St. Patrick’s Day Material

Here are some St. Patrick’s Day printables for elementary age students that I’ve made over the years. There is nothing new here, but I’m posting it for new readers.  To download, click on the link below the picture, not the picture itself.

St. Patrick’s Day Card for your students

I used these last year and my student’s loved them! The are little shamrock cards that fold up. I add a gold foil covered chocolate coin inside! If you don’t have green paper, use some stickers or decorate with green markers.

Shamrock composing activity

Let’s Go Marching is a pre-reading activity that even beginners can do. Use either finger numbers or note names.

Let’s All Go Marching, a composing activity on-the-staff

This is the same composing activity as above, but designed for students who have learned a five-finger hand-position and can draw notes.

Shamrock Keyboard Game

This is one of the best games for learning piano keys. it is even good for older students. I’ve made this game with designs for all the seasons, and this one works well for St. Patrick’s Day.

Shamrock Notes for St. Patrick’s Day

This is good way for beginning students to practice writing all the notes on the grand staff. I’ve learned that if students discover that notes on the staff just move up the alphabet, they are less fearful about learning them.

Shamrock Rhythms Game

Last year I re-made the graphic of this game because my original used a ton of ink. But you only have to print out one copy.  Students draw cards to find missing rhythm values in a measure. There are some circle shaped cards to cut out. It is game for older elementary students who are comfortable with note values. It also can be used as a theory class game or file folder game. Print on cardstock and laminate for durability.

Clover Full of Notes Rhythm Worksheet

This is a worksheet, so you can print one copy of this and either laminate it or place it inside a sheet protector and use dry erase pens. I made this as a review for students who have already learned rhythm values. This also looks fine printed in black in with no color. Does anyone want an outline only copy they can color in group lessons or music class?  Let me know and I’ll try to make one.

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.

If you want to keep up with other Valentine’s Day material I may post, you can subscribe to this Word Press blog at the top. It is completely private and you can unsubscribe any time.

An Old Game for the New Year

New Year’s Game for Beginning Students

Happy New Year to all my readers. Thank you so much for all your comments, emails, and support! Without you, I don’t think I would have been able to keep this up for so long. It’s hard to believe, but I have been posting piano teaching resources for 6 years now!

Some teachers have sent me hand written notes and cards, and I just want you to know how much it means to me to keep them and read them over, knowing that we all share the common goal of passing down our musical heritage. Every child is born loving music and I hear from readers all over the globe how much we love teaching and how we want to reach every child. And that is why we do what we do, knowing that it is not just a job, but a calling.

There is so much on my website that even I forget about some of the games I’ve made, like the New Year’s game I posted in 2008. This is a good game to play with your first year students when they come back after the holidays. It will review many of the symbols in their primer method book.

Also, you might be interested in an article I wrote for the blog of Clavier Companion magazine. In it, I describe how to create some fun games using simple milk carton lids. There is nothing to print out so it is very affordable. My younger students and I have had so much fun collecting lids and playing different games with them. If you like music games and activities, I think you will enjoy this article. Click to read Do It Yourself! 4 Music Games on a Shoe String Budget.

Do you have any New Year’s resolutions? I want to practice more and improve my ability to play by ear. Leave a comment if you would like to share your resolutions.

Reindeer and Elves Keyboard Race Game

Reindeer and Elves Keyboard Race Game

When I made my first Keyboard Race game, I really had no idea that it was going to be the first in a series of games for every season. I’ve always used the snowflake version for this time of year, but my students wanted a Christmas version, so I drew one for them. The elves are students in my studio and each one is special to me! I hope you enjoy the diversity of elves from around the globe!

For Hanukkah or with older students, use the Snowflake Keyboard Race.

Notice I have cards for F# and Bb. That has proved to be a bonus for my average age beginners, because they learn the terms and how to use them early on. However, I remove those cards for my youngest students. I like to teach new concepts informally like this, rather than waiting for it in the method book. There is no reason students can’t learn something before they actually play it in their music.

