Snowflake Keyboard Note Race

Snowflake Keyboard Note Race

It is the last lesson before  the holidays and you want to do something different. This is a fun game that is the same game as the  Shamrock Keyboard Race  game I posted last year except it has  a snowflake graphic. Maybe you never got around to playing it last year, so now you can play it before  the holidays and even into the winter months.

Print 2 pages of the cards and cut them out.  Give one set to the student and the other set to the teacher. Both players sit on the piano bench with their own set of cards, which have been shuffled.  Each player has a set of cards on his side of the piano.  Players take turns  drawing a card and moving a pawn to the key they draw.  The player on the right side always moves to the left and the player on the left side always moves to the right , with both players moving toward the middle.  The first player to pass the middle (either middle C or middle E; you can decide) is the winner.

You may run out of cards before you get to the middle, so you can turn the cards over and start again, or you can print out more cards and play past middle C and down to the other end of the keyboard.

I added an F# and Bb card to the deck, but I will not use it with beginning students. I included it just in case you play this with a student who is starting to learn sharps and flats.

If you have ever discovered that your student doesn’t know the names of the piano keys, this game will really teach it to him quickly!

Color the Chanukah Gift

Color the Chanukah Gift

What was the hardest part for the non-Jewish person in making a Chanukah worksheet? Was it drawing a dreidel? Was it writing in Hebrew on the dreidel? Was it trying to draw a box in perspective? The answer is no to all of that. The hardest thing is trying to figure out what is the best way to spell Chanukah!

However you spell it, this is a worksheet for all the Jewish children who get tired of coloring Christmas trees. I hope there are some out there who can use it. 

Last year I posted a composing activity for Chanukah. Check it out if you have some students who might be interested.

Light Up the Tree

WordPress, the host of this blog, has an interesting announcement. You can now sign up for email notices when there is a new post on my blog. Simply click on “Sign Me Up” on the right side of this page and follow the directions. I have had many teachers email me and ask if there was an easy way to receive email notification for new posts,  and now there is! This is different from the RSS subscription. By the way, I will never use your email address except to answer a message you send me.

Light Up the Tree

I have made several coloring sheets for Christmas, but they only had notes around middle C. This one has the notes from bass C to treble C. I might have students color this while they wait on their siblings or use at a group lesson. One of my students didn’t know that Christmas lights could be in color since so many people use clear lights now! 

Coming soon will be the same notes with a Chanukah theme. In the meantime, there is a Chanukah composing activity on my website.

Some Thanksgiving Worksheets

Last year I polished up and I posted some Thanksgiving worksheets that I had used over the years. I have so much material on my website that it is hard to find some of the older things, so I am reposting them today. You won’t need all of these, but you can pick and choose what intrests you. I plan to use some of them at my group lessons right before Thanksgiving.

Turkey Notes

This is a quick worksheet for beginners who are just learning the names of their notes. You can also use it to play games or to pass out at a group lesson. Be sure to print in landscape mode.

Funny Thanksgiving Food

I was in a whimsical mood when I made this. (I’m usually in a whimsical mood. I don’t know when I’ll grow up!) If you have some younger students who are still learning their keys on the piano, they will enjoy this. You can also use it with your own young children and let them color the funny food.

Color the Feathers

This is another worksheet that you can use at group lessons or with your own children. Be sure and check out the black and white version if you want them to color the entire thing. This is also something you can give to children who are waiting for  other siblings and have nothing to do.   

Turkey Find the Notes

It is real easy to set your PDF dialog box to 2 on a page and save some paper. Then you can use it for several weeks to see if your student’s time improves. 

Usually Thanksgiving gets lost in piano lessons as we prepare for Christmas so I hope you enjoy the change of pace.

La Notación Musical La Notation Musicale

La Notación Musical

There are many readers of this blog who are from Spanish and French speaking countries. I have previously posted German notation and that has been a big hit. I am not an expert on music notation, but I think today’s post  will be helpful for our friends south of the border and across the ocean. Check out some of my posts on games using the music alphabet for ways to use this music notation. Also, let me know if I have not use the correct words!  Please do not post these images on your own website. Instead, you may use a link back to here.  Thanks!

