Crazy Chord Challenge Videos

Being able to quickly identify and play chords is a fundamental skill that is used over and over in piano playing. 

I shared this Crazy Chord Challenge a few years ago. It is one of the options for the Keyboard Skills Challenge. This updated post includes some video samples. Students can choose the pace they want to play as long as they complete each challenge in less than a minute.

To prep them for the challenge, I demonstrate while chanting the chord categories as I play. "Va-ni-lla (C), "Or-e-o" (Db), "Ham-bur-ger" (D), etc.).  Being able to see the color patterns on the keyboard and feel them under their fingers quickly really boosts the ease of playing chords from written notation later on.

Challenge 1 

Can you play all of the Major chords Broken style Hands Separate (Left than Right) Moving Chromatically Up the Keyboard in Less than 1 Minute?

Challenge 2

Can you play all of the Major chords, Broken style, Hands Together, Moving Chromatically Up the Keyboard in Less than 1 Minute?

Challenge 3

Can you play all of the Major chords Block Style, Hands Separate (Left than Right), Moving Chromatically Up the Keyboard in Less than 1 Minute?

Challenge 4

Can you play all of the Major chords Block Style, Hands Together (Left than Right), Moving Chromatically Up the Keyboard in Less than 1 Minute?

Challenge 5

Can you play all of the Major chords Block Style, Hands Separate (Left than Right), Moving Chromatically Down the Keyboard in Less than 1 Minute?

Challenge 6

Can you play all of the Major chords Block Style Hands Together (Left than Right), Moving Chromatically Down the Keyboard in Less than 1 Minute?

Challenge 7

Can you play one of the above challenges but using Minor Chords instead?

Hint: move your 3rd finger one note to the left (flat)

Challenge 8

Can you play one of the above challenges with Eyes Closed?

For a more difficult challenge, students who have already mastered root chords could play inversions or I-IV-I-V-I chord progressions with a longer time limit!

Related Posts:

Try Every Key Challenge

Keyboard Skills Challenge

Let's Play Music Bridge #29 Scale Improvisation, Cadences and Note Review

 This post contains activities that correlate with Let's Play Music Bridge Lesson #29.

Theory: Cadences, Note Name and Ear Training Review

Watch the videos below to review the types of scales. 

Scale Sisters Video

Piano Adventures 3A: D Major Scale and Chords

 This lesson plan includes activities for "D Major Scale and Chords " in Piano Adventures 3A.

Theory

D Major Scale Reminder Video

Piano Pronto Movement 2: #19 Spanish Dance and A minor Scale/Chords

This post includes piano activities for "Spanish Dance" in Piano Pronto Movement 2. 

Music Samples and History

Imagine your hands are having a question-answer conversation and add some repetitive fun lyrics to tell a story.

For example:

Picky Eater

A Section

||: Treble: Do you want to eat your peas?

Bass: I don't want those peas!

Piano Pronto Movement 2: #12 D Scale Stomp and D Major Improvisation

This post includes piano activities for "D Scale Stomp" in Piano Pronto Movement 2. 

Theory

Watch the D Major Scale Reminder Video.

Improvisation

After playing the D Major Scale try to improvise melodies using notes from the scale as you listen to a backing track of your choice below.

D Major Backing Tracks for Improvisation

Bensound Perception

Bensound Going Higher

BenSound Clear Day

Related Posts:

Teaching Scale Improvisation with BenSound Backing Tracks

Piano Major One Octave Scale Fingering Groups

#11 Take Me Out the Ball Game and 7th Chord Inversions

#13 Vivaldi Spring Theme and D Major Key Signature

#14 Gurlitt Sonatina and Chord Analysis

#15 Feelin' Blue and Blues Scale

#16 Hallelujah Chorus and D 2 Octave Arpeggios

Piano Pronto Movement 2: #3 Molly Malone and Chord Roman Numerals

This post includes piano activities for "Molly Malone" in Piano Pronto Movement 2. 

Music Samples

The song Molly Malone is about a young Irish girl who sold fish in the streets but sadly suddenly died of a fever. 

Choose a Molly Malone Variation to listen to below.

Molly Malone Vocal Variation

Piano Pronto Movement 3 #14: Italian Air and B-flat Major

This post includes piano activities for "Italian Air" in Piano Pronto Movement 3.

 

Italian Air Music History and Videos

 Italian Air Video

As you listen to the videos read the lyrics below and choose a 2 syllable word to fill in the blanks.

Piano Pronto Movement 3: #13 Liebestraum and Scale Degree Names

This post includes piano activities for Franz Liszt's "Liebestraum" in Piano Pronto Movement 3.

 

Music Samples and History

Listen to the first part of the video to hear the original version of Liszt's Liebestraum. Imitate the expressive legato phrases as you play the arrangement of this theme. You may choose to add some syncopated pedal to create a more dreamy connected sound.

Liebestraum Animated

Listen to the Classics for Kids Franz Lizst Podcast.

Piano Pronto Movement 3: #12 Vivaldi Spring Theme and Secondary Chords

This post includes piano activities for Vivaldi's "Spring Theme" in Piano Pronto Movement 3.

 

 Music Samples and History

Watch part of the Vivaldi Spring Disney video.

Notice how the characters and their actions often match the mood of the music. What do you imagine is happening during this song?

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

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.

Piano Pronto Movement 1: #27 Brahms Symphony and Scale Review

  This lesson plan includes activities for "Theme from Symphony 1" in Piano Pronto Movement 1. 

Music Samples

Tap the rhythms as you listen to Brahms Symphony Theme on the Piano.

Piano Pronto Movement 1: #18 G Scale Stomp

 This lesson plan includes activities for "G Scale Stomp" in Piano Pronto Movement 1. 

Remember this major scale pattern? 

Piano Pronto Movement 1: #12 C Scale Stomp

 This lesson plan includes activities for C Scale Stomp in Piano Pronto Movement 1. 

Music Theory

Play the melody of the Free Printable Major Scale Pattern Sheet Music as you sing these lyrics.

"The pattern of the major scale starts with the Tonic - Whole Whole Half -Whole Whole Whole Half. That's a major scale!"

Piano Lab: Tonal Centers and Modes in Music

Most classical and pop music is based on the familiar major or minor scale patterns also known as Ionian and Aeolian  modes. Less often used modes create a variety of moods.  

Listen to examples in this video of how  switching the tonal center of a piece to a different starting note of the C scale creates a different feeling.

Love Somebody Piano Teaching Activities

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.

Tricks for Teaching Sharp Key Signatures

 

Identifying Sharp Key Signatures on the Staff

Most music students have probably seen this simple strategy for identifying sharp key signatures. 

Major and Minor Scale Pattern Free Printable Posters

This month the focus is on technique in my piano studio so I created these piano scale pattern mnemonic posters to display on my music studio bulletin board.

 

Piano Keyboard Skills Contests

 Tonic Tutor Keyboard Skills Games

Our studio contest focus this month emphasizes technique/keyboard skills.  Students who earn the highest score in their lesson (AIM High Contest) and students who complete the most keyboard skills games (Overachiever Contest) in freeplay mode after their assigned lessons will be recognized at the next group lesson.

Piano Teaching Tips for the Chromatic Scale