Online Piano Learning Activities Organized by Concept and Level for the Corona Virus Concerned

While I've been using online piano activities during lab time with my students for years I've been visiting my list of piano online activities organized by concept and level a lot more this week as I adapt my piano lessons temporarily to a more remote learning model due to the corona virus. The online piano activity list includes a variety of links to online games, listening activities, theory/technique videos, but I just wanted to highlight some of my favorite options for piano students to expand their learning at home if they choose not to have face to face lessons during the corona virus craze.

AIM Piano Keyboard Skills Videos Levels 1-5

Scales, chords, and arpeggios are the key ingredients used to make music. Although I encourage my students to learn to play their keyboard skills in all keys on their scale level charts, these videos provide a demonstration in just a few keys that students can play to pass off to move up levels on the leader board for "Advancement in Music." For more fun try playing your scales along with a fun backing tracking from Bensound.com.  Click here for a list of  tracks to choose from in the key in of your scale.

AIM Level 1 Keyboard Skills- Pentascale + Chord  in C, G, D, A and E Major
For more details see this post.

AIM Level 2 Keyboard Skills-  Pentascale, Chord, Hand over Hand Arpeggios

For more details see this post.

AIM Level 3 Keyboard Skills One Octave Scales, I-V-I Chord, Hand over Hand Arpeggios 

For more details see this post. 

AIM Level 4 Keyboard Skills One Octave Scale, I-IV-I-V7-I Chords, 1 Octave Arpeggio + Inversions

AIM Level 5 Keyboard Skills 1 Octave Scales, I-IV-I-V7-I Chords, 1 Octave Arpeggio, Primary Inversions, V7-I6/4

Related Posts:

AIM Piano Keyboard Skills Video Level 1

AIM Piano Keyboard Skills Video Level 3

3 Steps to More Effective Technique Practice

Piano Technique and Artistry Group Lesson Activities

Piano Technique Warmups Caterpillar Crawl Video

How do you prepare beginning piano students to play with proper technique?

Teaching proper piano technique is not a "one and done" activity, but instead something that requires repetition and frequent reminders to master.  I posted this unique piano warm-up exercise a few years ago that introduces the various movements necessary to play the piano with proper technique as students listen to excerpts from a Mozart favorite, Rondo alla Turca. Written directions and lyrics are included on this post, and the video also includes lyrics . I have used it periodically at group lessons, but with this new video, students can also warm up regularly at home as they follow along with the motions demonstrated in the video.  Frequent repetition prepares students to use the motions with automaticity early on as the brain pathways are already paved before they actually encounter frequent scale thumb tucks, phrase end float-offs and other technical motions in their music. After a brief explanation the exercise begins at 1:06.

This Free Printable Caterpillar Crawl Music Map can help students visualize the form of the music with it's repeating patterns.

Split Second Music Theory Game

 One of my favorite things to browse at the thrift store is the games.  I'm always on the lookout for game that I can tweak for my music instruction purposes and this game of Split Second is a real winner!

Theory Choice Challenge

Theory Challenge Options

This month  my piano studio focus is music theory. Students can select from the following challenges to earn a prize at their lesson for each challenge they complete. Winners of the Tonic Tutor Aim High (highest overall game scores) and Overachiever (most extra achievements earned after finishing lesson) contests will be announced at next month's group lesson

• Complete a written theory test and pass with at least 90% during piano lab.
• Complete a written terms and signs test with at least 90% during piano lab.
• Choose at least 3 music terms or signs and draw a poster to help teach others what it means in a memorable way. Click Here to See Sample Posters
• Watch a Thinking Theory Playlist on YouTube and draw and label at least 10 of the music signs/terms that you learned about as you watched.

Written Music Theory Test Prep Activities

You can practice your skills by clicking on the Compose Create Web Rewards Link for your level and complete online games/printable worksheets to sharpen your skills.