Flashcard Basketball

Cecilly has a new game and she gave me permission to post it here. I have used the nerf basket ball in my studio before and the boys really love it! I like Cecilly’s twist on the game. She always comes up with such good ideas. Here is her version in her own words.  I agree that flash cards are a lot more fun when you make a game out of them.

Flashcard Basketball

You’ll need a Nerf basketball hoop (or something to shoot the ball into),
ball, the piano bench or floor space, and the flashcards.

Mount the hoop on the door and position the bench at the spot where the
student will take their shots from (this is their free throw line so to speak).
Place the flash cards face up randomly on the bench. If you’re using numerous
cards, they can be placed in layers. The student stands at the bench and draws
cards one at a time, but only after answering 4 cards correctly can they take a
shot. Whether they make the shot or not, after they shoot, those answered cards
are set aside and 4 more are answered. Any cards answered incorrectly or
unanswered, can be retaught and then placed back into the mix of cards on the
bench. Allow the student to play as long as you wish, 4 cards at a time. Award
whatever you wish (points, bucks, treats, etc.) for each successful shot.

I played this with 4 different students and we got through about 25 cards or so in
just a minute or two. The kids liked it waaaaay better than my just flashing
the cards to them at the piano for them to answer.

Enjoy!

Cecilly

Jewel Notes

Jewel Notes

 I like to use a variety of seasonal grand staves in private and group lessons for dictation,  learning note names, steps and skips, etc.

Recently my husband presented me with these stones he found. My husband is not a musician, but he loves all my games and is always trying to help me think of new ones.  I was so excited to get these stones because I love the color and they feel so good in the hand. I promptly made this staff and called it Jewel Notes. The stones are flat on the bottom and sit very nicely on the paper.

I used it in various ways with my group lessons. With one group I played a short group of notes that were stepping,  skipping, and repeating and the students took dictation using the stones. For older groups I made the dictation more difficult.  With another group I had students come and play a short pattern and the students wrote it with their stones. My students shared my enthusiasm for the stones!

There are hundreds of ways to use a grand staff, because, after all, if you don’t understand the staff, you can’t read music. You can use this to find landmark notes, learn the name of notes,  take music dictation, and even just to learn lines and spaces. It can be used with beginners to high school students. This is a great way to review for the ear-training portion of the Texas State Theory Test.

If you want to use this, print it in landscape and laminate it. If you don’t have any little glass stones, make some with construction paper or find something creative. I think it would be fun to have different colors of “jewels” and let the students choose.

On my website I have grand staves for various holidays as well as a plain black one. The idea is you can use seasonal items, such as candy, for your notes. This one doesn’t look much like October, but there is one on my website that is orange and you can use Candy Corn as the notes.

Cover the Key Game

Cards  for Cover the Keys Game

Every beginner’s first challenge is to learn the names of the keys on the piano. I think the fastest way to learn is to make a game of it, such as Cover the Keys. In the past I called out letters and the student would cover them with large plastic tokens that I bought at Staples.   

Recently I decided it would be more fun to select alphabet cards rather than calling them out, so I made some I could  use for a long time. 

To play this game, laminate the cards,  cut them out, and put them in a small bowl.  Laminate and print out one game board for each student. Students take turns  drawing the alphabet cards  and then covering the correct key on the Cover the Keys game board.  I still use my colorful  plastic tokens to cover the keys,  but I made the cards small enough to use as  tokens on the game board if you would rather do that.

In an individual lesson, I play along with the student.  One of my students is  just learning the notes, so I had to help her out.  After playing the game a few time, I didn’t need to help her because she had learned all the keys. How’s that for quick learning? When you take turns drawing the cards  there is an element of luck involved, and she was tickled to actually beat me!

If you play this game with a lot of students, be sure to print enough of the alphabet cards, especially if you use them as tokens.  I’ve actually never used the wild card, but since there was a space, I made one. It is certainly optional, and depends on how much time you have to play the game.

