Some Valentine Games, Music, and Activities

Here are some Valentine’s Day music and activities that I’ve posted over the years. First I list 7 elementary piano solos, and then some worksheets and games. Click on the link below the picture to download this Valentine’s Day Material.

Roses Are Red- for the first few weeks of lessons

Chocolate Valentines pre-reading

Chocolate Valentines on-the-staff

Love Somebody Pre-reading

Love Somebody Primer (on-the-staff)

Love Somebody Level 2 (8th notes and some hands together)

There’s a Little Wheel a-Turning in my Heart (late elementary)

Write a Valentine’s Song (a composing activity)

Valentine Notes (a worksheet to write notes on a grand staff)

Valentine Note  worksheet  (draw lines to connect notes to the staff)

Rhythm Heart Beats (for dictation) You can put this one on your IPad and save paper!

More Rhythm Heart Beats

Valentine Note Hunt – a student favorite!

Hearts and Clubs – Notes

Hearts and Clubs – Intervals

Hearts and Clubs – Keyboard Flash Cards (use these instead of note flash cards with the Hearts and Clubs Notes board game.

Steal a Heart – a board game for group lessons. This is good for reviewing ledger lines with your older students. My middle school students love this game in group lessons.

Cards for Steal a Heart – the PDF contains many ledger line cards.

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Jingle Bells with Rhythm Instruments at a Group Lesson

Jingle Bells with instruments

I bought the electronic version of the new book by Philip Johnston called The Dynamic Studio: How to keep students, dazzle parents, and build the music studio everyone wants to get into. (Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate because I get questions about where to buy the things I write about. Amazon sends me a few cents if a reader buys something from clicking  the book link.) Philip Johnston writes inspiring books that get me enthused to teach in different ways. One of his main ideas is to be different; don’t always do the same thing. Maybe that was on my mind when I decided to use rhythm instruments in my group lessons.

After an unsuccessful search for an easy piano/rhythm band ensemble I could use in a group lesson without a lot of preparation, I wrote my own.  I arranged this specifically to be easy enough that they could be successful without having to practice, so please keep that in mind.

I  wrote the second piano part for an electric bass, which some students can play. This part can also be played on the piano, so I call it Piano 2 in the score. You can also use bells or any other tuned instrument, and it sounds fine to omit it.

The first group was my youngest students. They absolutely loved the instruments. But if you have ever used rhythm instruments with young children, you know what a challenge they are.  I didn’t mind that some of them could not play the written part and just played the steady beat.  I was surprised that a few of them actually followed the score. I let the little beginner on the bells shake them through the entire song rather than the way I wrote it in the score. No one in that group reads well enough for the piano part. I had to play by ear because I could not find the piano score! That seemed to amuse the young group.

The second group of 9 and 10-year-old students was absolutely the right age for this activity. Without any practice, (except for the Piano 1 part, which I gave to a 5th grader the week before) they were able to read the score and play the correct rhythm. We traded instruments and repeated it a few times. I am only sorry that I didn’t record it, because they did really well. The student playing the piano part was thrilled to be part of an ensemble.

After that, we changed directions and performed on the piano for each other using good performance skills. Everyone had learned a Christmas song or a favorite piece. That did not take too long and we went on to the next activity.

They had all been looking at the electric bass and wondering why it was there. We discussed the history of the electric bass and how it was like the double bass. I also got in some theory with the older groups, as we discussed the root of chords and how that is an easy way to play the bass. This is where taking our state theory exam really helped. I demonstrated with my meager guitar skills (Me on the electric bass, how funny was that!) and then let them all try it.

Our last activity was playing a Thanksgiving board game, with different level cards for each age group. I was relieved my students enjoyed the game because I had not tried it out with a group. Even my older students had fun and reviewed some theory at the same time. Finally, we just had enough time to pass out cookies and candy canes, and they all left happy.

Later I asked what was their favorite activity. Can you guess what it was? The rhythm instruments! So with that in mind, I am sharing my simple score with you. Feel free to change the instruments to whatever you have on hand, even homemade instruments.

Obviously you don’t need a score for this simple rhythm section, but my students found it interesting, and it helped me focus. If one of your students has a family member who can play the Piano 2 part on the electric bass or any other instrument, that would be really fun, especially for a Christmas recital! Please alert me if you find any mistakes in my score, as I don’t have an editor. Have fun and if you have a successful performance, let me know!

Funny Thanksgiving Food for Printing/iPad, and Some Sad “Skitch” News

Funny Thanksgiving Food for iPad and/or print

Some time ago I made a worksheet called Funny Thanksgiving Food, and recently I drew a version  to use on the iPad or Android, and it is also a printable. This  worksheet is a review of the notes around middle C. Click on the link above for this colorful version that looks good on a mobile device. However, since it is a PDF so it can be printed, laminated, and used with dry erase markers.

I also significantly updated the print-friendly version below, which has keys instead of notes on the staff.  Funny Thanksgiving Food has been a very popular coloring printable over the years, but I think I draw better now. The coloring version is good to use with younger children at a group lesson while waiting for everyone to show up. What child can resist coloring food all the wrong colors! (I also have a version where the pilgrim has to be colored, which might be useful for parents or a group class. Email me and I’ll send it to you.)

