The use of verbal metaphors in the teaching and learning of musical instruments

Verbal metaphors are common in the teaching of musical instruments, but they are generally applied by teachers in an implicit and personal manner. It is possible that this strategy has not yet been fully understood or systematized, since specific investigations into it are relatively recent.

The project aims to investigate the use of verbal metaphors in instrumental music teaching and learning. Its first step was a Literature Review conducted through the PRISMA methodology (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses), which compared seventeen empirical studies on the topic. The results suggested that verbal metaphors in the teaching and learning of musical instruments:

(a) constitute a phenomenon with a complex definition and may be difficult to distinguish from mental imagery;

(b) are used to convey a wide variety of contents and behaviors and to foster interpersonal relationships;

(c) perform functions of both simplification and complexification of contents;

(d) may be perceived as imprecise or unpredictable, although these features can be partially compensated by a broader knowledge of the (musical, pedagogical, and personal) context involved in each instruction and by using such metaphors in conjunction with other teaching strategies.

The validity of the Review’s results will subsequently be explored through two specific studies. The first, of an exploratory nature, will analyze and compare online videos of instrumental teaching with regard to the presence and use of verbal metaphors. The second, an autoethnography, will analyze verbal metaphors identified in four years of teaching journals written by the teacher-researcher.

It is expected that the project will contribute to a deeper understanding of the specificities of verbal metaphor use in instrumental music teaching, supporting its systematization and, possibly, a greater institutional recognition of this teaching strategy.