Free Early Intermediate Duets from 8notes.com

This year in my piano studio, I have a lot of siblings coming to lessons. This makes it super convenient for them to practice duets together. I was happy to discover so many fun arrangements for intermediate level students at 8notes.com that I think they are going to love!

The solo version of "He's a Pirate" from Pirates of the Caribbean in Faber's Show Time Disney Book 2A is a piece that almost every student who has tried it in my studio loves! 

Piano Practice Challenge, Levels and Tips

 

More about the nightmares later...

First let's talk about focused practice!

Practicing the piano with specific goals in mind is significantly more effective than simply measuring the time spent and calling it good. This month, for my studio challenge, I'm inviting students to level up their practice by using focused practice strategy games during their practice. Obviously, effective practice includes spending time at the piano bench, but practicing with purpose not only helps the time pass quickly, it also helps students to be more productive so that progress happens in less time.

Gamified Piano Practice

I've seen the power of gamified practice during piano lab, where students just don't want to stop their practice until they've completed the next level of Rhythm Swing or earned 3 stars to unlock the next level on Piano Maestro. That same excitement of flow and achievement that comes from video games and music apps can also happen on the bench when students approach learning new pieces with gamified strategies using practice game cards.

As a college student, my practice was definitely more focused and enjoyable when I paired it with chocolate chips and "3 in a Row" (or Cross the River) practice. 

Boss Mode Practice

Overall piano practice success can also be compared to video game levels. I love this analogy shared by Nicola Cantan at the recent Piano Teacher Turboboost I attended!

Level 0 -Tutorial Mode (No Practice)

Level 1 - 1-3 Days per Week

Level 2 - 4-6 Days per Week

Level 3 - Add 3x Repetitions to your Level 2 Practice

Level 4 - Use practice card strategies for Focused Practice Sessions 

Level 5 - BOSS MODE - Pair clear and specific goals with your practice card games and record your progress for each practice session.

 While we might not achieve BOSS MODE every week, TUTORIAL MODE can kill the fun if students are stuck in it week after week. 

The challenge goal is to look at what level you are currently practicing at and make personal improvements to LEVEL UP!

Free Piano Teaching Game: V Chord Family Reunion

I love to introduce the concept of chord symbols early on to my piano students. The freedom of playing from lead sheets not only allows them to play more interesting music early on with basic primary chord progressions, but it also opens the door for them to create and improvise using different left-hand patterns. 

Remembering all of the traditional chord symbols can be a bit overwhelming for younger students.

I created this Free Printable V Chord Family Reunion Game to help my piano students solidify their knowledge of triad and seventh chord inversion symbols that are introduced in Piano Pronto Movement 2.  It can be played with a music teacher and student for a quick lesson opener or be played with a larger group at group lessons. If you were choosing the family reunion fun would you rather parachute or hike? In this game you get to do both!

V Family Reunion Gameboard

Teaching Piano Triads and Seventh Chords with Games

When teaching piano students about chords I find it helpful to create meaningful visuals to represent music concepts in a way that relates to them. What does this image represent?

Keep reading to find out the details!

Chord Visuals

For beginners I introduce the pentascales and chords as "food families" (vanilla, hamburger, oreos, chocolate/killer bs) based on the color of the piano keys with this helpful printable from Layton music. Making relevant connections for kids is so powerful in the learning process. In my studio we start with vanilla ice cream for dessert instead of snowmen!😋

Performance Preparation Practices

Performing can be a shaky experience... literally.  That can definitely complicate things when you are a pianist and shaky fingers lead to wrong notes and then your mind starts feeling like a Jenga game where one slip leads to more shakiness and possibly a total collapse. 

I attended an informative UVMTA workshop this week presented by Dr Stephen Thomas including preparation tips for performance experiences to help you avoid freezing up with mental blocks. I loved many of the ideas he shared and mingled them with some of my own in my notetaking. A resource that kept coming to my mind was the book The Practice Revolution by Philip Johnston. It is loaded with different gamified strategies for structuring and improving practice quality and I find it especially helpful for children who may not naturally know how to organize their home practice sessions.  

