Need for Speed Tempo Term Videos

 I love to start out every lesson with a quick game. To review tempo terms  we play the game "The Need for Speed" from Colourful Keys to introduce or review tempo terms. Since students encounter these in a different order in their lesson books, I like to pair some songs with the game to speed up the learning.

What is Tempo?

Define tempo as students clap or choose various motions to follow along with as you sing and watch this video. 

PR Tempo - animated video defining tempo 

Then as you play the game, instead of just saying "Largo is slow" make the learning more memorable with a song. The first time students choose a particular tempo card that pairs with the songs below, sing and move to the video below

Largo (Start at 1:15 seconds)

PR Presto Largo- animated video illustrating tempo terms Presto and Largo

Adagio Play Slow

Sing Adagio to the tune of Edwin McClean's "Ghost Waltz" (from FJH Federation Favorites Book 2).

Andante Walking Pace

Sing "Andante" to the tune of "The Ants Go Marching."

Allegretto and Moderato

CK Tempo Marks - brief definitions and memory aids for Allegro, Allegretto, Moderato, Andante

Allegro

Sing the "Allegro's quick" lyrics to the tune of Three Blind Mice.

Presto (Start at 50 seconds)

PR Presto Largo- animated video illustrating tempo terms Presto and Largo

Key Signature Game - Firing at Flat Keys

 After reviewing some of these videos I created a fun FIRING AT FLATS game to solidify their knowledge with some fun mini nerf guns and targets!

Free Printable Firing at Flats

Key Signature Order Song

 The number of pencil strokes it takes to write each letter helps you know how many sharps are in the scale.

The Circle of Fifths and Writing Key Signatures by Piano Anne

Music Terms Rap and Games

This month our piano studio focus is theory, terms and signs. I love finding fun ways to teach music terms to piano students!

I have used many engaging activities like Quizlet matching games, music theory art, Musical Headbandz and Split Second, and Piano Cranium. 

Music Dictionary Rap

But this month I'm starting out one of my group lessons  with this Music Dictionary Rap from Piano Adventures Gold Star.

Music Flashcard Game Variation

Typically my students start out lessons with a quick game like music term memory match. Instead of playing this typical memory style with cards face down, to introduce relatively new terms and signs I first play a face up version. I like how this variation combines both skill and an element of chance so that any player can win. If the teacher is playing with the student, I even the playing field a bit by saying the teacher doesn't get to "steal on sixes" because they have an unfair advantage of already knowing all the answers. 

Divide the cards into 2 piles, one pile for the term or symbol and one pile for the matching answer.

Shuffle the cards and place them face up. 

Students then roll a die to determine how many cards they get to collect by guessing the sets of cards that are a match. 

If they roll an odd number (1,3, or 5) they guess just one match. 

If they roll an even number (2 or 4) they guess two matches. 

If they roll a 6 they get to steal a match from the opponent of their choice. 

The winner is the player with the most card matches at the end.

Related Posts

Split Second Music Theory Game

Musical Cranium

Musical Minute to Win It Intermediate Challenges

At piano group lesson week this fall I'll be reviving some of my Musical Min It to Win It Games from a previous post but also adding on a few new challenges for my intermediate students. 

Divide students into teams or have them compete individually. Tally points for each round. Each team that successfully completes the challenge in less than a minute earns a point. The first team to complete or to have the most correct answers earns a bonus point.

Interval Song Scattergories

Write down the name of a song that begins with each of the ascending intervals. Then add as many more songs as you can to the list before one minute is up.

Music Staff Simon

How can Simon help you learn music faster?

Simon Nibbles a Note

Have you ever played the game of Simon which tests your musical memory skills in a fun way? I think this would be a fun game to keep in the waiting area of my music studio. But today I'm sharing a new way to use the concept of Simon in music lessons.

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!😋

Rhythm Ear Training Game Capture the Stars

 One of my piano students' favorite new games to play this year at piano lessons is Teach Piano Today's Don't Catch Cats!" When I first introduced it at group lessons, some creative piano students decided to choose crazy names for each of their pet cats or dogs which was accompanied by plenty of laughs and giggles. 

Since I teach students on a variety of levels, I wanted a game with simpler rhythms for new beginners and a challenging game for more experienced students. 

Thanksgiving Piano Group Lesson Plans 2023

Fall Piano Teaching Games

Scarecrow Stomp by Susan Paradis

Elementary: Identify Note Names on the Staff and Piano Keys
Intermediate: Name the Sharps or Flats in the Major Scale of the Staff Note, Identify Interval # and Quality (Major, Minor or Perfect?), Identify Key Signatures

Online Games for Note Naming and Music Reading Fluency

This month's piano studio focus is on note-reading fluency. When piano students can quickly identify landmark notes, intervals and chord patterns they can sight-read new music more easily. Piano students can get a lot of fun practice using TonicTutor.com, but the following is a list of other fun online music games they can practice for variety to help them achieve this month's note naming challenge.

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.

Slapinterval Music Game

This week  I repurposed Jen Fink's  Pianimation Over The Edge interval flashcards in my music studio to play this quick group game that helps music students to increase their speed at identifying intervals in a  fun way.

This game is played similar to slapjack.  Select a target interval to slap for each round (6th, 4th, etc.).  The goal is to win the most cards by being the first to slap each target interval as it is played in the center. 

Deal cards to the players.  Players take turns placing their card face up in the center. If they are first to slap their hand down on the target interval, they get to take the pile of cards.  If they slap an incorrect interval they give one of their cards to the player of that card.  Once all the cards have been turned, the winner is the player with the most cards.

