Music Style Videos by DaveWave

Learn about different music styles in the videos below as you hear some fun samples.

Ragtime

Boogie Woogie

Swing

Electro Swing

Let's Play Music Bridge #26: Sharp Key Signatures and Modern Music Era

This post includes piano lab activities that correlate with Let's Play Music Bridge Lesson 26.

Music Theory: Sharp Key Signatures

 Watch the PianoAnne Circle of 5ths Video to learn more about sharp key signatures.

Piano Adventures 4: The Blue Danube and Lead Sheets

 This lesson plan includes activities for "The Blue Danube" in Piano Adventures 4.

Music Sample and History

Choose a version of the Blue Danube to listen to below.

The Blue Danube Lead Sheet

Piano Pronto Movement 2: # 18 Minuet in G and Primary Chords

This post includes piano activities for "Minuet in G" in Piano Pronto Movement 2. 

Theory

Baroque music often was often played with ornaments like trill and mordents that were added by the performer to make the piece unique and fancier.

Watch this  Video About Mordents to learn how to add ornaments to the piece.

Piano Pronto Movement 3: #10 The Entertainer and Ragtime Style

This post includes piano activities for Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" in Piano Pronto Movement 3.

 

Music Samples and History

Listen to this silly version of The Entertainer. Can you turn one of your songs into a story by adding some words?

A Piano is Stuck in the Door

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.

Piano Pronto Movement 3: #2 Mozart Medley Classical Style and Non Chord Tones

This post includes piano activities for "Mozart Medley" in Piano Pronto Movement 3.

Music History and Samples

Choose a video to learn about the classical music period.

60 Second Classical Period Music Video

Piano Pronto Movement 3: #1 The Blue Danube and Chord Symbols Piano Activities

This post includes piano activities for "The Blue Danube" in Piano Pronto Movement 3.

 

Music Samples and History

Choose a video to listen to different variations of Johann Strauss's famous waltz, "The Blue Danube." Then choose a podcast to learn about Classical composer Johann Strauss or Waltzes. 

Blue Danube Line Rider

Piano Pronto Movement 1: #10 Little Sonatina in C and Crescendo/Diminuendo

This lesson plan includes activities for "Little Sonatina in C" in Piano Pronto Movement 1.

Music Samples and History

Listen to the expressive dynamics in Clementi Sonatina in C Original Form played by Lang Lang.

Piano Pronto Movement 1: #8 The Star-Spangled Banner and Accidentals

 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.

Star Spangled Banner Piano

Music Sample and History

Watch the The Story of the Star Spangled Banner as you listen to the orchestral version of this piece.

Improvisation

Watch Create First Arabian Nights Duet and Solo.  Then create your own melodies using white keys and G#.

Supplementary Music:

One Scary Night by Kim Williams (audio) - Sheet Music

Rockin' the Blues by Edwin McClean - Marlais In Recital with Jazz, Blues and Rags Book 2

Nothin' to Do Blues by Martha Mier - Martha Mier's Favorite Solos Book 1

Related Posts:

Piano Pronto Movement 1: #7 Hometown Pride

Piano Pronto Movement 1: #9 When the Saints

Free 4th of July Music Resources Roundup

Piano Teaching Lesson Plans: Sharps and Flats

Some of the products linked in my posts may be affiliate links, earning me a small commission on any products purchased via that link.

Free Printable Music Jeopardy and Timeline- 4 Musical Eras

4 Musical Eras of Keyboard Music.

As you watch the video below, draw pictures on your music era timeline to represent unique facts about the music in each of the 4 musical eras. 

Musical Eras and Characteristics

Medevial:

Renaissance: 1:30 What is polyphony?

Baroque: 2:34 What is counterpoint?

Classical:4:00  What is homophonic?

Romantic: 5:00 How is Romantic music different from classical?

Contemporary/Modern: 6:04  What is dissonance?

Music Jeopardy: Music History Eras

Review the music era facts you have learned by playing this Free Music Jeopardy Printable Game with a group.

Musical Things Baroque Period

Baroque Era Music

 Choose a video below to learn more about the Baroque Era of Music.
Musical Things Baroque

Classic FM About Baroque

Fill out your musical timeline including 3 composers and 3 facts about Baroque music.

Additional Resources About Baroque Music
Leila Viss Get Inspired: Go Baroque! - Videos, Games

Chrissy Ricker Baroque Period - Biographies, Listening Activities, Sheet Music

Classics for Kids Composer Podcasts and Coloring Pages

Introducing Children to Composers and Music Styles

The Classics for Kids Podcast links below help music students learn more about the composers of their pieces and various musical styles and forms. I love how they include interesting kid-friendly facts about composers with music samples intertwined throughout brief episodes that are less than 5 minutes.

