- Start with the melody only from a part of the song. You can play just the theme or chorus without having to arrange the whole piece.
- Double the value of the rhythms if needed to make it simpler to read (quarter notes become half notes, half notes become whole notes).
- Transpose to a different key if needed to make it easier to play. (For example to change a piece in B to C, move every note up a half step to avoid having to play a lot of sharps!)
- Add chord symbols. If not included in the original song, analyze the bass notes to figure out which chord to use. You can also play I, IV or V chords and listen to which sounds best in each measure or phrase.
- Experiment with different bass styles (root only, blocked chord, broken chord, syncopated rhythms, open intervals, etc.).
- Lead sheets give you the flexibility to imitate the style of the original or create your version.
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
"I Can Do All Things With Christ" Simplified Piano Lead Sheet
Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Resources for Teaching Piano Arpeggios
This month my piano students will be completing an Arpeggio Challenge to boost their skills and understanding of this fundamental pattern that comes up in music over and over.
While prepping for our piano arpeggio-themed group lesson I discovered some new arpeggio resources and revisited some of my favorites from the past.
Elementary
The Piano Safari's rote pieces are favorites for my beginners because they can play by rote much more than they can read in those first months of lessons.
"Rainbow Colors" is a beautiful piece that combines the hand-over-hand arpeggio motions with 4 chords.
Piano Safari Rainbow Colors Reminder Video
Piano Safari Rainbow Colors Performance Video
The middle note of each chord is omitted so when I introduce it, I sing "Open Fifths then crossing over, open 5ths then step up" to solidify the pattern or similar lyrics that reflect the patterns played.
Intermediate
This Blank Keyboard Printable is a great resource to help students solidify finger patterns as they write arpeggio fingering groups.
Instead of having to memorize arpeggio fingering for every single key, I love how Joy Morin has grouped keys based on their arpeggio fingering in this helpful Scale and Arpeggio Fingering Reference Sheet. I call them Vanilla's, Hamburger's and Oreos.
I use those same groups when introducing 5 finger patterns to beginners with D'net Layton's Keyboard Pentascale Free Printable.
2 Octave Arpeggio Sample Video
Pianote Intro to 2 Octave Arpeggios Tutorial
Advanced
Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Piano Accompaniment Patterns for Left Hand
Playing with a lead sheet gives you the power of choice to stylize songs however you like.
And there are so many options! Listen to a few below. Then choose some of your favorites to use as you accompany the melodies of simple folk or Christmas songs you already know.
Block Chords: Stacked up Like a Snowman
Block Chords with Syncopated Rhythm: Bop di Bop
Broken Chords: Oom-Pah
Alberti Bass: Bottom Top Middle Top
Broken Intervals: Chord Pieces
Forrest Gump Style: Interrupting Eighths
Alberti + Broken Intervals + Forrest Gump
Bluesy 5-6 Swing Beetles
Bluesy Swayin' 1-5-6
Going Further:
Watch the following videos if you'd like to learn more left-hand styles and see them in action.
Thursday, October 13, 2022
12 Days of Halloween Piano Free Printable Rhythm Dictation Activity
Listen to the 12 Days of Halloween.
12 Days of Halloween with Lyrics
12 Days of Halloween Piano Version
Print the 12 Days of Halloween Free Printable.
Can you dictate rhythm patterns below each picture? Hint: 3 Black Cats= 3 Quarter Notes
1-Owl in a Rotten Oak Tree
2-Two Trick or Treaters
3-Three Black Cats
4- Four Skeletons
5- Five Scary Spooks
6- Six Goblins Gobbling
7- Seven Pumpkins Glowing
8- Eight Monsters Shrieking
9- Nine Ghosts a Booing
10- Ten Ghouls a Groaning
11- 'leven Caskets Creaking
12 Bats a Flying
Challenge: Can you change the "12 Days of Christmas" into the "12 Days of Halloween" by transposing it to the Relative Minor key? (Music on "Making Music Fun")
1- Add a flat to the 3rd and 6th notes of the scale. Remember to check the key signature!
2-Change the melody rhythms to match the Halloween lyrics. For example "Halloween" has more syllables than "Christmas" so change the quarter note in the first measure to an eighth note.
3-For an easier version add primary chord symbols (i, iv or V) above each measure and play as a lead sheet instead of playing the left hand as written.
Hint: Owl in a Rotten Oak Tree= i-iv-i-V-I
Saturday, June 25, 2022
Free Piano Improvisation Printable: Who Can Sail Without Wind?
If your piano lessons are focused on just reading music from the method books, improvisation can feel a bit scary. Some students are so stuck to the printed page they are scared to make mistakes.
This is similar to reading a speech from a script. But with a little guidance, exploring improvisation can be much more exciting than a speech read just like hearing a speech given from the heart can be more engaging than a recited speech from memory.
Monday, June 20, 2022
Review of "I Want to do What Jesus Taught" by Jerald Simon
"I Want to Do What Jesus Taught" by Jerald Simon
I was first introduced to Jerald Simon's music over ten years ago when I reviewed his "Cool Songs for Cools Kids" books. This energetic series has a lot of appeal for the teens and boys in my studio because of the video game, new age and fast-paced songs with repeating patterns.
He recently released a book of Christian primary songs, "I Want to do What Jesus Taught". This is definitely a different genre and style compared to the "Cool Songs" series.
I love that the central theme of the song lyrics focuses on basic Christian principles and values of prayer, kindness, and reliance on God and family.
It includes a good mix of slower calm songs and more upbeat energetic styles. Some songs are very short with just one or two lines that children could learn to sing easily in just a few minutes. Most songs are about 1 page in length with a single verse although a few include multiple pages and verses.
The melodies are easy to sing and I like that he chose lyrics that are understandable to children without complicated vocabulary words that would need explanations.
What pianist level is the book suitable for?
The difficulty level of the accompaniment of the majority of the songs is intermediate level. As a piano teacher, I like the wide variety of left-hand patterns found in the music including alberti bass, 2 8va arpeggios with finger crossings, 7th chords, and some simple intervals or chords.
Some of the large leaps and finger crossings may be more difficult for students with small hands to play, but I love that chord symbols are included in the music so accompaniments could be adapted if needed. The songs could also be played as lead sheets for additional chord variation practice.
There are a few songs limited to 5 finger position that a late elementary piano student could play, and others that are more advanced with 7 sharps or 4 flats that typical piano students wouldn't encounter until at an advanced level in method books.
If you are interested in learning more about how to improvise or compose using a variety of left hand patterns, check out this free YouTube video of Jerald's workshop "100 Left Hand Patterns Every Piano Player Should Know."
It definitely inspired me to want to experiment more with arranging!