Related Posts

For more fun games organized by concept and level visit my 

Piano Games Resource List

Piano Adventures Lesson Book Level 1 Unit 6 Assignments and Supplementary Activities

Piano Teaching Lesson Plans: Sharps and Flats

This post includes specific lesson assignment instructions for pieces in the Piano Adventures Lesson Book 1 but many of the activities could also be used with other pieces for introducing sharps and flats.  I like to introduce the Rote Piece "I Love Coffee"  (The Half Step Song) in Piano Safari very early on to my students so they become comfortable with the feeling of playing half steps all over the keyboard long before reading sharps and flats in written notation.

Piano Adventures Lesson Book Level 1 Unit 5 Assignments and Supplementary Activities

Piano Teaching Lesson Assignments: Introducing Half and Whole Rests

Piano Adventures Lesson Book Level 1 Unit 4 Assignments and Supplementary Activities

Piano Teaching Lesson Plans: Introducing Intervals

Using online piano lesson assignments including virtual links allows my students easy access to learning videos and song samples all in one place.  By sharing a google doc with the parents and students, students can access the document from week to week as I add their newest assignment to the top of the page. This post includes specific instructions for pieces in the Piano Adventures Lesson Book 1 but many of the activities could also be used with other pieces for introducing intervals.  Scroll to the bottom to view lesson plan links for other concepts.

Piano Adventures Lesson Book Level 1 Unit 3 Assignments and Supplementary Activities

Piano Lesson Plans: Teaching Landmark C's on the Grand Staff

Streamlining my piano lesson assignment plans to online documents including virtual links allows my students easy access to learning videos and song samples all in one place. This post includes specific instructions for pieces in the Piano Adventures Lesson Book 1 but many of the activities could also be used with any method book to introduce the 3 C's on the Grand Staff.  I like to use the names Leila Viss suggests for the different Cs on the grand staff. 

Internalizing Rhythm Inside and Out with Hopscotch

 

This summer for our outdoor group lesson we played a quick game of rhythm hopscotch. 

Tonic Tutor Melody Game Tips

The studio contest for TonicTutor.com for May is Melody.  Here are some quick game instructions with a few hints.

Aural-Melody

Stick People- Choose the picture that matches the shape of the melody you heard. Hint: Steps look like a staircase.
Mystery Note-Click the 2 notes at the top and listen for the note in the pattern that is the same pitch as the single note played.
Mushrooms-As you listen to the melody choose the last note your hear.  Hint: Follow along with by pointing to the first note played and moving your finger in the direction you hear the notes played.
Robot- Challenge! Listen to the melody and play the key that you hear last. The first note is colored on the keyboard.  Hint: Hover your finger or mouse over the first note as you hear the melody and then move in the direction you hear it move (left lower, right higher).

Aural-Melodic Dictation

Eggs - Listen to the melody and choose the egg that is not in the write place on the staff. Hint: It helps to follow along with your cursor or finger as the notes are being played.
Magnets - Move the notes up or down with the magnets above or below the staff to match the melody you hear. Hint: Check to make sure notes on the staff that repeat later sound the same before clicking "Done." Remember to check the direction (up and down) and distance (how far up or down) of the notes that change.

Related Posts:
Tonic Tutor Rhythm Game Tips
Tonic Tutor Review and Discount Code

Quick Music Games for Online Piano Lesson Teaching Starters

Has switching to online piano lessons due to social distancing gotten you scrambling for games and activities that will work with virtual lessons?  In the past I've used off bench games and activities for nearly every lesson from my Piano Game Resource List.  Here are just a few that could be adapted to  work well to keep your online music students engaged in a fun way.

Note Naming

Grand Staff Battleship - Screen share some short Music Alphabet Words.  Teacher and student draw a treble of bass staff on a piece of paper and then guess specific notes (Treble Line G, Treble Space C, etc.) until they can guess their opponent's word.

Flashcard Bingo -Ask student to draw a 9 square grid on a paper and fill with letters from the music alphabet. Then the teacher displays music staff flashcards and students identify the letter name and cover their board until they get 3 in a row.

Intervals

Fast Hands (adapted on the keys)- With a little variation the concept from this fast hands game can be played on the piano keys.  Teacher calls out the starting note (Middle C) and then gives a series of directions for the student to move up/down the keys (Step up a 3rd, Down a 4th, Up a 2nd,) What key did you land on?

Crazy Keys Students could print the cards from home or you can place the cards in 2 piles and they select which pile they want to draw from "virtually"and then they place their marker on their piano keys, while you move on yours up towards a designated "end key." 

Terms and Signs

Silly Sentences (In the Manner of the Music Term)- Say a silly sentence "in the manner of the music term" (piano, staccato, accelerando, etc.) and have your student guess the term. Then trade roles.
Musical Twenty Questions - Adapt by just playing with teacher and student.

Group Activities (via Zoom or Marco Polo)

Music Scattergories- Students race for 2 minutes to write one musical term or symbol that fits in each of the designated categories and hope their answers are different from the other players.

Music Cloodle (from Piano Cranium)- Players take turns sculpting music symbols from play dough as the other players race to write or call out the name of the symbol they see.

Call It
Have your student look at a piece of their music or the music dictionary at the beginning or end of their method books and choose a symbol.  Both the teacher and student draw a picture of a symbol and then try to guess what the other person was trying to represent.

Virtual Piano Lesson Game: Music Scattergories

When I was pondering some type of fun to have for date night amid social distancing due to the corona virus, this was one game that came to mind.  This twist on the classic game of Scattergories can be fun at a group piano lesson and could even be played virtually via zoom for an online music gathering.