Objective

• To quickly identify piano keys.
• To enjoy a seasonal game.
• To identify middle C.
• Optional: to identify B flat and F sharp.

Ages

• Beginners of all ages enjoy the keyboard race games, but with your older beginners, I suggest the Snowflake Keyboard Race.

Materials

• Piano or a music keyboard
• Keyboard Race Cards
• Two tokens (Inexpensive erasers will not damage your keyboard.)

Directions

• The game is played with two players, usually the teacher and student.
• The teacher sits on the right side and the students sits on the left side of the piano bench, at each end of the piano. The students chooses if he/she wants to play with the “Elves” or “Reindeer” cards.
• Each player has one set of cards and one token, and places the cards on the piano book rack. The cards should be well shuffled.
• The first player turns a card and moves his token to that piano key, the closest to his end of the piano.  The second player does the same.
• Play continues with each player drawing a card and moving his token toward the middle of the keyboard.
• The game is over when one player passes the middle of the keyboard. I like to use middle C with my young students.
• Note: The player on the right side (treble end) usually loses, so that’s where I sit. Games are more fun for students if they win.

Why I like this game

• My students love it and want to play it over and over.
• It is the fastest and most fun way to learn keyboard names.

Christmas and Seasonal Printables

It’s time for the yearly roundup of  Christmas and seasonal printables from my website.  If you can’t find the directions to some of these games,  do a search or ask in the comment section. To print, click on the picture, which will take you to my website. From there, click on “download” and you will be able to download and print the file.

Snowmen and Reindeer Notes

Snowmen and Reindeer Rhythm

The Snowmen and Reindeer theme  was a new set of Christmas games I designed last year.  My students loved the colorful design. There are cards for the games on my website.

Snowmen and Reindeer Intervals

Ornament Bingo

This is a game for beginners who are learning the names of piano keys.

  Christmas Note Bingo

This year I revised this fast, easy, bingo game. It is easier to read and uses less ink.

Christmas Composing Train

Beginning students write finger numbers or letter names to write their first song.

Christmas Worksheet

Christmas Notes in Random Order

Color the Chanukah Gift

Golden Menorah composing activity

Peppermint Notes

Students can use peppermints as notes or to construct key signatures.

Ornament Notes

This is a black and white printable for students to color the names of notes.

Draw the Ornaments

Students write notes on the grand staff on this printable. To save ink, place it inside a sheet protector or laminate it,  and  use a dry erase or a wet erase pen.

Gingerboy Keys

Light up the Tree

This is a (mostly) black and white printable for students to color notes on a Christmas tree according to the names of notes on the staff. It is similar to Ornament Notes, but different so siblings won’t have the same printable.

Christmas Musical Symbols Vocabulary

Students match music vocabulary to the correct answer.

Christmas Tree Vocabulary Words

This is a quick printable that is fun for group lessons.Students try to find all the music words.

Christmas Tune Challenge

Students love “name that tune” games. I find it very helpful to have a list of carols in plain view that they can choose from. You can list your carols on this printable.

Cards for Silly Sentences

This is a different kind of game for older students at group lessons. My high school students had fun and reviewed some music terms. Be sure to download the sentences found here, and use the easier cards for younger students.

If you are looking for easy Christmas piano music, go here, and scroll way down past all the Halloween music. I have posted many carols in pre-reading notation. Have fun!

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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.

Bunny Basics

Bunny Basics

One of my students has a pet bunny, so I made a music note story worksheet for her. I am sharing it with you in case you are looking for something for the Easter season. You can use it at a group lesson or give it to an individual student.

I learned some new facts about rabbits while I worked on this and maybe you will, too!

List of St. Patrick’s Day Material

Some teachers asked for a list of my St. Patrick’s Day material. I’m listing it today in case you need something quick for next week. This material is designed for elementary age children.

To use these printables do not click on the picture. Click on the link below the picture and when a new window opens, click on the download link. Make sure you have the latest (free) version of Adobe Reader.

Shamrock composing activity   I recently put new graphics on this because I like the softer look. Let’s Go Marching is a pre-reading activity that even beginners can do. Use either finger numbers or note names.