Bach's Google Doodle Music Harmonizer

When Bach popped up in my browser today, I did not resist the urge to click!

Bach Halloween Music Listening Lab

Bach Toccata and Fugue in d minor for piano

Listen to the first part of this performance. 
1. A Toccata is a piece including fast-moving lightly fingered passages.  When does this song start to sound like a toccata?
2. Do you think the performer is using the pedal? Why or why not?

Bach Tocatta and Fugue in d minor for organ

3.  Bach was a Baroque composer.  The piano was not invented during his life, so his keyboard pieces were actually composed for organ or harpsichord.  How does the organ sound different than the piano?
4.  Different sets of keyboards on an organ are called manuals.  How many manuals do you see on this organ?
5.  A fugue is a piece that usually has 2 or more voices (melodies) that often imitate each other.

The lower "giant keys" played by the feet are called the pedalboard. How many black pedals can you count on the pedalboard?

Does this song sound
A.  Major Throughout
B.  Minor Throughout
C.  Some Major and Some Minor passages

Follow this link to Classics for Kids to hear more Spooky Halloween music!

You can find a simplified piano version at gmajormusic.com

More Piano Teaching Halloween Resources

Halloween Themed Free Piano Resources

Halloween Piano Challenge: Don't Scare Me, Surprise Me!

Halloween Piano Group Fun

Halloween Composing

Bach Halloween Music Listening Lab

Will Baily Free Spooky Halloween Piano Tunes

 

Piano Game Resource List by Concept & Level

It's not all black and white...a colorful approach to teaching!

I love playing games with my students and have accumulated quite a few over the years.  I love using them as quick lesson starters, group lesson fun or as a "treat" at the end of the lesson if we have a few minutes to spare.  Unfortunately some of them get "lost in the cabinet."   In an effort to better utilize all of my games, I've created this leveled game resource list with links to the sources so I can refresh on how to play them if needed.   I like how it makes it easier for me to browse my games by concept (notereading, rhythm, intervals, terms, etc.) and select the perfect match for my student's private lesson or group lessons.

Classical Themes Lab Assignment

Using your "In Recital with Classical Themes-Volume 1" by Helen Marlais book, complete the following activities. (affiliate link)

After listening to the first few minutes of the following video clips choose a Rating for each piece from the list.
1- I have no interest in learning to play this.
2- This piece is okay.
3- Nice but not one of my favorites.
4- I would like to play this piece.
5- I would love to learn to play this.

Piano Theory Posters

To help my students review have a little fun reviewing for their theory exams, I had them create a poster to present various musical concepts during their "lab time" and then they each had the opportunity to teach about their poster at group lessons. I love the different variations they came up with just a little clipart and markers.
(Jewel Notes worksheet from Susan Paradis - just a little "fancied up")

Piano Cranium

A few years ago I made up my own version of piano cranium for my students to play at a group lesson using my Cranium Cadoo board. It has been a fun game to pull out for group lessons periodically. To keep everyone involved I made most of the cards "all-plays" so that both teams race to guess the answer. I included the following categories for the cards:
Music Meanie-Think of a word that means... (play short and separated, the speed of the music, gradually play louder, etc.).

Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers

"The study of great composers' lives should be more than an academic exercise. Biography is to inspire, not merely inform" -Patrick Kavanaugh

After attending a performance of Brahm's Requiem by our local symphony last night, I was reminded of one of my favorite music history books- “Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers, ” by Patrick Kavanaugh.

This book, offers a refreshing glimpse into the lives of 20 different composers including well known names such as Bach & Handel, and lesser known composers such as Elgar & Messiaen.
Rather than focusing on the negative aspects of each composer-their tempers, financial trouble and failures, he highlights the virtuous characteristics of each.

Each chapter begins with a brief story like narrative that introduces you to the composer in an engaging manner.Then follows a well-documented description of the "verifiable aspects of these mens' lives as they strove for good, sought to understand God, and found meaningful spiritual purpose in their lives." (p.13) My favorite part of each chapter is the conclusion in which the author highlights one particularly striking character trait that each composer exemplified. I found each chapter in this book both informative and inspiring. After reading it I felt inspired to be more like the great composers of the past... to have the humility of Haydn, the unselfishness of Ives, the determination of Beethoven and the optimism of Mendelssohn.
Some interesting facts I learned:
Who composed and performed while he was a prisoner of war during World War 2?
Who preferred to compose at his kitchen table while his children chased noisily about him?
Who was proclaimed by the public to be the “eighth wonder of the world?”]
Who said “when I sit at my old worm-eaten piano I envy no king in his happiness?”

ISBN 0-310-20806-8 approximate cost new $10.99 (I bought a nice used one on amazon.com for about $7)
"Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.”