Funny Thanksgiving Food

The mention of the iPad brings up the subject of Skitch, my (used-to-be) favorite app to use with worksheets. Imagine my disappointment a few weeks ago when I discovered the company that bought Skitch, Evernote, has totally revamped the app in version Skitch 2.0, so that it is no longer useful with my students!  As a matter of fact, it has created a lot of resentment and angst among long time Skitch users. You can do a search on the web to read about it. If you have the first version of Skitch, I advise you to keep using it and DO NOT update it! Once you update it, you cannot get the old version back.

I am looking for a replacement app for Skitch that will work in my piano lessons, and when I find one that is as easy as the first version of Skitch, I’ll let you know.  So far I have tried many apps, and none are simple and easy enough for my needs.

All I want is an app to import and open PDF’s from the web, with some easy tools to draw lines and circles on  the PDF.  It should have an eraser without erasing the PDF, and/or an un-do button. There should be a way to clear the screen to start over. It needs to be so easy that even *I* can quickly figure out how to use it. Please leave a comment or email me if you know of one! I’ve tried various PDF reader apps that can be marked with annotations, but none are simple enough for what I am looking for.  I’ve also tried various whiteboard apps and drawing apps. I’m still looking!

I wrote Evernote very politely asking if they could put the first version back in the app store for those of us who use it for education, but they never bothered to reply.

Whole Step Half Step Game

 

Whole Step Half Step Game

This is the time of year when students learn about whole and half steps so they can construct scales, which is a requirement for many theory tests.

If you have ever used little tokens or figures on the keyboard to construct scales and noticed it was confusing to some students, I think you will find placing the W’s and H’s behind the keys is a big help.

This has turned out to be a great success for my “hands on” learners, as well as students who have trouble understanding the entire concept of scales. Students who were very frustrated with  theory worksheets quickly caught on using manipulatives and these cards I designed to be placed behind the keys.

I made many sizes and styles of cards before I settled on this design. I wanted the cards to be big enough for children to handle, but small enough to see the W and H when placed behind the piano keys.

I am so happy to report how much it has helped my students who were confused. My philosophy is that if they don’t understand what you are teaching, change the way you teach. The student is not going to change!

You can use these cards in a game or simply as a way to visually show scale patterns. Be sure to use sturdy card stock and laminate the cards so they will stand up behind the keys. For major scales, consider using the sentence “We Were Happy When We Were Home.” I’ve noticed my students and I say this continually as we play. All the W’s and H’s are hard to remember, especially for some students.

The inexpensive, colorful pencil erasers in the photo above can be bought in bulk this time of year. Go look now while all the school supply material is on sale.  I bought a large pack years ago and  I use them all the time, especially with an older child who who might be insulted with all the cute toys I have collected. They are also good for the easily distracted child, or the child who takes 5 minutes to decide if they want a kitty or a puppy.

I am posting some of the ways I use these cards, but I would like to emphasize that after you have tried them, adapt the activities to fit your needs. If you have a better idea, please leave a comment. My students have really enjoyed learning scales this way, and I hope yours do too!

Material

• Whole Step Half Step free printable from my website, cut into individual cards
• Pencil erasers to use as game tokens
• Piano keyboard
• Optional: W W H W W W H written on a chart for student reference

Directions for playing as a game with two players

• There are two color backgrounds, making it easy to separate the cards for two players. Each player receives 8 cards of one color. However, when I play against a student, I often do not give myself a “wild card” because students really enjoy winning and love to beat me.
• Place the cards on the piano book stand, with the blank side up.
• Decide which scale you are going to construct. C major is  good because the half steps are so easy to see.
• Both players put an eraser (or token) on the first note of the scale.
• Player one draws a card. If it is a “W”, place it behind the D on the piano keyboard, because that is the first whole step. The student also places a token on the D key. The first whole step has been completed.
• If the player draws an “H”, the player discards the card by putting it in the back of his stack on the piano stand. No token is placed on the piano.
• If a “Wildcard” is drawn, the student can place it aside to use later and draw again, or he can use the wild card immediately. The wild card can be turned upside down to be either a “half” or “whole” step.
• The second player then draws and plays in the same manner as above.
• Play continues between the players. The game is over when one player completes a major scale.
• An alternate version for younger students is to let the student (but not the teacher) draw again if they draw the wrong card. Obviously the objective is to learn how to construct the scale, not for the teacher to win.

Directions for other ways to use the cards

• With one player, the student draws all the cards, continuing until a scale is completed. This is a good way to explain how to construct scales to beginners.
• The cards can also be used to simply explain whole and half steps, placing the cards and erasers randomly on the piano keyboard and not constructing a scale.
• In a group lesson, 3 or more players can play. You will need to print out more cards.
• Younger children love to use my collectible erasers of cute animals instead of the erasers in the picture above.

Objectives

• To learn how to construct major or natural minor scales.
• To learn half and whole steps on the piano keyboard.

Ages

• Elementary to middle school, depending on the scale and the student’s abilities.

