By Rote or by Note?

By Rote or by Note? Which Is Best?

A recent conversation at our music school highlighted a common frustration many teachers face: students learning at vastly different paces. Some fly through pieces, while others struggle with the basics. One student, Cecilia, is a great example. She finishes pieces quickly, often skipping over details or practising minimally. How does she do it? She’s developed strong sight-reading skills, which is a fantastic ability but can create tension between teachers and students.

But is this a problem, or an opportunity to explore how students learn differently?

Child-Centered Learning: Letting Students Find Their Own Path

In our Group Guitar program, we embrace child-centered learning, recognising that every student learns at their own pace. Some thrive on rote learning—memorising by ear and imitation—while others excel with note-based learning—reading music from the page. Both methods are valuable, and the beauty of group lessons is that students can find their own balance between them.

Rote learning is immediate and builds confidence. Students can pick up songs by ear and follow along with the group. This approach makes music-making accessible. On the other hand, learning to read music may slow things down but offers the student a way to access written music without having to rely on a teacher to interpret it for them, and provides a "common language" to learn about music my.

The Power of Group Dynamics

The group setting is where the magic happens. As students work together, they reinforce each other’s learning. For example, when we ask, “How would you figure out where to place your fingers if you didn’t have the teacher’s guidance?” students begin to articulate their thought process and problem-solve as a group. This collective learning cycle benefits everyone: students with strengths in a certain area co-teach others, creating a dynamic of shared responsibility.

Letting Students Learn at Their Own Pace

It can be tempting for teachers to “spoon-feed” students. But we’ve found that scaffolding students to help them figure things out themselves, and encouraging them to explore and experiment helps internalise knowledge, even if it takes longer. The real breakthrough happens when a student makes the connection between their hands and the music—they don’t just know which notes to play; they understand why those notes work together.

Shifting Expectations

Not every student will follow the same path or progress at the same speed. Some may revisit the basics repeatedly, while others may rush ahead and need time to solidify their understanding. The goal is to empower students to become independent learners who take ownership of their musical journey.

The Road Ahead: Rote AND Note

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to learning music. Some students thrive with rote learning, others need to understand theory, and many benefit from a combination of both. The key is providing a flexible environment where each student can learn at their own pace—and that’s what our Group Guitar program offers.

By creating a space where students learn how to learn, we equip them with the tools to continue growing as musicians, whether they learn by rote or by note.

Find out more about how our Group Guitar program can help you teach to each child's unique learning style!