Sequential and Rote-Note learning.

The importance of Sequential learning:
It seems that sequential learning is much like a step ladder. In order to get to the next rung of the ladder one must take a step on the rung below that one. Sequential learning is the processing of information in a step by step manner where the end result is the result of the entire process. The importance of this type of learning is that students are not being put on overload being asked to learn something all at once. Instead students are asked to take an objective piece by piece so that they can understand each part of the whole.
Some learners are inherently sequential learners where they naturally feel the need to diagnose problems piece by piece rather than as a whole from the outset without even being lead to or asked to.
It seems that this type of learning style has an advantage over other learning styles because many lesson plans in schools are set up to be taught in a sequential order of process.

Rote-note learning:
In my personal experience this was the backbone of our style of learning musical pieces in middle and high school bands. Rote-note learning is a repeated action of memorization of information.

It seems that sequential learning and rote-note learning can be tied together in musical education because to learn an entire piece it must be learned piece by piece rote-note learning style in sequence and practiced that way until it can be performed by the band, or choir all the way through as a whole.

To teach students a musical piece in rote-note style:

1. First find out what the objective is, as a whole, and daily. Make sure that students have what they need to perform the musical piece that you would like to teach them.
2. Look at what you know of your group and what you can ask them to learn each lesson in the rote-note sequence. It probably will not work if too much information is piled on too fast.
3. Give direct instruction on the piece of the whole to be learned and memorized each session. Work on it until proficiency is achieved before moving on. Review with all of the learned pieces together as you go.
4. Give a chance to let students practice what they have learned under your supervision.
5. When the entire piece is learned in sequence of rote-note learning of each portion, put closure on the learning by rote-note learning and mastery of the entire piece of music.
6. Assessment of what was learned and performance.