Why I like this activity

• There is only one page to cut out!
• It is colorful and students like color.
• Students like the games and activities we use with these cards.
• Students tell me the WWHWWWH cards really help to understand how to write scales.
• When we get to natural minor scales, a light bulb comes on as they change the order of whole and half steps.
• It really works.

I wish

• I wish I had room on the printable to add a  “step+half step” card to construct harmonic minor scales.
• I wish I had made a matching WWHWWWH chart.
• I wish I could remember the sentence for the natural minor scale pattern! Can anyone help me?

Interval Bingo Game

Interval Bingo Game

If I haven’t said it recently, thank you so much for your emails and comments. For those of us who like to share our material, your feedback is greatly appreciated. And to those of you who support my blog, thank you so very much!

I like material that can be used more than one way, so that is how I designed this interval bingo game. Worksheets and theory books are useful, but students enjoy games more and retain concepts better when playing a game or some other hands-on activity. Well, at least that has been my experience! You can play the short version of this game in less than 5 minutes.

There are 4 pages in this printable, two pages of bingo cards and 2 pages of calling cards. Print all the pages in landscape orientation. If you do not want to use the calling cards, print only the first 2 pages.

I had a lot of fun designing the graphics for this game. I hope your students enjoy it!

Material

• Interval Bingo Game printable cards, cut in half
• Calling cards, cut up
• Bingo chips or tokens to cover the squares (magnetic wands are fun!)

Directions

• For a quick game In a private lesson, the student and teacher alternate selecting calling cards from the stack and covering the correct interval with a bingo chip. The goal is to cover three squares in a row in any direction.

• At a group lesson, play “blackout” where students cover all the squares on their card. When the calling cards are used up, shuffle and re-use.
• For ear training, the teacher can play the intervals and the students put a bingo chip on the correct interval.
• Students can sing the intervals.

Objectives

• To learn to quickly Identify diatonic intervals on the grand staff

Ages

• Late elementary students

Ladybug Board Game

Ladybug Board Game

Every year I have a different “theme” for summer activities. This is the year of the ladybug. Besides, I have some cute ladybug and dragonfly erasers that I want to use as game tokens!

The Game Board

Print the one page game board in landscape orientation. I printed my game board on very inexpensive photo paper from Dollar Tree and then laminated it. Children love how vibrant the colors look and really want to play. To download, click the heading under the picture above.

The Game Cards

The game cards are in portrait orientation, so remember to change the setting. There are 5 pages to this game card file. The cards with notes on the staff are on pages 1-3. The keyboard cards are page 4. The optional backs to the game cards are on page 5. Do not print page 5 when you are printing pages 1-4.  If you want to print on the backs of pages 1-4, print out those pages first and then re-insert (according to your printer’s instructions) and select page 5 only.  As a friendly reminder, If you don’t want the backs, don’t print page 5.

Game cards for Ladybug Board Game

The above graphic shows the optional back. It really makes the cards look good and makes the game “happier”.

Directions

This game can be played with students or teacher and student. The players take turns drawing cards and moving to the correct alphabet name. There are some instruction cards to make the game more fun. The optional card that says “move up 3 skips” is a quick way to teach alphabet skips, or to play a more speedy game. The game is over when someone draws a card after G at the end of the path. It is such a quick game you can play more than once. If you are playing with beginners using the keyboard cards, be sure to have the student say the alphabet letters out loud. This really helps them learn the music alphabet. There are so many games you can play with this game board. For example, you can start and G and move backwards. Use your own ideas and I hope you have fun!

Objectives

• To learn the music alphabet
• To learn to recognize notes on the grand staff or keys on a piano keyboard
• To learn the meaning of a skip in the music alphabet
• To play a fast (under 3 minutes) music board game

Ages

• Early childhood to grade 2 or 3

 I’m not going to be posting very much this summer, but if I make anything I think other teachers might enjoy, I’ll post it. At the top of the page you can subscribe to receive an email when I post something new. It is completely anonymous and you can easily unsubscribe.

Color the Egg Puzzle

Color the Egg Puzzle

Today I am posting a black and white puzzle to identify notes around middle C. I plan to use it as a coloring sheet to send home in their binder because I don’t have time to do this at a lesson. However, I think students might enjoy cutting it out after they color it. With Mom or Dad’s help they can put the pieces back together as they name the notes.

Another way to use this printable is to make it a game for a group lesson. Cut out enough puzzles for the students who are playing and put the puzzle pieces in a bowl. Students draw puzzle pieces one at a time and try to be the first one to put the egg back together. If they draw a note they already have, they have to put it back. Students can stick the piece down with double-sided tape. This game requires the teacher to do a lot of fine cutting, which my hands doesn’t seem to like nowadays! But it would reinforce matching skills that would be helpful for beginners. If you want to do this, email me and I’ll send you a color version you can cut out.

I use inexpensive double-sided tape that is a lot less messier than glue, so you might want to pick some up.