Level 1   Level 2   Level 3    Level 4  Level 5

Theory Skills by Level (Free Printable)

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Level 5
The number of beats for quarter notes and rests, half and whole notes	The number of beats for Quarter, Half, Dotted Half and Whole Notes & Rests	Write in the counting for rhythm examples in 2/4, 3/4 or 4/4 w/ level 3 rhythms	Write in the counting for rhythm examples in 2/4, 3/4 or 4/4 w/ level 4 rhythms	Write in the counting for rhythm examples in 2/4, 3/4 or 4/4 w/ level 5 rhythms
Treble and bass clefs, forte and piano symbols	Write in the counting for rhythm examples in 2/4, 3/4 or 4/4	Identify ties and slurs	Define, pp, p, mp, mf, f ,f, accent, 8va & D.C. al Fine	Write the order of sharps and flats
The direction of notes on the staff: up, down or repeating	Recognize and/or define forte, piano, legato and staccato symbols	Recognize and/or define piano, mezzo piano, mezzo forte, forte	Write the meaning of numbers in a time signature	Write the major key signatures
Steps and skips up and down on the staff and keyboard+	Identify white or black keys on a pictured keyboard	Explain the meaning of numbers in the time signature	Identify distance only of white keys 2nds-octaves on keyboard and staff	Identify distance and quality of white key intervals 2nds-octaves on the staff
Whole and half steps on the keyboard	Draw a sharp, flat and natural sign	Draw stems for notes on the staff in the proper direction	Write the pattern of whole and half steps for major and harmonic minor scales	Identify white key major or minor triads on a keyboard
Letter names of white keys on a keyboard	Identify 2nds, 3rd, 4ths, 5ths on a pictured keyboard and staff, white keys only	Draw sharp, flat and natural symbols on the staff in proper placement	Draw sharp, flat and natural symbols on the staff in proper placement	Identify white key major or minor triads on a staff
Letter names of notes on the staff from Bass F to Treble G	Letter names of notes on the staff from Bass C to Treble C	Letter names of notes on the staff from Bass G to Treble F (all lines and spaces)	Letter names of notes on the staff from 2 ledger lines above and below the staff	Add accidentals to form major, natural minor or harmonic minor white key scales
		Identify 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, 5ths and 6ths by distance only on a keyboard and staff	Complete white key major triads by marking the middle note with an x
		Identify whole and half steps on the staff

Music Terms and Signs

Can you identify and/or define these music terms and signs?

Review the terms and signs on quizlet.com by clicking the link to your level below.  Then select the way you want to review them.

• Flashcard- Flip the virtual note cards to learn/check your answers.
• Learn- Answer multiple choice/fill in the blank prompts to help your master your terms.
• Write- Type the precise definition of the term.
• Spell- Type the word you hear. It's definition appears below.
• Test- Written, matching, multiple choice and fill in the blank questions
• Match(Memory)- Drag and drop the term on top of its definition.
• Gravity - Type the precise definition of the term before it hits the asteroid hits ground.

Level 1    Level 2   Level 3   Level 4   Level 5

Terms and Signs by Level (Free Printable)

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Level 5
Quarter Rest	Whole Rest	Eighth Note	Eight Rest	Sixteenth Note
Half Rest	Decrescendo	Whole Step	Major scale pattern	Sixteenth Rest
Quarter Note	Crescendo	Half Step	Downbeat	Motive
Half Note	pp	2/4 Time Signature	Triplet	Sequence
Dotted Half Note	ff	Loco	Intervals of 6,7,8	Diminished Triad
Whole Note	Phrase	Tonic	⅜ Time Signature	Augmented Triad
p	Slur	Dominant	Cut Time	Primary Triad
mp	Accidentals	D.S. al Fine	Common Time	Secondary Triad
mf	Leger lines	D.S. al Coda	Allegretto	Grace Note
f	Legato	Pedal sign	Con moto	Root Position
Bass Clef	Staccato	Improvisation	Diminuendo	1st inversion
Treble Clef	Sharp	Transposition	Subdominant	2nd inversion
Grand Staff	Flat	Parallel Key	Etude	Chromatic Scale
Bar Lines	Natural	Upbeat	Moderato	Accelerando
Measure	Tempo	15 ma	Presto	Dolce
¾ Time Signature	Fermata	Major Triad	Tenuto	Grazioso
4/4 Time Signature	Phrase	Minor Triad	Vivace	Leggiero
Brace	Slur	Poco	6/8 Time Signature	Marcato
Repeat Sign	Ritard	15ma	1st/2nd Ending	Morendo
	Accent	Blues	Baroque	Pesante
	Intervals 2,3,4,5	Key Signature	Classical	Poco a Poco
	5 Finger Pattern	Arpeggio	Romantic	Sforzando
			Contemporary	Portato
				Pitch
				Subito
				Scherzando