If you notice, I have the keys grouped into two and three black key groupings. If they learn that the group of two starts with C and the group of 3 starts with F, it helps them learn the keys faster. You can go to the piano before or after you play the game and have the student play CDE and then FGAB all the way up the piano. Little children, especially, need to relate the game board to an actual piano!

If you want an European version of the music alphabet, please send me an email and I will send you one. Tell me what you would like on it.

Fish Music Flash Cards

 Fish Flash Cards

These are the cards that go to a flash card fishing game my students like to play. As you can tell, I drew these fish myself on the computer, but I had a lot of fun drawing them. In my mind, I gave each fish a name and a personality. By the time I got to the last page I had run out of ideas!

There are three pages for you to print. I laminated mine and glued a paper clip to the back with my hot glue gun. I really wish I had used a metal washer on the back because that looks a lot better. But paper clips are inexpensive,  and most of us have them on hand.  

For a long time our fishing pole was a dowel with and string and a magnet on the end. A few weeks ago I found a cute toy fishing pole at a local dollar store. I really like it because students can “reel” the fish cards in. This is a game for young students, so they like to reel in the fish!

There are so many different variations  you can play with this game, depending on the age of your student and how much time you have. I usually put the cards face down on the floor and have the student reel in one at a time. I give the student a time limit to catch and identify the note. Sometimes I keep a record for the week to see who can identify the most cards in a given time.  If students are just learning the notes, they do better if they are not timed.

If you have a great idea for a fun game with these cards, please pass it along to all our readers. Many of you are so creative with ideas for games! I would like to thank Cecilly for giving me the idea to make these cards.

Table Top Keyboard

Table Top Keyboard

I have some large colored bingo chips that I bought at Staples in the teacher supply section. This paper keyboard is large enough for those chips. Print it out in landscape on card stock, cut it out, laminate it, and tape it together. Then you can spend some off-bench time with your student learning the names of keys, steps and skips, and intervals. Children need to get away from the piano some, especially children with different learning styles. Children who learn kinetically do a lot better if they can place a manipulative on a keyboard and move it around.

If you don’t have any bingo chips, cut out some colored paper into circles that will fit this keyboard.

This graphic can also be used by young children to write the names of the keys. If you do this, you can print it with  economy mode  of your printer on inexpensive paper or even the back of paper you’re discarding. I never throw away a piece of paper if I’ve only used one side!

Ledger Line Flash Cards

 

Ledger Line Flash Cards

I still remember the day as a student when I counted down ledger lines to find a low bass note one time too many. After all, I had found the note the day before, but I couldn’t remember it. In disgust, I decided right then that I would memorize the bass and treble ledger line notes so well that I would never forget them. It was such a relief and I remember wondering why I didn’t do it earlier!

As a teacher I work with my beginning students using flash cards, worksheets and what have you,  and so many times assume my intermediate students will learn their ledger line notes on their own. From my own experience this does not always happen, so this year I am going to use these flash cards with my older students.

There are 3 pages for you to print. If you plan to use these regularly, be sure and laminate them in some way if you print them on a home printer. If you don’t, the ink will smear. Also, check to make sure your PDF document window shows that you are printing at 100% size. One day everything was printing out too small and I found that was the problem.

Many thanks to my friend Glenda who suggested I make these cards.

One Minute Club

One Minute Club Cards

I’ve mentioned before that I owe the esteemed pedagogue Jane Bastien a big favor, because she is the teacher who gave me the idea for the One Minute Club that I have been doing in my studio for years. If my students can say and play grand staff flash cards  in one minute or less, they become a “member”. The student who is the fastest is the overall winner and I give some sort of prize. This year it was a gift card to an ice cream parlor. To allow more winners, once a student has won, he or she never has to do it again, so someone else gets to win. The winner is always a high school student because at this age their motor skills are highly developed.  This year a student was able to say and play all the notes on the grand staff in 17 seconds. That’s pretty fast! I only spend about 6 weeks of the year on this activity because otherwise it becomes predictable drudgery and isn’t fun.