Objectives

• To reinforce note names around middle C
• To enjoy a seasonal activity

Ages

• All elementary age children who have learned the notes around middle C

Material

• Worksheet
• Crayons (brown can be substituted for pink)

If cutting out and using as a puzzle, you need these materials:

• Double sided tape or glue
• Scissors
• Colored construction paper as the background to stick down the puzzle

I have received so many nice emails and comments lately. Thank you so much! Sometimes my readers find mistakes and let me know about them. I appreciate that, too, because I am not a very good proof-reader!

Coming up soon are several new Easter bunny songs for primer and elementary students. Subscribe to this blog if you want to be notified when I post new material. Simple click on the subscribe button above. You will remain anonymous.

Valentine “Card” Hunt

It’s Valentine’s Week, and if you’re looking for a last-minute quick and easy activity for young students, here is a Valentine’s Day game  you still have time to print  and use today! There is not much planning, the rules are simple, and all you need is a few minutes to cut out the cards . This activity is a re-post from January in case you are a new reader, or didn’t see it the first time I posted it, and I’m posting it here today as a reminder. Also some teachers wanted to see a photo of the folded cards. If you are a parent, this a fun game to play with your children to introduce rhythm names.

The printable cards look like this:

Valentine Card Hunt

Click on the link under the picture above. That will take you to my website where you can download the free printable. Print the pages on sturdy card stock and cut them out. Do not laminate the cards. Fold in the middle so the heart is on one side and the notes on the other. (Cardstock is easier to fold if you score it lightly using a ruler and a dull point, such as a dull butter knife. Leave a comment if you need more directions.) After folding, the cards sit up like a tent. Hide them around the room with the Valentine heart facing out. Do not hide too well, or students will not find them and next Christmas you will still be finding Valentine cards in little hidey-holes in your studio!

Directions

Tell your student that you have hidden little Valentine “cards” all over the room. The cards have different rhythm values on the back. The student’s job is to find and collect the ones with half notes (or whatever note you want to work on) as fast as possible.  Depending on how much time you have, you can play again, collecting different rhythms.

This is also an excellent activity to introduce a new rhythm to beginning students.

Objective

• To quickly learn to recognize rhythm note names
• To learn that stems can go up or down
• To introduce rhythm names to beginners
• To play a fast (under 3 minutes) Valentine’s Day game

Ages

• Early childhood to grade 2 or 3

This is a variation of a game idea from Cecilly called Quarter Note Hunt, and it has been a long time favorite in my studio.

Hearts and Clubs – Intervals

Hearts and Clubs Interval Game

I really meant to post this earlier but it is a busy time of the year. This is an interval game using my Hearts and Clubs theme. The hearts make it a good game for Valentine’s, but it can also be played any time of the year. This is another fast learning game that will not take up very much lesson time.

Objective

•  learn to identify intervals quickly by sight
• review intervals if the student already knows them
• quickly identify intervals under pressure

Ages

• Suitable for elementary and older students who have learned intervals up to octaves
• Some younger children can play if given lots of time

Materials Needed

• Printed game board with the interval flash cards
• Sand timer or stop watch
• Bingo chips

Directions

Give the student a set of interval flash cards. Set the timer. The student quickly draws a flash card and places a bingo chip on the corresponding interval degree.  The object is to cover all the interval degrees on the game board in the fastest time possible. Beginning students might enjoy a non-timed game better.

This game can also be played with student and teacher or at a group lesson.

Student and teacher: One player uses the hearts on the game board and the other uses the clubs. Players take turns drawing flash cards and covering the corresponding interval with chips on their game board. The first person who covers all their hearts or clubs wins.

In a group: Each player has a game board and bingo chips or you can put two students on each card. Students take turns drawing flash cards and covering the corresponding interval with bingo chips. Place discarded flash cards back in the deck or print extra if you have a large group.

Hearts and Clubs – Notes

Hearts and Clubs

This is the first in a set of “Hearts and Clubs” activities that do not take up much valuable lesson time. I am posting this note identification printable in time for Valentine fun, but I made it generic enough so that it can be played all year long. The game board is just a starting place for all the different ways it can be used. Have fun coming up with new ideas!

There are 3 pages of flash cards included in this PDF document. If you wish, you can use your own flash cards. To keep from printing the flash cards, set your printer to print page one only.

Objective

• learn to identify notes on a grand staff  by sight
• quickly identify the notes on the grand staff
• use flash cards in a fun way

Ages

• Suitable for elementary and older piano students

Materials Needed

• Printed game board
• Note flash cards included in the download (or use your own), shuffled well
• Bingo chips

Directions

There are several ways to play this learning activity.

1. Individually: Put the flash cards you want the student to review in a stack face down. Using an hourglass sand timer, the student quickly draws a flash card and places a bingo chip on the corresponding note name. The object is to cover all the note names on the  game board before the hourglass runs out.  An alternate version is to use a stopwatch instead of a sand timer.

2. Two players, such as student and teacher or two students:  One player uses the hearts on the game board and the other uses the clubs. Players take turns drawing flash cards and covering the corresponding note names with chips on their game board. The first person who covers all their hearts or clubs wins.