Let’s All Go Marching, a composing activity on-the-staff  Young students write notes in the staff for this composing activity. It is suitable for students who have learned a five-finger position.

Shamrock Keyboard Game   This is the one I posted recently. It is teacher vs. student in this fun game on the piano keys!

Shamrock Notes for St. Patrick’s Day    This is good way to review all the notes on the grand staff.

Shamrock Rhythms Game   I recently completely re-made the graphics on this game to save a lot of green ink. Students draw cards to find missing rhythm values in a measure. There are some circle shaped cards to cut out. It is game for older elementary students who are comfortable with note values. It can be used as a theory class game. Print on cardstock and laminate for durability.

Clover Full of Notes Rhythm Worksheet    I posted this a few days ago, but here it is again! You can print one copy of this and either laminate it or place it inside a sheet protector and use dry or wet erase pens. I made this as a review for students who have already learned rhythm values.

St. Patrick’s Day Card for your students   I’ve been passing these out to my elementary students and I they really like them. (I tell them a little leprechaun dropped them off!) I ask them to guess what the card turns into when they open it. They also like the little chocolate coin!

Have Fun!

Fun Ways to Learn Keys

I want to share with new teachers a way to make sure your young students never forget the names of the piano keys! Over the years I’ve collected a lot of tiny toys that fit on the keys. These little guys are erasers, but I have all kind of trinkets in my collection. First we learn C, then F, and over several lessons we gradually work up to all the keys. In this photo, my little student picked any item out of my collection that started with the same letter as the key. So that students won’t just count up from C, we let our little animals hop around to all the C’s, all the F’s, etc. I mix up the order, and the time it takes to learn all the keys depends on the age and ability of the student.

We also play the Keyboard Note Race games that I have posted with several different graphics on my website. This week we’re playing the one with the shamrocks. Click on the link below the photo to print it out. For older beginners I don’t use toys, but we play the keyboard race games. Older beginners are notorious about trying to play the piano before they learn the names of the keys, maybe because we move faster and they don’t have as much time for it to sink in. This game helps with that.

Shamrock Keyboard Race

In this game you and your student sit on each end of the piano, draw cards, and try to be the first one who passes either Middle C or Middle E. The original blog post is here, and I even have a version for German teachers! I guarantee you students will quickly learn their keys with this game. I’ve made it with pumpkins, snowflakes, hearts, and I can’t even remember what else, to make it more fun for students. Colored pencil erasers make good tokens for older students.

St. Patrick’s Day Card

CloverFoldingCard

Today I am going to share with you a clover shaped card I made as a little memento for St. Patrick’s Day. Just for fun, I put a foil covered chocolate coin inside each card.

There are two sizes of these cards. The small one is only about 2 3/4  inches square and two fit on one piece of paper. Leprechauns are tiny, so I made tiny cards! There is also a pattern for a larger card that is about 4 1/4 inches square and uses one piece of paper. The verse just popped into my head as I was making the cards, so it’s not really an Irish proverb. Below is how the card looks folded up.

If you click on the link under the first picture, you can download the printable as well as the instructions on how to fold the cards.

It looks cute printed on recycled paper. Below is a version of the bigger sized card printed on music paper that I recycled.

I decorated the inside with a green Sharpie. Children don’t really care; they are just intrigued with how it starts as a square and opens up as a four-leaf clover!Some music is the same way. At first students may not be impressed, but when they open it up and learn it, the music turns out to be special.

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Clover Full of Notes – a St. Patrick’s Day Worksheet

Clover Full Of Notes

Here is a worksheet I made in black and white back when I taught music ed. I’ve updated it by adding colored patterns. However, after going through so much ink this year myself, and from your comments, I carefully made this to save ink.  I used dots and lines instead of full color, and that really does save ink! Another way to cut ink use in half is to use my printer’s “fast” setting. It’s not as vivid, but it works.

Students fill out each layer with eighth, quarter, or half notes to equal a whole note. It’s similar to the rhythm circle I posted years ago, but more fun. Here is how to fill it out. It’s a lot easier to show than explain!

