Then choose your favorite style, follow the 3 boundary rules, and improvise your own short Halloween piece during piano lab. Choose a fun title that matches the mood of your piece.
The resources for creativity at the piano seem to be endless. Here are a few winter and New Year-themed activities to try. It's never too late to start or expand your skills with some creative fun! The framework of these activities help get the creative juices flowing, but the real fun comes when you can throw out some of the "rules" and let your imagination explore new possibilities.
Composing
January is a time for me to reset and contemplate my goals. This chant I learned at 4H camp makes me think of kicking off the new year with the best start which includes setting personal goals for physical, intellectual, spiritual, and social improvement.
I was reminded last week at aninteresting webinar by Paul Harris about Sight Reading Skillsthat audiation, pattern recognition, improvisation and key signature awareness are some of the fundamental building blocks that sharpen sight reading skills.
This month at Christmas group lessons we'll be reviewing arpeggios and practicing ear-training skills with some Christmas carol activities that require audiation (hearing music in your head).
Christmas Rhythm Dictation
I like to pair the Do You Hear What I Hear? activity with some mini m&ms and beat boards so students can use tactile objects to represent subdivisions of the rhythm patterns.
Elementary: Quarter Half and Whole Notes
Late Elementary: Quarter Half, Whole and Eighth Notes
Early Intermediate: Quarter, Half, Whole, dotted Quarter and Eighth Notes
Intermediate: 6/8 Time Signature: Eighths, Dotted Eighths, Quarters, Dotted Quarters
Carol of the Bells Improv
This classic Christmas piece is a student favorite! The repetitive rhythm can stick in your mind for hours but also makes a great springboard of ideas for improvising.
The free printable Christmas Jumbles and Christmas Name that Tune Sightreading pages by Chrissy Ricker also make great audiation practice as well. Can you name or unscramble the tune measures by looking at the notes and hear the music in your head without playing it?
Split Second is a fun game I picked up from the thrift store and repurposed for music lessons. Students race to write their answers on their paddles and earn points for correct answers and speed using samples from this YouTube Name that Christmas Tune collection of carols.
Take Home Transposing
At group we will try a short sample of the Jingle Bells(Elementary) and Deck the Halls(Intermediate) Transposing Challenges to apply prior knowledge of 5-finger patterns and intervals.
Monthly Challenge
For this month's bonus challenges students can complete the Arpeggio Challenge, Chrissy Ricker Transposing Challenge or Create their own Improv/Arrangement of a Christmas song to earn a bonus prize at lessons.
December is such a perfect month to inspire imaginative creating and composing!
Piano students are eager to play their favorite Christmas songs and this provides a perfect springboard for ideas as they arrange, improvise or even compose music that creates the magical feelings of snowfall or Christmas wishes and giving. Which one will be your favorite?
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
Then choose your favorite style, follow the 3 boundary rules, and improvise your own short Halloween piece during piano lab. Choose a fun title that matches the mood of your piece.
This lesson plan includes activities for The Star-Spangled Banner in Piano Pronto Movement 1.
Theory
Watch the Video about Accidentals and then circle them in your music (Sharps or Flats not in the Key Signature). Color the L.H. “chord pieces” (I, IV and V7) on page 19-20.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Every year I love to revisit student favorite Halloween Piano Resources. I was delighted today to discover and add several new spooky composing and improvisation resources to the list that I am eager to try out with my students.
Halloween Piano Composing Printables
Teach Piano Today just posted this Mummy Music Free Printable that is a perfect quick win for beginning students. It centers around middle C hands separate. I love how students can gain confidence composing by just having to create a short motif to "fill in the blanks." Its the perfect activity for hesitant composers because of the guided process.
Halloween Piano Improvisation Tutorial Videos
I love these leveled tutorial videos for creating spooky music at rebeccaspianokeys.com for more experienced elementary, intermediate or advanced students. They are perfect for piano lab or at home exploration because Rebecca gives specific step by step tips and instructions for success with musical samples throughout.
Level 1 introduces interval qualities including minor and tritones to be used in a hands separate "conversation" style spooky improv.
Level 2 includes more hands together playing including minor alberti bass style chords.
Level 3 describes the process of adding more expressive details including dynamics, tempo changes, pitch, etc.
Although Forrest Kinney's Create First Improvisation was not created specifically for Halloween, these improvisation video can be used to create music with a spooky Halloween flavor.
With Valentine's Day coming up this week I wanted to incorporate a few love themed activities into piano lessons. The traditional melody of Love Somebody is perfect for teaching multiple music concepts because it uses only notes from the pentascale with a simple chord progression and plenty of repeating patterns. Here are just a few ideas of activities plus a free printable to boost ear training, keyboard skills and transposition in piano lessons.
While planning for my Thanksgiving Themed Piano Group Lesson, I revisited many of the fun Thanksgiving Piano Activities my piano students have enjoyed in the past and was grateful to discover a few new ones listed below as well.
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