3. In a group: Each player has a game board and bingo chips or you can put two students on each card. Students take turns drawing flash cards and covering the corresponding note names with bingo chips. Place discarded flash cards back in the deck or print extra if you have a large group. If the group has different levels, give the beginners the easier flash cards.

Cards for Christmas Note Bingo

Cards for Christmas Note Bingo

Here are the cards I promised yesterday that you can use with Christmas Note Bingo.  (To help out teachers in the country that gave us Bach and Beethoven, I included an H, which they use instead of B.)

When you play Christmas Note Bingo, if you wish, the red cards can be treble notes and the blue cards can be bass notes. For fun, students can take turns deciding if the green cards are treble, bass, or both. Use your imagination. The wild card can also be used any way you wish. [Honestly, I added the wild card because I had a blank space to fill.] There is no right or wrong way to use my games. Well, that’s not quite true. The right way is to adjust a game so the students win more than they lose, and to make it light-hearted and fun. If you find the game is a struggle, change gears and help them out. Of course, you know that.  I’m preachin’ to the choir!

By the way, yesterday’s printable was in landscape mode, and today’s post is portrait, so be sure and change the mode if you are printing both. My printer does not do this for me, and I am always forgetting.

Other Ways to Use These Cards

Here are some suggestions to use these cards in other ways than the bingo game.

Beginners can learn the music alphabet by stringing the cards out on a table. These cards are small enough to use on the piano bench, unlike some cards, which are so big they have to be put on the floor. I don’t mind getting on the floor. It’s the getting up that’s the problem! Be sure to remove the H so they won’t get confused. (Unless you’re in Germany!)

For a Christmas piano party with young students, print out enough cards for 8 octaves. Divide the cards between the students. Tell them they have to make a string of cards on the floor that are the exact letter names on the piano. They will keep running over to the piano to count the keys and it is a good game for the group to work together.

Give a set to a beginning student and tell him you think you made a mistake. Ask if he can pick out the cards that do not belong.

If you’re like me and don’t know what to do with the H card, try using it as a wild card and call it the “Help” card. We all need a little help now and then. Plus it makes the game go faster.

I love it when teachers think of other ways to use material I post, so please feel free to leave a comment if you made up a fun game for your students.

Christmas Note Bingo

Christmas Note Bingo

Just in time for your holiday piano parties, I am posting a Christmas bingo game. This game features a snowman, so you can play it after Christmas, too. I like note bingo games with only 9 notes on a card because the game goes faster. In a group situation the game can be played more than once, so more students can win.

I made this game for students who know all the notes on the grand staff. One way to play it with beginning students is to give them a chart of the notes they have not learned yet so they can play along with the others. There is usually a chart in method books that we all have on hand. Or you can print out one of the many staves I have on my website and label the notes for the student to use.

There are 4 PDF pages with 2 boards on each page, supplying enough game boards for 8 students to have a different one.  Print the number of pages you need on card stock and cut in half. Laminate or cover the boards with clear contact paper to protect them.

Directions:

Give each student a game board and some bingo chips. Randomly call out notes from the music alphabet, such as “treble A”. (My next post will be a page of matching alphabet letters for teachers who want calling cards, or to play variations on the game.) If the student has that note on their board, they cover it with a bingo chip. I use magnetic wands and plastic chips, but it might be fun to use white chocolate candy chips as bingo chips and call it “snow.”  The game is over when the first person covers all the notes on their board.

Variations

1. For quick games, students only need to cover 3 notes, either diagonally or in a row up or down. This is great for students with short attention spans.

2. This game can also be played with the student and teacher. Place alphabet cards in a bowl and take turns drawing and covering the notes.

3. Students who know their notes really well like to play 2 cards at a time.

4. For an older student who needs to review ledger lines, play a different game.  Instead of using alphabet letters, place a stack of ledger line flash cards in front of the student.  After drawing a flash card, they put a chip on a corresponding note on their game board that is a different octave.

When the game is over, use your magnetic wand as the “snow plow” to swoop up their chips!

If you like this game and want to play it at other times of the year, there is a regular version on my website.

Save the Turkey Game – Set 2

Save the Turkey set 2

In my last post I mentioned that I would post more  cards for the Save the Turkey Game. This set has a few more notes to identify and some more terms. My students have been enjoying this game. It is so easy to set up and play and doesn’t take much lesson time.

For directions to play please see read my previous post. You can find it here. I did not include the back of the cards in this PDF. If you want to print backs to these cards, set your PDF printing setting to Page 2 when you print the back. If you don’t want to print backs, I suggest you use some cute stickers on the back of the cards.

Hint: I printed this set on a different color of card stock than the first set so I can keep the levels separate. Or, you could combine the two sets.

Does anyone want another level? I have one but I don’t know if it’s too late to post this year.

Enjoy!

Save the Turkey

Save the Turkey

Save the Turkey is a fast and easy turn-over-the-card game. It only takes a few minutes of lesson time. It is a great game for teacher and student, but it can also be modified for groups. We have a few more weeks before Thanksgiving and I hope someone can use it.

The purpose of this game is to review music symbols and guide notes, so it is perfect for beginning students. Later I will add cards for more advanced students.

