Friday, June 30, 2023

Free 4th of July Music and Activities: A Piano Teaching Resource Roundup - Updated

Free 4th of July Themed Music Teaching Resources for  piano teachers heidispianonotes.blogspot.com


Piano students love to play familiar songs and over the years I've collected several free patriotic themed songs and activities to celebrate the 4th of July in addition to pulling out some of the patriotic/march music in my library.  I have listed them below in general order of difficulty including some of the teaching concepts included in the music/games.
I find it helpful to slip the music into sheet protectors in a colored 3 prong folder that students can "check out" from my library and then return after the holidays to be used in future years.

Music

Beginner Level

MFMT Yankee Doodle (hands separate with primary chord symbols)
PS Marine's Hymn (hands separate, flats)
PS Stars and Stripes Forever (hands separate, flats, sharps and naturals)
PS Battle Hymn of the Republic verse (hands separate, melody between hands, dotted rhythms)
PS The Star Spangled Banner (hands separate, melody between hands)
PS Reveille US Army Call (hands separate, eighth notes)
MMF Oh When the Saints (Intervals 2nds-5ths, mostly hands separate)
MMF My Country 'Tis of Thee  (Key of C, hands together, finger crossing/subbing, dotted rhythms)
MFMT My Country 'Tis of Thee  (Key of F late elementary)
MFMT Taps - (hands together, broken inversions)
MMF America the Beautiful 1A (mostly hands separate, flats and dotted rhythms)
MMF The Star Spangled Banner (hands together,voicing:melody switches between bass and treble)

Intermediate Level Music
MMF America the Beautiful 3
PS America the Beautiful Key of C, hand shifts
PS The Star Spangled Banner (Key of C, hand shifts, inversions)
GS Your a Grand Old Flag (grace notes, jazz style from his book Jazzed about the 4th of July)
MMF 1812 Overture  (L.H. ostinato, eighth notes, triplets, chromatic scale)

4 part Hymns
Battle Hymn of the Republic (print in any key)
My Country Tis of Thee (print in any key)
The Star Spangled Banner (print in any key)
America the Beautiful (print in any key)

Lead Sheets

MFMT Marine's Hymn - (I, IV & V chords, multiple keys to choose from)
MFMT My Country 'Tis of Thee - (I, IV & V chords, multiple keys to choose from)
MFMT Anchors Aweigh -  (I, IV, V vi and ii chords, multiple keys to choose from)
MFMT Army Theme Song - (I, IV, V ii, iii and vi chords, multiple keys to choose from)
MFMT The Star Spangled Banner  (I, IV, V, ii, iii and vi chords, piano, cello, viola)
JW Battle Hymn of the Republic  (I, IV, V, ii, iii and vi chords)

Favorites Patriotic Books in my Music Library 

Chord Time Piano: Ragtime and Marches 2B by Faber and Faber including:
The Thunderer by John Philip Sousa


The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa




You're A Grand Old Flag by George M Cohan


Famous and Fun Favorites by Carol Matz Book 2 including:
America the Beautiful with Teacher Duet (# b natural)
When the Saints Go Marching in (staccato vs legato, #,b, hand shift)

Games and Activities

SP 4th of July Composing  (tied notes, adding harmony, composing techniques such as end on tonic, repetition, sequence, intro/outro etc.)
MFPS 4th of July Composing "Fireworks in the Sky" Kristin Yost

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