My personal key takeaways were

"Our Prayer to Thee" Free Sheet Music Arrangement -Hymn by President Russell M Nelson

"Our Prayer to Thee" Arrangement

When I first heard the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square sing "Our Prayer to Thee"  in General Conference, I was so inspired by the peaceful message of the lyrics and beautiful melody borrowed from the lesser-known hymn  "Our Home Beloved", written for men's choir.

I decided to create my first hymn arrangement using the melody of this hymn in the style of other Simply Sacred arrangements that I love by Marshall MacDonald. I love the simplicity of a thin clear melody line with broken chord accompaniments instead of the heavier thick texture of a traditional hymn and wanted something easy enough for early intermediate piano students to play. 

Piano Pronto Movement 3: #4 Lullaby and G Primary Chords

This post includes piano activities for "Brahm's Lullaby" in Piano Pronto Movement 3.

 

Music History and Samples

Listen to Classics for Kids About Brahms Podcast.
Choose from the videos below to hear variations of Brahm's famous Lullaby.

Music Scale Degree Names and Free Printable Games

Degrees of C and G Major Scales

 Chords can be built on each note or degree of a scale.

4 Tips for Playing Piano Expressively with Group Lesson Activities

Add Dynamics 

This Pianote Dynamics Video has an excellent explanation of how dynamics can add feeling to your piano performance and help you play with expression.

Exaggerate Tempo and Articulation Markings

Sometimes the details of loud and soft, staccato, ritardando, etc. are overlooked or barely noticeable if all you pay attention to is rhythm and pitch. If you exaggerate them in your practice they are easier to remember in your performance and really make the piece come alive.

Watch Performances or Play with Backing Tracks

Watching performances of your piece or listening to backing tracks can help you play more expressively as you imitate the dynamic, articulation, and tempo changes.

Explore some of Will Baily's Free Piano Tunes and choose one to play along with the backing track or use Piano Pronto Backing Tracks with your lesson book pieces.

Imagine a Story the Music Tells

Listen to the recording of a piece and imagine what would be happening if it were movie music. Add descriptive labels or pictures above the sections.

You could create a music map (William Tell) or add lyrics (Pagoda Bells)

The movie Fantasia and Silly Symphonies are great examples of how music classical music can be used to tell a story.

Group Games: 

In the Manner of the Music Term 

One player chooses a music expression flashcard (staccato, legato, accelerando, forte, etc.) and says a funny sentence in that manner. Other players try to guess the term.

For example: "My music teacher likes to eat broccoli with hot fudge sauce for breakfast."

Pictionary or Charades

Take turns sculpting, drawing, or acting out words from this Expressive Music Terms Poster Free Printable as other players guess the word.

Related Posts:

Elementary Music Terms and Signs Videos

Will Baily Free Printable Piano Pieces with Backing Tracks

Recently I was thrilled to discover Will Baily's Piano Tunes website.

It is full of engaging piano pieces in a variety of styles and levels. I love how many expressive pieces are pattern based with changing positions or octaves. Most are very lyrical and give you a movie soundtrack vibe.

Not only does he offer free printable pdfs of so many pieces, but there are also engaging backing tracks that really help bring the pieces to life and provide great support for some of the tricky rhythms.

I have organized some of my favorites below by concept and level with notes below about the main teaching elements of each piece. 

Primer Level 1

Tools for Composing Melodies and Free Printable Melodic Motif Bingo

 

Musical Motifs

Memorable melodies often use repetitive variations of a short musical idea or motif. Using these same tools as you compose melodies can help you develop a musical idea into a longer interesting piece with a common idea woven throughout. 

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

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.

Free Simplified Piano Easter Arrangements

As I opened my inbox this morning to discover this powerful Easter message of inspiration from Russell M Nelson, I realized that I had missed the opportunity to send my piano students home with their favorite Easter music arrangements before spring break.😞 But they can click the links below and print from home if desired.  

"I Can Do All Things With Christ" Simplified Piano Lead Sheet

Introducing piano students to lead sheets and lyric sheets empowers them to play their favorite pop songs with greater ease. 