I have more St. Patrick’s Day material on my website www.susanparadis.com. When you get there, click on one of the tabs such as “Games.” When a new window opens, on the left in small print 5 lines down you will see a link for “see entire catalog.” Click on that and scroll down past all the music I’ve posted. The St. Patrick’s Day material is right after the Valentine material. I’m gradually trying to group the holidays together, but so far I’ve only done Valentine’s and St. Patrick’s Day.

There was a glitch on this blog last week. For some reason if you tried to “subscribe,” it took you to my PayPal page where you donate. That was an accident. You do not have to donate to subscribe. It was so embarrassing! I was able to find a WordPress wizard who fixed it for me. Some of the code had changed, and I promise I have no idea how to do that or how it happened. Thank you to the kind reader who alerted me to the problem!

Joy’s Cute Piano Valentine Craft

Joy has an excellent piano teaching blog, Color In My Piano, and it is always an inspiration to me. I fell in love with this cute Piano Valentine Craft she designed and posted on her website last week. She gave me permission to use her photo above so I could blog about it here. If you like to craft, you will enjoy making these for your students.

On Joy’s website you can download a PDF that has the instructions and all the printables you need to make these. One page has the pianos, which you print on red card stock. The other page has the keyboards.

She used a box of Sweethearts candy that you can find on sale now. In fact, I saw them on sale at CVS for about $.33 each. Then my friend and inspiration, Linda, called me and excitedly told me she saw them at Dollar Tree for $.25 each.  Have fun!

In the next week or so I am posting the 2012 One Minute Club Card and  new game by Cecilly. If you want to receive an email every time I post, sign up for the subscription service on the right side of my blog. It is easy, private, and you can unsubscribe any time.

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 – Keyboards

Hearts and Clubs – Keyboards

A few readers wondered if I had some keyboard cards to use with the Hearts and Club Note game I posted last week. As a matter of fact, I did, but I was having a problem with what to do with the extra space on the page. I just hate to leave a space blank!

Jennifer Fox suggested I use an empty keyboard, similar to the Fly Keyboard cards, so that is what I did. You can either use it as a wild card, or take a red marker and make it whatever key you wish. Or use it for your student to draw the letters on the keys.If it is laminated, you can use it reuse it next year.

In order to play this game, you will have to use the game board for the Hearts and Club Note game. You will also find the rules for the game on that post. All you need to do is modify the game for use with the keyboard cards. You can also use these cards as flash cards, if you don’t want to play the game. And don’t forget the famous “run up to the piano and play this card as fast as you can” game!

Valentine Rhythm Hunt

Valentine Rhythm Hunt

I made this last year, using a variation of a game idea from Cecilly. All of my younger students played it at their private lesson the week of Valentine’s. They liked it so much we also played it at our performance class.

Students should be familiar with the rhythm names of notes. If they are beginners and are not secure in the names yet, use the game as a way to teach rhythm identification. It is a fast way to learn the names of notes.

Objective

• review rhythm note names by sight
• quickly identify rhythms under pressure
• play a fun, seasonal game in less than 3 minutes

Ages

• Younger children, ages 5-8

Materials Needed

• Printed Valentine rhythm cards, cut and folded, but not laminated
• stop watch or mobile phone timer

Directions

Print and cut out these Valentine rhythm cards and fold to make a tent card. Before your student arrives, place the cards around the room with the heart side facing out. Call out a rhythm value, such as “quarter note,” and start the timer. Have your student quickly find all the notes of that value. If you have time, your students can hunt for other note values. Depending on the age of the students, don’t hide them too carefully or they will not be able to find them! It is so much fun to watch them quickly run around the room looking for notes!

Children love this game. It can be used at an individual lesson or with a group. For a non-seasonal version of the same game, see Cecilly’s game, Quarter Note Hunt.

Snowmen and Reindeer Game-Notes

Student playing the game with Bastien flash cards, sand timer, and a magnetic wand

I’ve had a lot of fun playing my new games with my students. But more importantly, it has been such a good way to evaluate what my younger students remember, and how quickly they know the answer.