Elementary children have to really work to be able to get their time under a minute. I keep a yearly record and sometimes it takes several years, so once they can do it they are very proud of themselves. I make a business size card that I give to the elementary students and in the little star-burst on the right side of the card I put in the number of years they have received it. No one seems to mind that it is always a high school student who wins. It gives the young students something to look forward to, and adds a little hero worship to my studio. 

 One year a very young student was able to be a member and a few weeks later he told me he got a wallet just so he could put his card in it. I make a different card each year and I think they enjoy seeing what the card will look like each year. I tell them the cards are “collectible”. This year I used a drawing of a piano that my daughter painted for me. 

My cards are made to be printed on Avery Business Cards #5371, or a template that size.  However, if you have one of the easy to use graphic programs such as Print Shop or Publisher you can make your own cards. You can even make them in Word because there is a business card template built into the program.  You can download cute clip art from the web. If you don’t have a color printer, you can make it in black and white and use colored card stock to print the card. Write me if you need some help making your own.

I don’t have time here to go into how I prepare students to learn their notes, but this activity is not the only thing I do, especially with young students and beginners. I use all kinds of activities to get students to this point, including the games and activities I’ve posted as well as a lot of other activities. That is one reason we wait to do the One Minute Club at the end of the spring semester. What I have found over the years is that if students know the names of the notes and where they are located on the keyboard, they do better in piano lessons. While I teach by intervals and I think that is very important,  students who know their notes quickly learn their music faster and enjoy piano more, especially when they are no longer in 5-finger positions.

By the time they are teens they don’t really care about getting this card, so don’t bother to make one for this age group. They do, however, enjoy trying to beat the other high school students in how fast they can play the notes!

Third set of Notes in the Fast Lane

I’m posting the next set in the speed reading series,  Notes in the Fast Lane  Levels 9-12. There are four pages and this set each contains all the notes on the grand staff from bass G to treble F. They are  arranged in a different order on each page, but all 4 pages are of equal difficulty. Please note that this is different for the previous sets I published. This set was specifically made to  work on speed. I plan to use levels 9-12 by requiring a faster time to complete each level.  For example, the last level, Level 12 would have to completed in  35 seconds. This would be something the older students can do, and a challenge for the younger children to work toward.  It might be fun to have them work several years to complete all the levels.  Young children simply cannot write as fast as older children and what is a simple matter for a teen is quite difficult for younger child.

One way to use these sheets would be to devote a few weeks to doing them now and then do it again in April next year.  Keep a chart of each level and  next year they can see how they improved. I am going to make a 4 certificates for completion of each set and some kind of chart to help keep track.

I left this series very open ended so you can do whatever works with your studio. I’m sure every teacher will do it differently. If you have used them successfully in a different way, send me an email and I’ll post it here to share with other teachers. Let me know if I can use your name.

If you want to see the other sheets in the series, you can find Levels 1-4 here and Levels 5-8 here. Each set of four has a different colored border.

Many teachers have downloaded the Mother’s Day composing activity on the staff. I have had many teachers ask me for a Father’s Day activity. I’m putting a poll here to see if the majority of teachers prefer a composing activity or an Elementary level song with no composing. If you would like something for Father’s Day, please spend 2 seconds to answer this poll.

Notes In the Fast Lane – levels 5-8

Notes In the Fast Lane Levels 5-8

I am finally getting around to adding the next 4 levels of Notes In the Fast Lane Levels 1-4.  Teachers have written me saying how much they like these activity sheets and asking for the next levels. I didn’t have an internet connection for a few days so I am behind in my posting.

You might notice that I changed the color for these 4 sheets. I decided that if I change color after every 4 levels, it will be easier for me to keep track of them.

Some teachers have asked me for a chart to help keep track of the level of each student. I think that is a very good idea, so I am working on it. If you want a chart, just hold on and I promise to get it up by this weekend.

Don’t forget that a lot of teachers are laminating these sheets so they can use them over and over. Other teachers may want to put them in their student’s folders or send them home so parents can see what their child  is doing. Of course, you will probably find them in the bottom of their music bags, which is why teachers always ask students to get papers signed if they really want the parents to see them! That is why a folder with each students’ compositions, papers, etc. is such a good idea if you use a lot of activity sheets.