How to play

I tell students that whoever draws the turkey will save it from being turned into Thanksgiving dinner!

Shuffle the cards and put them in a stack on the table. Be sure the Turkey card is not near the top. The Skip a Turn cards should be evenly distributed. Player one draws a card and identifies the symbol.  As long as they answer the card correctly, they continue to draw until they draw a Skip a Turn card. Then the teacher (player 2) does the same thing. Whoever draws the Turkey card has “saved the turkey” and is the winner. The game is short, so the cards can be shuffled and played again.

For a variation,  I tell the student that if I make a mistake or “forget” the correct answer and they correct me, they take my turn. That keeps the student on his toes and it helps to keep the teacher from answering all the questions. I love to hold up the bass clef card, pretend to think really hard, and call it a treble clef. They giggle and bounce up and down and generally have fun. Feel free to make up your own rules and post them in a comment here.

I like the fact that even a beginner can win. All they have to do is draw the turkey card! However, along the way, they will be learning or reviewing important musical concepts. Let your younger children win most of the time.  They love it and it really helps make lessons more fun.

How to print

Download the PDF. In the PDF printer setting, set Print Range to  page 1. You do not want to print 2 pages right away because page 2 is the back of the cards. Set Page Scaling to None.

Print the first page on sturdy card stock. I used yellow card stock and below you can see how it looks.  Re-insert the page back into the printer (so you can print the reverse side) and set Print Range to page 2. If the front and back do not line up correctly, you either do not have page scaling set to “none” or you are not using 8.5″ x 11″ paper.

Alternately, if you don’t want to print on the back, put some cute Thanksgiving stickers on the backs of the cards.

After printing, cut the cards out along the dotted lines.

Please make sure you have the latest version of Adobe Reader. If your printed copy has odd black lines or boxes, or if some parts are missing, it is probably because you are using an old version of Adobe Reader.

Musical Memory Game 5B

Musical Memory Game Level 5B

I’ve finally found time to post the second half of the vocabulary words to the 5th level of the Musical Memory Game. The cards for the first half of the words (which I call level 5A) were posted last week and can be found here. Feel free to mix words and symbols from different levels to suit the needs of your students.

It is not necessary to print the back of the cards to play the game. Please go to last week’s post for more information. If you want an easier game, check out levels 1 – 4. To make it a little easier, I have posted the links to the earlier levels here.

Level 4

Level 3

Level 2

Level 1

Bats and Cats – a Halloween Game

Bats and Cats

My students have been enjoying this Halloween rhythm game lately and I thought your students might like it, too. It is fast, and can be played the last 5 minutes of a lesson. The cards span several ability levels, so it is appropriate for  all elementary age students.  It is helpful for students to recognize that a dotted quarter + eighth equals a half note, and I think this game helps that concept. Beginning students enjoy using the first page with the easy rhythms.

The object of Bats and Cats is to match the ‘bat” card with a corresponding note or rest on the game board. This game works with one student and teacher, or it can be modified for a group. It can also be used as a rhythm activity for one student.

Directions

• Print two game boards, one for the student and one for the teacher. If playing with a group, print one game board for each student.
• Print out the bat playing cards and cut them into squares. If playing with a group, print more cards. Using your printer’s settings, print the cards with the rhythms that are appropriate for your student and omit the rhythms the student has not learned.
• Divide the cards equally among the players.
• Players take turns drawing a card, counting the rhythm, and placing it over a corresponding rhythm on the game board. If a player draws a card with the corresponding rhythm already covered, place it in a discard pile to be shuffled and used again. The game is over when the first player covers all 9 squares.
• Please feel free to make up your own rules according to the age of your students! If you have a good idea, share it in the comment section.

Don’t Swipe My Sharp!

Don’t Swipe My Sharp

Do you have students who have a little difficultly learning to read sharp and flat keys or understanding the concept of enharmonic notes? Would you like to find another way besides a theory book or a worksheet to review these concepts?  I made up this game for my students, and it is the fastest and most fun way to learn enharmonic notes and quickly identify accidentals. It is especially good for tactile learners.

Don’t Swipe My Sharp is a game on the piano keys the teacher can play with a student. The student draws and places a token on the correct sharp or flat key. The first player to cover all 5 black keys wins. To add to the fun, players can “swipe a sharp” from their opponent.  There are also some optional white key sharp and flat enharmonic notes.

Objective: The student will learn to read and physically identify a selected group of enharmonic notes preceded with accidentals. The student will develop an understanding of enharmonic keys on the keyboard.

Level: Students in Level 2 and above enjoy playing this. It is designed for students who know the notes on the grand staff, but it can be played with all ages, even intermediate students who get confused with enharmonic notes.

Materials: Don’t Swipe My Sharp cards, 10 or more pawns that are suitable for placing on piano keys, and a piano keyboard. Suggestions for tokens are: inexpensive pencil erasers, glass jewel stones, small magnets, Lego blocks, or collectable erasers that are available in many shapes. The tokens should be able to stay on the black keys for the duration of the game. The age of the student can determine what tokens you use.

I bought 50 of these colorful erasers for $1.00 and I use them for many different games.