Instead of playing complicated left-hand accompaniment patterns, lead sheets allow students to ease into a piece by starting with simpler root notes in the bass and gradually working up to more sophisticated rhythms or chords if desired.

I remember the frustration as a younger pianist trying to play accompanist versions of my favorite Christian songs but being frustrated because it's hard to play 3 parts with only 2 hands! 

And without the melody line that is often omitted in the accompanist part, the song does not satisfy... unless you sing along!

I created this simplified excerpt of "I Can Do All Things With Christ" (the 2023 youth theme song from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Now my students can enjoy playing the piece while learning some basic skills for arranging and playing from a lead sheet. The original version is available for free download so students can compare the scores and spot the differences. It pairs perfectly with the Greensleeves lead sheet in Piano Adventures 3A, giving students extra practice reading a lead sheet.

I Can Do All Things With Christ

The following steps can be applied to create lead sheets from other pieces.

• 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.

For example, by playing broken intervals in Forrest Gump style, the Piano Guys transformed this traditional classical piece into a more modern version.

Ode to Joy Piano Guys

And Row Your Boat is definitely different than the version you sang in preschool! 

They took the liberty of changing up the bass pattern.

Row Your Boat Piano Guys

For more practice playing from lead sheets, check out this great selection of familiar tunes in lead sheet format from Piano Song Download.

More Sacred Music Free Printables and Resources

Gethsemane Simplified Piano Lead Sheet

Our Prayer to Thee Piano Solo

I Will Walk With Jesus Simplified Piano Lead Sheet

Simply Sacred Piano Solos by Marshall McDonald

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.

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

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.

Motivate and Track Piano Student Progress with Free Printable Piano Challenge Sheets

With so many different elements to teach in music lessons, it can be challenging to fit it all in.  This year I've invited my piano students to complete a challenge each month that goes along with our monthly group lesson focus. 

Although these concepts are woven into lessons throughout the year, having a focus theme and deadline makes it more likely for them to boost their skills.  And it makes lesson planning simpler as the teacher! 

If they successfully complete at least 10 challenges a year from this Piano Challenge Chart they get a surprise reward at the last Spring Group Lesson.

Monthly Piano Challenge Focus Topics

Notenaming/Interval ID

• Pass off a new level for the One Minute Club Challenge by naming and playing notes quickly.
• Bronze: Bass F-Treble G
• Silver: Bass C- Treble C
• Gold: Bass G- Treble F
• Master: Grand Staff + Ledger Lines
• Susan Paradis Notes in the Fast Lane Sheets are gradually leveled and easier than flipping flashcards for this activity.

Seasonal Composing/Improvisation

• Complete a challenge from the Halloween Surprise Me Sheet.

Accompanist Skills 

• Prepare to accompany a hymn or Christmas song at the group lesson sing a long.

The "Teaching Basic Accompanist Skills" post and Accompanist Tips Free Printable include helpful tips for beginners.

Arpeggios 

• Can you play arpeggios in 12 keys?  

The Arpeggio Challenge Free Printable  includes fingering visuals for multiple levels.

Ear Training - Choose 1 challenge to complete

• Earn 90% or Higher on Listening Test
• Complete 30 levels on the bubble tones app
• Finish 10 Aural Games on TonicTutor.com free play mode.

The Expert Ears Challenge Free Printable includes links to activities students can try at home or during piano lab to prepare for their listening tests.

Theory

• Earn 90% or Higher on Theory Test

Use online practice links like Web Rewards, Teoria.com, Tonic Tutor.com, Heidispiano Quizlet to practice/prepare.

• Earn 90% or Higher on Theory Test: Theory Skills by Level

Terms and Signs

• Earn 90% or Higher on Terms and Signs Test

This Free Printable Terms and Signs Study Sheets includes terms and signs definitions and symbols for various levels.

Scales/Chords and  Chord Progressions

I love to use the scale level charts from Colourful Keys that help students track their progress of playing chord progressions and scales in various keys throughout the year.