One more thing. I don’t think Notes in the Fast Lane works well with my preschool students. I did not intend these for young students, but I tried the first sheet anyway with one of my kindergarten students who is very bright. While they did help him remember the notes, the staves are too small and they are too close together.  I’m going to make a set for pre-school children that are more child-like, but I would appreciate help from any of you (especially if you use My First Piano Adventures) as to what notes should be on each page.   I will consider what each teacher says and then try to make some pages that will work for most of us.

Let me know if these are helpful in your studio!

Notes In the Fast Lane

Notes In the Fast Lane was created for a teacher, Kathy,  who wrote me wondering if I would like to make a set of  timed progressive tests to teach students to identify notes quickly.  Her students are using something like this that she collected from various sources and they really like the challenge of moving up levels.  She thought it would be helpful to have a set written just for piano, using a grand staff.  

If you use these, you will have to decide on the score and/or time the students will have to accomplish before they move on to the next level.  Also, just because they pass a level this week doesn’t mean they will remember it next week!   I am going to require students to repeat each level over and over until they are very fast before they move on.  If they have to count up the staff to find the note name, they are not ready to move on!

Also, remember that just knowing note names does not mean a student can sight read or play with artistry. Students need to be encouraged to read music by intervals and not think of note names when they play. But they need to know note names, also, so this is to help with that part. And, of course, some students know the note names but have no idea what octave they are on the keyboard. You might even want to use these sheets in two ways, writing the notes and also playing the notes.

I created this set of 4 levels, with more to come.  I haven’t actually used them with my students,  so email me or leave a comment if you see mistakes.  Level 4 includes all the notes from bass C to treble C. Obviously I need to create a set with the other notes on the grand staff, and a set with ledger line notes, so check back here if you are interested.

Thanks to Carol for reminding me to post that these can be laminated and used over and over. That saves a lot of printing costs!

X and O’s for Tic Tac Toe

 

When I was playing Cecilly’s floor Tic Tac Toe with my students, they suggested very *vocally* (in a nice way… all my students are super nice)   I make X’s and O’s to go with the game. So I got up early this morning and created these 2 pages to cut out. As long as I have them made, I decided to post them here in case you want some, too. If they aren’t aligned quite right, it is because I was trying  to get 9 on a page, but utilize the margins for maximum size. I really wanted to make the X’s in color with some fun borders or something, but my desire to get them finished this morning outweighed my sometimes *over-the top* instincts. They print out in black and white. The green will not print out. Click this link to print them out. x-o-cards_tic_tac_toe1

My students really had fun with this game, even though it only took a few minutes. I’m going to play it all week. Thanks for all the comments on this game. It seems to be popular with a lot of teachers. And thanks to Cecilly for letting me post it here.

If you come up with some rules that make the game extra fun, post a comment or send me an email. Sometimes these games just get more and more fun and teachers add their suggestions.

Tic Tac Toe Note Toss Game

 

My friend Cecilly has been busy creating new Games by Cecilly™.  She generously shares these games with all piano teachers. This is a simple game that is with directions so easy,  even I can figure it out! (Ive never been good at reading directions and I either need a picture or some other way to learn. Teaching is all about learning styles.)  If you have some seasonal  bean bag toys such as chicks or bunnies,  set them out and ask your students to pick their favorite to toss. You can play this game at a lesson, or it could be a fun group lesson game. I took the picture above with one of my bean bag toys I keep in the studio just for fun. 

You might wonder how this is any different from just doing flash cards sitting at the piano. Well, this gets the student off the bench and in a different frame of mind. It breaks up the routine and makes piano lessons more fun.

Here are the directions from Cecilly:

Materials needed: 9 note flash cards, a bean bag to toss.

Set up: Place 9 note flash cards face up or face down on the floor in a tic tac toe grid fashion.

To Play: The student stands at a distance and tosses the bean bag to the grid of cards. Which ever card the bean bag lands on is the one the student must name (or play on the piano). If correct, Turn the card over. If incorrect, remove the card.