Reading music is more than just knowing note names. However, students have to learn notes or how can they do theory or move their hands around the keyboard?

As I evaluated my younger students, I noticed some  were  counting up the staff or saying sentences (All Cows Eat Grass and so on.) All my careful teaching of guide notes seemed to be a flop. I want students to know notes instantly. But it takes  time, maybe more than 4 years (gasp!) for many students to be able to remember from week to week the  notes on the staff. So new teachers, if you are frustrated that your students cannot identify notes quickly, or knows them at one lesson and forgets the next, don’t give up on them. Keep at it, don’t push too hard, and eventually it will happen.

As a matter of fact, I have decided that I need to work more on guide notes, so after Christmas I’m going to get out my 3 C’s activity, (a free download that you tape together) plus make a game just for guide notes. Does anyone think that guide notes are not as great for learning notes as maybe they first thought? I’m starting to wonder.

Snowmen and Reindeer Games

Well, that was a long introduction to get us to this last game in my series of Snowmen and Reindeer Games. I like this game because I am able to choose just the 7 cards I want to work on. You can throw in ledger lines if your student is far enough along. I even have a beginner who used keyboard flashcards since he hasn’t learned notes yet.

I don’t have flash cards made to go with this game because I have posted so many flash cards already, and besides, what teacher doesn’t have flash cards. If you have commercial flash cards, use them face up, since the answers are on the back of the cards!

Snowmen and Reindeer Games – Notes

Objective

• learn to identify notes on a grand staff quickly by sight
• practice fine motor speed and coordination
• develop confidence by knowing note names
• quickly identify notes under pressure
• play a fun seasonal game in less than 3 minutes at an individual music lesson

Ages

• Children, ages 6-10  who like cartoon graphics

Materials Needed

• Printed game board
• 7 flash note cards,  A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, in any clef
• Sand timer or stop watch
• Bingo chips

Directions

Give the student a set of  flash cards, placed face up if the answer is on the back. Let the student turn over the sand timer, as they think it’s fun.  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 in the fastest time possible. Repeat if you have time.

Free metronome app

Metronome Plus, the very nice metronome iPhone app for music teachers (because it is simple and well designed,) is FREE through this weekend in the Apple app store.  Joe, the designer, sent me this info and asked me to share. Now’s a great time to try it out. [Ed: this offer has expired, but check out the app anyway if you're looking for a metronome.]]

Snowmen and Reindeer Games – Intervals

Here is the second game in a set of 3 Christmas games. This one is a review of intervals, thanks to a suggestion from another teacher.

Snowmen and Reindeer Interval Game

You will need at least 7 interval flash cards for this game. Below is the set I use,  but you can make your own set if you want to modify the game. Many commercial flash card sets include intervals, so check and see if you already have some.

Snowman and  Reindeer Interval Game Flash Cards

Students should be familiar with intervals from seconds to octaves or know how to count up the lines and spaces to identify intervals. The best way to learn intervals is to recognize the patterns of lines to spaces.  However, young children often forget this so I let them count the more difficult intervals until they can remember the patterns.

Sometimes I use this rhyme for 3rds: Line to line,  everything is fine. Space to space, everything is in its place.

Objective

•  learn to identify intervals quickly by sight
• review intervals from 2nds to octaves if the student already knows them
• learn how to count lines and spaces to identify intervals
• practice fine motor speed and coordination
• quickly identify intervals under pressure
• play a fun seasonal game in less than 3 minutes at an individual music lesson

Ages

• Children, ages 7-10  who like cartoon graphics
• Some younger children can play if given lots of time

Materials Needed

• Printed game board
• Interval flash cards from 2nd to octave.
• 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.

Tomorrow I will post the note version of this game.

I have a large set of interval flash cards (3 pages) that I made some years back. I was going to leave a link for these cards, but I discovered that I have never posted them! So I  made this smaller file instead.