For younger children I use these cute erasers from my collection.

I like to use erasers on my piano keys because I know they will not scratch the keys.

Preparation: Print pages  1 – 4 of the Don’t Swipe My Sharp PDF file on card stock. Click the link at the top of the page to go to my website where you can print the PDF. Pages 5 and 6 are the optional back of the cards so do not print them initially.

There is one set of cards for the bass clef and one set for the treble clef. For ease in use, the cards for each clef are distinguished by color. There are two ways to do this. Option 1 is to print the front of the cards, pages 1-4, and reinsert the pages in your printer and print the back of the cards. The blue graphic is for the treble cards, and the green graphic is for the bass clef cards. Option 2 is to print the bass and treble clef cards on 2 colors of card stock and omit the back of the cards.

Directions: The student and teacher sit side by side on the bench. The black keys above and below middle C is the ‘game board”. Divide the cards by color, shuffle, and place on the piano music rack face down in front of each player. The player on the right has the treble clef cards, and the player on the left the bass. The  cards without the staff, the Swipe My Sharp cards, should be in each deck, but make sure they are spread out in the deck and not the first card. Remove the white key enharmonic notes for a shorter game.

Student and teacher take turns drawing a card and placing a token on the corresponding key. If a student draws a note that is enharmonic to a key they have already covered, for example, G Flat when F sharp is already covered, the player cannot place a token  and skips a turn.

If he draws a Swipe My Sharp card, he “swipes” a token off his opponent’s key and puts it on his own key, if it is vacant. He can only take a sharp he needs, and he must verbally identify it as a sharp key in order to “swipe” it. For example, if he needs an F# on his keys, he must stay, “I’m swiping your F# (not G flat). Of course, you can change this rule if you want the keys identified as flats!

The game is over when the first person covers all 5 black keys or how many you decide before you play. It is a very fast game, and quite easy, even thought it might not seem like it when you read my instructions!

There are other ways to play.  You can print out more note flash cards and use more than one octave. You can play in a small group using paper keyboards. You can set the rule that the student can keep their Swipe My Sharp card and use it later when they need it.

I used the cards to introduce accidentals to a 6-year-old primer student who asked me what the sharp and flat symbols meant. He learned it very quickly and enjoyed the game. He went home and wrote a song with E flats! So while I intended this for older students, I have found a lot of different uses for this game.

Have fun!

Wendy’s Piano Camp

A picture I took of the inside of a Steinway

My friend Wendy Stevens is a very creative music teacher and composer. When I found out she had a lot of fun at her summer music camp, she agreed to answer some questions and let me share some of her ideas with other teachers. 

 
Where did you operate your camp? Do you have any suggestions on how to find a location, or did you use your own house?
I operated my camp at my own house.  We used my upstairs living room, dining room, and then my downstairs studio and extra bedroom.  This allowed us to have 4 places to have separate learning stations, or creativity stations as I called them.   
 
Was your camp open to the public, or did you limit it to your own students?
This year I wanted to limit it to my own students mainly because I don’t have room for any new students in the fall.   
 
Did you have a helper, or did you do it all yourself? What was your pupil/teacher ratio?
I did all the planning myself, but I had a few high school students who participated in the camp who I asked to do a few things.  I’ve actually been advised by a number of teachers that I need to hire a few high schoolers to help with the running back and forth.  Several teachers I know even have their high schoolers prepare some of the lessons which is a great opportunity for learning for them.  Some high schoolers are required to have a certain number of volunteer hours at their school, so it never hurts to ask your high school students if they want to volunteer in helping with your piano camp.  I’ve also seen a number of teachers partner with other teachers, saving lots of prep time.   
 
What age group of students attended your camp? How did you group the ages?
Now, that’s an interesting question because I don’t know anyone who has done a piano camp like I did this year in regards to ages.  My students were ages 7-18!  I had the high school students come for 30 minutes before everyone else.  This allowed us to talk and practice more advanced concepts. Then, those students stayed and the rest of the students (7 total) came for 2 hours and 15 minutes.  
 
How did you decide what to charge your students? Do you think summer camp is a financially successful venture?
I wanted to be able to take all of the month of July off this year, so I replaced these July lessons with a day of camp.  It was a bargain for families (and I made sure to tell them this) because they were getting 2 hours of super fun instruction in place of a 30 or 45 minute lesson.  Another perk that I mentioned was that they would be getting 3-4 intensive days of instruction, allowing the skills to really develop quickly and stick with the students better.  I did charge an additional $50 for the camp (remember they still pay their July tuition since I do year round payments), but I probably should have charged more for the extra payment.

If I were giving advice to someone on what to charge, I would say to charge a regular month’s tuition for a week (4 days) of camp.  
 
