to master a method enabling them to become independent learners. Learners should be guided to reflect on their learning, in order to be aware of their own learning strategies, to understand which advantages and drawbacks characterize each strategy, to distinguish how and when to use the different strategies, to identify the most suitable one on a case-by-case basis, and to be able to apply it to further their learning. After a reflection on the pedagogical issues raised in particular by the instrumental lessons, the study puts forward a proposal of how to develop the students' thinking and learning skills, focusing on a masterpiece of the flute literature: Johann Sebastian Bach's “Allemande” from the Partita in A minor, BWV 1013.