A few weeks ago one of my new beginning students was having difficulty mastering the concept of directional notereading so I pulled out my whiteboard and magnets and had her construct "magnet patterns" for different playground activities.
Jumping Rope - "Jump" on the same key over and over
Teeter Totter - Move High and Low alternately
Climb up the Slide - 3 stair steps up
Slide Back Down - 3 stair steps down
Then we tried an improv duet (in Hal Leonard Lesson Book 1) with her selecting any pattern to play on any group of CDE on the keyboard. Eventually she was able to combine several patterns to make a fun pleasing melody on the spot.
I recently completed my dedicated piano studio room and have been searching for the perfect piano themed decor to adorn my bare walls. I wanted a photo collage with something personal and inspiring, yet versatile enough to change up to fit my studio themes.
I began my project with this scrap board which I painted white with spray paint I had on hand(FREE-YIPPEE!).
Group lessons are one of my favorite aspects of piano teaching! I love the synergy of gaming and the sense of accomplishment students exhibit as they perform for each other on a regular basis.
This month our group lesson included Caterpillar Crawl, Music Candyland, Music Jenga, Toss Note and Technique Pattern Bingo. Following are some at home activities that students can try to extend the learning of the concepts we introduced or reviewed at group lessons.
I put together this handout full of fun game ideas for a Round Table presentation I did at a UVMTA event for the music teachers in my area. With so many fun game and activity resources, it was difficult to choose which ones to highlight. But fortunately, the links at the bottom can take you to my organized games list so you can pick your favorites for yourself or add a note in the comments to share your favorite off the bench activities!
Why Games and Activities?
·Engage – Games appeal to visual, tactile auditory and kinesthetic learning styles.
·Solidify – Repetition with appealing adaptations solidifies learning without boredom.
·Assess Mastery – Games provide a non-threatening avenue to “test” skills without the fear of failure.
·Isolate Concepts – Gradually introducing isolated ideas prepares for mastery without frustration and is a useful tool in tuning up trouble spots.
The Let's Play Music method of introducing rhythms with bugs my favorite. It makes learning the more difficult eighth and sixteenth patterns seem like a cinch because the bug analogy provides both a visual and auditory memory aid.
As a parent of a Let's Play Music student and as a Connections teacher I have been amazed at how very young students really get a firm grasp on rhythm relationships.
For this group lesson game I used the Let's Play Music rhythm cards and had students sit in a circle of five and each selected a rhythm bug card equivalent to 1 beat (no Slugs allowed!). They clapped and chanted their rhythm 3x and then "tagged" another person's rhythm to clap and pass the beat to. (Bug, Bug, Bug, Grasshopper - Grasshopper, Grasshopper, Grasshopper, Beetle - etc.). After they were comfortable with the sounds of the "bugs" we flipped the cards and reviewed the traditional rhythm symbols & their names. I love how this combines the Sound-Feel-Sign-Name learning sequence all into one short activity.
At Halloween time I like to do a similar Rhythm Circle Game but instead I use some of the Candy Bar Rhythm Cards from Layton Music that have the same number of beats in a measure. With these longer patterns, students have to repeat their measure 3 times before clapping out another person's candy bar rhythm.
I came up with this Collect a Chord game to help my students to solidify their chord spelling, but its easy enough that even a young beginner just learning skips can figure it out. I love its ease and adaptability. Its quick enough to make a perfect lesson starter with student vs. the teacher and it also makes a great group game. I use 3 sets of Music Alphabet cards, but for a larger group you would need more.
Teaching Piano Technique Motions with the Caterpillar Crawl Video
I'm fortunate to have a houseful of children that I can try out my new piano teaching ideas on. Although that can pose a challenge at times when I'm trying to provide motivation for 5 kids to practice regularly or keep a quiet professional lesson environment, I love "playing" piano games with my children. I created this musical movement activity to practice wrist movements with my preschooler. The video is a shortened version of Mozart's Rondo Alla Turca.
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