How many days did your camp operate? What were the hours?
I did a 4 day camp.  I don’t advise people to do a 5 day camp.   That’s a lot of work, and you’ll probably be exhausted by Friday. Many churches are making their summer Bible schools only 4 days.  I think 5 days just gets a bit taxing for the teacher and students. 
The hours were as follows:
1:30-2:00 – High School students intensive course
2:00-4:15 – All students come
 
I’m very interested in how you grouped your activities, such as how much time you spent on each activity. In talking with teachers, that seems to be their biggest worry, other than finding a place to have their camp.
I was given some great advice by a teacher friend of mine: start with a game, end with a game, and use the first part of your camp (after the game) for teaching the new concept(s).  So, here was my schedule:
2:00 – Brainstorming activity
2:15 – Teaching time (this was divided into learning about the Carnival of the Animals, a bit about music history, and reading lead sheets)
2:50 – Game
3:05 – Stations (I had 4 stations and each group of students spent 9-10 minutes at each station)
3:45 – Snacks
4:00 – Final game (games would help reinforce new concepts taught at the beginning)
4:15 – Dismiss
 
 Did you make your own activities, or if not, where did you get your activities?
Oh, you know me…I made my own activities!  I spent a lot of time creating a 50 page booklet for my kids so that they would have all the camp materials in one place.  I’m probably going to streamline the booklet and sell it on my website for other teachers’ camps next year.  
 
Finally, you will probably post some of your successful activities, but what are a few things your students enjoyed the most.
Yes, I’ll post about some of the successful activities, but to really see what a good time everyone had, you have to watch the video I put together afterward!  It’s here: http://www.composecreate.com/piano-camp-2011-video/
The “rhythm activities” were a huge hit and that was wonderful to see because I was using a new resource which I am unveiling very soon!  Stay tuned!

One of my students favorite games was the “bell game” in which students line up at a table in teams and a call bell is placed between them.  I ask a question (about what they learned that day) and the student who knew the answer would ring the bell, turn around in a circle and ring it again.  The student who rang more quickly the 2nd time got to answer the question.  It was a simple game that we play all the time in the studio, but since I added the turning around it was a huge success!  Sometimes its the simplest of games that are the most successful!

*************

Thank you Wendy. I think this information will help a lot of teachers who may want to have a music camp but are not quite sure how to go about it. I’m going to dig out my bell and play the bell game at my next group lesson. And thanks for the link to your cute video. It’s very motivating,  and I can tell you all had a lot of fun while learning a lot about music!

Note-Go-Find

Note-Go-Find

I designed this game for my youngest age group, because they told me Quarter Note Hunt  was their favorite group lesson game. It is also a quick game at an individual lesson.

This black and white printable looks great printed on different colored cardstock. After printing both sides and cutting them out, score each card in the middle and fold like a tent card. It is better if you do not laminate it, because that makes it hard to fold.  If you’re worried about smearing, spray it with a fixative.  A few of my cards did get a little smeared, but it only slightly.

Hide the cards around the room. Now you can play several different games:

• Play it like a scavenger hunt. Give students a list of the notes they should look for. I made a list for every student, and each one was  different.  There was a check off box on the sheet. If a student finished, I asked him to help a younger student.
• Give each student one specific note to look for. This way a beginner can look for an easy note he knows, such as middle C.
• Play it at an individual lesson when you introduce a new note. After introducing E, for example, tell the student to find all the E’s you have placed around the room.  Since there are other notes hidden as well, the student quickly learns that E is on the first line. There is nothing like a game to learn notes. It is much more effective than flash cards!
• Use the blank card for you or a special student to draw and hide a challenge card.
• If you have a student who doesn’t know the notes yet or has learning disabilities,  make up an answer sheet or give him some flash cards with the names on the back.  It might be good to have something on hand in case you see a student struggling in a group situation.
• I found that I can’t hide the cards too well. They have to be easy to find! 

Thanks to Cecilly for giving me the tent card idea.

If you use this game in a creative way, consider leaving a comment here so we can share with other teachers.

Easter Season Games and Printables

Front                                                            BackEaster Egg Hunt

You might have seen this game last year, but I am posting it again for teachers new to this site. You will have to print on both sides, so be sure to adjust your printer settings carefully before you start. Cut them out and hide the eggs around your studio. Your younger students will be so excited when you tell them they are going on an Easter egg hunt!  When they find an egg, they clap or tap the rhythm. If your students can’t clap 8th notes, print only the first side and write in the rhythms you want to use. It is a fun diversion and a nice treat at the end of a lesson. Plus, students get to practice reading rhythms! If Easter eggs are not appropriate for your students, give me a suggestion and I might be able to come up with something else.

As an aside, and coming from a music education specialist,  *quarter, quarter, two eighths, quarter*, is the easiest rhythm pattern for children to clap. It is the first rhythm clapping pattern I start with. Just because eighth notes are not in beginning piano books doesn’t mean you  have to wait for the second or third year of piano to learn them.  Students can learn all sorts of rhythm patterns before they actually play them in their music, using syllables or words to clap the rhythm.

Here are some more Easter season activities from my website, including two composing activities for beginners. In the Music section of my website, www.susanparadis.com you can also find some beginning hymns you might be able to use. I also have a Mother’s Day composing printable.

• Easter Egg Notes
• Easter Egg Find the Notes
• See the Bunny - a pre-reading composing activity
• See the Bunny - an on the staff composing activity
• Follow the Bunny Trail