 

Continue, having the student toss, trying to win a 3 in a row, or until all cards have been landed on and named/played.     -Cecilly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sharps and Flats for Keyboard Toss Game

For lack of a better name, I’m calling the cards in today’s post,  Sharps and Flats for the Keyboard Toss Game.

Sometimes older students (or students who have been taking longer) see some of the activities I do with beginning students and want to play, too, so I try to think of ways to modify the game for them. With this in mind, I made some sharp and flat cards to go with Cecilly’s  Keyboard BeanBag Toss . 

Here are the directions.

Print and cut out the cards. Laminate them if you wish, with either clear self adhesive covering or a laminating machine.

Scatter the cards on the floor. Put a large size keyboard (which I posted last week) on the floor. The students tosses a bean bag to a card. Then he takes the card and places it on correct key on the floor keyboard.

Now you can get creative and make up the rest of the rules yourself. Most likely the student playing this game is about 9-11 years old. So I try to think of something that will appeal to that age. I like simple rules, so I might tell the student if he can finish all the cards in “x” minutes, he gets to choose the order of his lesson, or he doesn’t have to play one of his pieces, etc. Sometime I tell them that no student has done it any faster than “x” minutes, and they try to break the record, as they do in video games. Children (especially boys)  around the 5th grade and up aren’t that interested in stickers as prizes, at least around here. But they have a great and  quirky sense of humor. It is really up to the teacher to make this kind of activity fun.

If you play this and have an idea that works well,  pass it on to the rest of us. Thank you, Cecilly, for the idea.

Shamrock Keyboard Game (Clover Cards)

 

Shamrock Keyboard  Game is  for students who are just learning the notes on the keyboard, or you can play it with anyone just for fun. I got the idea from Cecilly’s Sharp and Flat Race to Middle C.   I like to have a variety of seasonal and holiday activities available because I think it adds something and keeps piano lessons from becoming predictable.  This game has been so much fun with my students that I’m calling it Clover Cards and plan to use it all year round.

If you played Cecilly’s  Sharp and Flat Race  you already know the rules of this game.   If not, here is how I like to play it. 

Print out both pages on card stock and laminate. Cut out the cards and give one set to the student and and the other color  to the teacher or another student.  Both players sit on the piano bench. Shuffle the cards  and put a deck on each side of the piano and give each student a pawn. I have found that a removable eraser makes the perfect pawn. It’s not too big and doesn’t fall off the keys.  Each player takes turns drawing a card and moving their pawn.  The player on the right side always moves to the left and the player on the left side always moves to the right , with both players moving toward middle C. The first player to pass middle C is the winner.

Here is a picture of my student playing the Sharp and Flat Race Game. I posting so you can see how well a pencil eraser works as a pawn. Sorry for the poor quality picture.

You may run out of cards before you get to middle C, so you can turn the cards over and start again, or you can print out more cards and play past middle C and down to the other end of the keyboard.

I added an F# and Bb card to the deck, just in case you want it. I will probably not use it, but it might be a good way to introduce the two accidentals that are used first in a lot of method books.

Students will always want to play again, so switch sides and try again. This is a quick game, it doesn’t get the student too excited, and really does teach help them learn the keyboard. It is a good game to play if you have a minute or two left before the next lesson. If you have an older student, try Cecilly’s Sharp and Flat Race to Middle C.

Valentine Note Hunt

 

This is the time of the year I want to make sure my students are learning the names of their notes. I have a One Minute Club contest (the idea is from Jane Bastien) the last 6 weeks of lessons, and I want everyone to be prepared. I also have a lot of students who wait for siblings during their lessons. I’m going to laminate this and let them practice the Valentine Note Hunt  while they wait. Then I’ll time them with the stop watch on my phone at the start of their lesson. For students who don’t have to wait on siblings, I’ll do this with them.

Students are really liking the laminated worksheets that they can erase if they make a mistake. It is saving me a lot of ink, too. Plus I don’t run out of worksheets! Whoever gave me that idea, thanks so much. I’m sorry I can’t remember who it was.