Snowmen and Reindeer Games – Rhythm

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Every Christmas WordPress lets a little snow fall on their blogs. Hover over the picture at the top of the slide show and you will see snow begin to fall.

I designed these 3 Christmas games as timed games because students like to play against the clock and I haven’t done that lately.  Today I am posting the rhythm version of this set.

Students should be familiar with the rhythm values of notes and rests. Be sure to mention these are the values in 4/4 time.

Snowmen and Reindeer Rhythm Game

I have tested these games with students in grades 1-4 and they have liked them. As a matter of fact, we test  every game before I post it!

I have an inexpensive 1 minute sand timer  that I bought from a school supply store, but I also have been using the stop watch timer on my phone. Most of the time  we  use both,  because they love the novelty factor of the sand timer. In fact, I think that’s one reason they like this game so much!

You will need at least 7 rhythm flash cards for this game. I am posting the set I use, but you can make your own set if you want to modify the game.

Cards for Snowmen and Reindeer Rhythm Game

Students should be familiar with the rhythm values of notes and rests. Since note valued change depending on the meter, be sure to mention these are the values in 4/4 time.

Objective

•  review rhythm values in 4/4 time
• practice fine motor speed and coordination
• quickly identify rhythm values under pressure
• to play a fun seasonal game in less than 3 minutes at an individual music lesson

Ages

• Younger children, ages 5-9  who like cartoon graphics

Materials Needed

• Printed game board
• Flash cards with individual rhythm values to match the numbers on the game board
• Sand timer or stop watch
• Bingo chips

Directions

Give the student a set of rhythm flash cards. Set the timer.  The student quickly draws a flash card and places a bingo chip on the corresponding number of beats the note gets in 4/4 meter. The object is to cover all the numbers on the game board in the fastest time possible. Using a stop watch, let the student try 3 times to increase their speed.

The game is more challenging if there are more flash cards than there are spaces on the board. I’ve tried it both ways and for the younger children  I settled on 7 cards, enough cards to cover the board. My students wanted to play it several times as I timed them on my phone stopwatch. One of my students said he liked it because it was “different.” Sometimes my older students see my games and want to play, too, especially in a private lesson when they don’t have to act older than they are. I try to think of ways to make the game harder for them.

Tomorrow I will post the interval version of this game.

As a music educator, I know how important it is to know the objectives of educational games and activities. That is why I am going to try to post the objectives of each game from now on, if I have time. If you find this useful, please leave some feedback in the comment section.

A List of Christmas and Seasonal Printables

Ornament Bingo

I have a new student who is learning the letter names of piano keys. I was looking at my website trying to find something, and I found this game I posted last year. Last year I used green and red M&M’s as the bingo tokens. You can use the alphabet letters from my last post as calling cards.

I’m sorry I don’t have anything new for you today. But I thought I’d list some of my holiday season games here to make it easier for you to find something you might be able to use.  These printables include games for individuals or groups, composing activities for beginners, and worksheets. Some of the links below take you to the original blog post with a link to my website, and some take you directly to my website. Once on my website, click preview to download the item. Directions to the games are found by searching on this blog. Everything is free, but donations to help with running the site are greatly appreciated!  I want to thank from the bottom of my heart all of you who are supporting the site to keep it going as a resource for teachers all over the world. My only goal is to make piano lessons and music theory so much fun that children will love coming to lessons; that they will put their own children in piano so the legacy we love so much will continue.

In addition to the seasonal  games  and worksheets on my website, there are also 16 elementary Christmas songs and carols. I am working on some more carols and adding some more games, so check back.

Christmas Worksheet

Ornament Notes mixed up

Color the Chanukah Gift

Peppermint Notes

Ornament notes

Musical Christmas Lights

Draw the Ornaments

Gingerboy Keys

Light up the Tree

Christmas Musical Symbols Vocabulary

Make your own worksheet

Christmas Train Composing Activity

Christmas Note Bingo

Christmas Tree Vocabulary

Christmas Tune Game

Golden Menorah composing activity

Silly Sentences for Christmas

(be sure to download the cards that go with this)

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.