This Keyboard Skills Challenge Free Printable includes a variety of options to boost students chord and scale skills including some fun creative improv examples. 

Rhythm

• Complete the next level of Rhythm Boss on the Rhythm Swing app or
• Count aloud and clap  a Music Progressions Rhythm Sheet correctly at your lesson.

Technique

Demonstrate the technique wizard skills on your level at piano lessons.

What other skills would you add to challenge your students?

Free Printable Music Theory Poster and Games: Teaching Chord Qualities

Seeing Chord Shapes 

A picture is worth a thousand words... at least if you are a visual learner like me!  This poster for teaching chord qualities in my music studio makes the differences between chords stand out a bit more.  

We've been playing several games this past month to review the half step patterns in chords.  At first glance when students see 3 skipping notes on the piano, it may look like the notes are the same distance apart, but counting the half steps between the keys helps them determine the chord quality. 

• Major (4+3), 
• Minor (3+4), 
• Diminished (3+3) 
• Augmented (4+4).

Hearing Chord Qualities

Chords have a distinct sound or mood. 

• Major sounds Happy
• Minor sounds Sad or Spooky
• Diminished sounds Creepy because of the "devil's interval" or tritone
• Augmented sounds Tense or Suspenseful

Ear Training Activity: Snowman Interval

Listen to the root chord played by your teacher (or on teoria) and strike a pose for the chord you heard.

• Major=Stand Up Happily
• Minor-Crouch Down with a Sad Face
• Diminished - Melt to the Ground
• Augmented - Stand on Your Tippy Toes with a Crazy Face

More Online Chord ID Practice

For more practice hearing and identifying chords choose from the following activities on teoria.com

Build Triads on the Staff 

Hear Chord Quality

Build Triads on the Keyboard

Identify Chords by Sound or Sight (on the staff)

Easy Free Printable Christmas Sheet Music from Piano Maestro

This month I'm challenging my piano students to learn a song to accompany their peers with at our December group lesson.  Accompanying takes piano playing to the next level because students must play with continuity (no starting and stopping).

Piano Maestro Christmas Songs for Accompanying

The Piano Maestro app is an excellent tool to promote accompanist skills.

• It gives automatic feedback for note accuracy as incorrectly played notes turn red.
• It gives feedback about rhythmic accuracy.
• The scrolling music forces you to continually look ahead in the music.
• Some music focuses on the harmony instead of melody so you can't just lean on your ear to pick out the music. This also promotes audiation for students.
• The practice mode allows students to practice in smaller phrases and isolate left or right hand parts for more focused practice sessions.
• The instrumental backing tracks make music more enjoyable to play.

While the scrolling music feature is great for continuity, faster pieces may be easier to learn at first with printable music.  Click this link to access free printable Christmas sheet music that you can also play on the Piano Maestro App. The tips below help you play with more expression instead of robotic feel.

Piano Practice Tips

• Greensleeves (What Child is This) Elementary Harmony Only 
• Can you sing the melody as you play the harmony?
• Greensleeves (What Child is This) Intermediate Hands Together
• Color the melody notes red and harmony notes yellow.  Notice the melody switches between the left and right hand frequently.
• Play the melody as you ghost play (only touch the key surface) of the harmony notes. Watch this sample video of "ghost playing."
• 
  
• Play hands together with balanced singing melody louder than the soft harmony.
• Jingle Bells
• Play as written or choose I, IV or V chords for each measure in the left hand to change the harmony to blocked, marching or broken chords.
• We Three Kings
• Add slurs to mark each musical sentence.
• Float off at the end of each phrase (measures 8,12, 19, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44 and 51).
• Shape the melody with small crescendos as the melody rises and decrescendos as it falls.
• We Wish You a Merry Christmas
• Measures 15 and 16 have a different rhythm than the traditional song.  Can you fix it to match the words "[We] wish you a Merry Christmas and a.."?
• Joy to the World
• Use scale fingering to create a legato melody line. 
• Write finger 3 below the first "E" in measures 4,11, 13 and 19. 

More links to free Christmas Piano Music can be found on my Christmas Piano Resource Roundup Post.