Ferris Wheel Piano Improvisation Tutorial

 

When piano students improvise using familiar method book songs, it reinforces concepts in a fun way while allowing them the freedom of expression at the piano within comfortable parameters. 

Worldwide Youth Music Festival

The snow coats my driveway on the first day of spring when I am so ready for sunshine instead of gray skies and more snow shoveling.  My mood lifts when I turn on one of my favorite songs  "Good Day" by Nik Day. 

I was happy to discover more inspiring music at last week's 2021 Worldwide Youth Music Festival.  Free Printable Sheet Music is available for many of the inspirational Christian songs that appeal to teens. Some of my favorites include "A Great Work" by Nik Day,  If You Believe by Patch Crowe and "Come to the Well" by Elyse Alexander.

One Minute Club

 For our March Group Lessons the studio challenge is for students to level up their note naming skills "One Minute Club" style. Each time they earn an award, students get to add their name to the studio challenge board and select a prize. 

Fluent music reading involves more than just naming the letter names of notes on staff flashcards.  When students make a connection to the keys and also can quickly identify intervals they can more easily sight read new music. 

One Minute Club Awards

Bronze- Bass F to Treble G

Silver - Bass C to Treble C

Gold - Bass G to Treble F (All lines and space on grand staff)

Master -Low Ledger Line C to High Ledger Line C

Doctorate- Master + Speedy Interval ID (30 in one minute)

In my studio I use the Flashnote Derby and NoteRush Apps,  Susan Paradis Notes in the Fast Lane pages  to assess note recognition. Here are a few tools to help students practice at home as well
Susan Paradis's Free Mini Staff Flashcards - How many can you name and play in 1 minute? 
Teoria.com Clef Reading Exercise (Bass and Treble, Spaces and Lines, Visual Keyboard, No Tempo)

For a challenge add leger lines or accidentals!

Interval Games

Pianimation.com Over the Edge Interval Game- This game is great for groups or a buddy lesson starter or for a fast paced Slapinterval variation, but students can also use the cards solo for a minute to win it challenge practice.

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

Can Can Cup Tap

Here's a fun music and movement activity to go along with the Can Can Theme by Jacques Offenbach in Piano Pronto Movement 1.  I like to add in this B Section in between the first and second pages of the music. I intentionally chose movements that reinforce the direction of the melody line or feeling the beat of the music.

Lyrics and Movement for the Can Can

A Section (in Piano Pronto)

Can, Can you do the cup tap? Can you do the cup tap?

Tap cup on table to the beat of the music or tap-slide with a partner Rhythm Cups Style

Now it's time to slide Do-Ti-La-So-Fa-Mi-Re...

Make a slide with your left arm and slide the cup down like a descending scale on piano keys..

Can, Can you do the cup tap? Can you do the cup tap?

Tap-slide 

Sounds like it's the end. Is it the end? No!

Down up cup taps  with a loud downward tap on No

B Section Free Printable
I'm not done yet!

Tap-Tap-Tap-Tap

Can you do a loop di loop?
Tap and loop cup to the left

I'm not done yet!

Tap-Tap-Tap-Tap

Climb up for another loop.

Tap and loop cup to the right

Challenge: Listen for the A and B Themes as you watch a can-can video and do the actions.

Animated Seal Can Can Video or  Dancing Chicken Can Can Video

Piano Festival Preparation Free Resources

Students are more likely to practice music that they love, so piano festival preparation in my studio begins with listening activities during piano lab where student's can hone in on a piece they are excited to learn.

Piano Festival Piece Selection

These leveled playlists of the music in my piano library to allow students to select a piece that they are excited about playing.  Although there are a variety of leveling systems, I leveled the pieces based on the concepts covered in the Piano Adventures and Hal Leonard Method Books. 

I preselect a few contrasting pieces I think a particular student might enjoy to listen to during piano lab while filling out the Listening sheet, but they are also free to browse the songs at home to choose music they would love to learn to play in the future.

Piano Festival Samples Elementary PA Primer/1, HL 1/2

Piano Festival Samples Late Elementary PA 2A/2B, HL 3

Piano Festival Samples Later Elementary/Early Intermediate PA 3A/3B, HL4

Piano Festival Samples Intermediate PA 4, HL5

Slower/Expressive Piano Festival YouTube Playlist Intermediate Baroque and Classical (Rastall 3)

Fast/Exciting Piano Festival YouTube Playlist Intermediate Baroque and Classical (Rastall 3)

Fast/Exciting Piano Festival YouTube Playlist Intermediate Romantic and Modern (Rastall 3)

Piano Practice Strategy Cards

There are many different piano practice strategies that help students have effective and focused practice sessions at home.  Beat the Dealer, The Lap and Back Track are some of my favorites to use with Performance Prep.  I've gleaned some amazing tips from master teacher's at UVMTA workshops including Paula Clark's Strategies for Fostering Musicality  and Stephen Thomas's BAPDARP approach.

Piano Festival Self-Evaluation Checklist

This Festival Checklist can help students to actively assess their readiness for festival after they have learned the basics of their piece. I ask them to identify areas they are prepared in and areas to improve as they watch a video of their practice performance.

Piano Festival Sample Judging Sheet

I like to do a "mock festival" at private or group lessons a few weeks prior and use this Performance Evaluation Form to provide feedback for students.  For some students it can also be a great exercise for them to record themselves and then evaluate their own performances using the evaluation form as a guide. 

Related Posts:

Free Piano Lesson Plans

Free Piano Teaching Printables

Piano Festival Intermediate Playlists

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.