Theory Activities and More!
There are many aspects about music and the piano itself that children can learn in a variety of ways.
About the Piano - I love the Piano Technician's Guild Resources for Students. You can learn the science behind a piano, read through fact sheets, play games, and complete activities including piano origami! http://www.ptg.org/Scripts/4Disapi.dll/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=181&MenuKey=Menu1
Playing the Piano with your WHOLE body - click the picture to the left to download my "What Do You Need to Play a Piano?" activity.
Posture - Many primers cover this in the first few pages. There are many ideas and resources out there like Faber's "Sitting at the Piano" http://pianoadventures.com/guide/04_sitting_at_the_piano.html
Finger Numbers - In addition to the first activities of most primers, there are many things you can do to help children learn their fingers numbers. Some favorites include:
- Learning "Where is Thumbkin?" be chaning the names to One-Man, Two-Man, etc...
- Playing "Simon Says" with requests like "Simon Says wiggle finger 3s" or "Simon says point with finger 5s"
- Joy Morin created "Finger Twister" - http://pianoadventures.com/guide/06_finger_numbers.html
- Faber has many wonderful ideas at http://pianoadventures.com/guide/06_finger_numbers.html
Musical Alphabet/Naming Piano Keys -
- Flip-a-Note Keyboard: I like to send my new students home with a flip-a-key keyboard (.pdf below). It's a two page file. You simply cut around
the keys of the 1st page, glue down the rest of the paper to the second page, and then your students can guess what letter a key is and flip it up to see if they are right or wrong.
- Keyboard Race: Similar to Joy Morin's Amazing Keyboard Race http://colorinmypiano.com/2012/03/15/the-amazing-keyboard-race/, I use personalized markers by gluing a picture of a student's face (with Elmer's clear glue) to the bottom of a clear stone. The students get a kick out of seeing their face through the stone, and they definately know who's piece is whose. I have later sent these home with magnets on the back or in a little baggie with home-use directions.
- I love Tonic Tutor's "Piano Keys"
- Keyboard Laminate - Using a laminated paper of a keyboard and flashcards or a spinner with A-G, I have students use dry-erase markers to identify notes.
- Blind Note Hunt - Similar to Bastien Primer page 15, I will blindfold a student so he/she cannot see the keyboard and then have him/her identiy notes by the feel of white/black key patterns.
- Many of the Naming the Staff Notes links below also offer worksheets for naming piano keys
Counting/Notes Values
- Heart Beat Rythm Game (See Valentine's Page under Make It Fun!, then Seasonal/Theme Fun)
- It All Add's Up worksheets at http://www.makingmusicfun.net/htm/printit.htm
Naming Staff Notes - There are sooo many note naming and notespeller worksheets out there! A few sources include:
- http://www.sheetmusic1.com/NEW.CHILD.MUS.ED.HTML
- https://rcmusicstudio.musicteachershelper.com/resources
- http://www.makingmusicfun.net/htm/printit.htm
- http://www.sheetmusic1.com/NEW.CHILD.MUS.ED.HTML
- http://www.musicfun.com.au/downloads.htm
- http://www.pianolessonsinyourhome.com/lessons/kids-corner/
- http://musictechteacher.com/music_quizzes/music_quizzes.htm
- http://www.susanparadis.com/catalog.php?site=piano-teacher-resources&§ion=3&level=x&sub&subtype2=x
Flashcards - It's a great idea to have parents just buy a set of flashcards for newer students. Especially a set that contains notes, symbols, and piano terms. Free flashcards can be downloaded at http://www.makingmusicfun.net/htm/printit.htm
I also like the online flashcard games at:
Treble Clef - http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/note_naming/flash_card/note_flashcard_easytk.html
Bass Clef - http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/note_naming/flash_card/note_flashcard_easybk.html
and http://www.funbrain.com/notes/index.html
Symbol Search worksheet - test your knowledge of all you see in the grand staff at http://www.pianimation.com/2010/02/21/symbol-search-worksheets/
Chords - I just created a bass note chords worksheet (below) for a young student who enjoys composing music and learning about different keys. This offers students to choose what key, list the notes of that key, and then mark on a keyboard and staff the notes of each of the basic chords and inversions of the key.
Compositions - See Make It Fun!, then Composition Fun!
Fine Motor activities - see Make It Fun!, then Fine motor Activities
About the Piano - I love the Piano Technician's Guild Resources for Students. You can learn the science behind a piano, read through fact sheets, play games, and complete activities including piano origami! http://www.ptg.org/Scripts/4Disapi.dll/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=181&MenuKey=Menu1
Playing the Piano with your WHOLE body - click the picture to the left to download my "What Do You Need to Play a Piano?" activity.
Posture - Many primers cover this in the first few pages. There are many ideas and resources out there like Faber's "Sitting at the Piano" http://pianoadventures.com/guide/04_sitting_at_the_piano.html
Finger Numbers - In addition to the first activities of most primers, there are many things you can do to help children learn their fingers numbers. Some favorites include:
- Learning "Where is Thumbkin?" be chaning the names to One-Man, Two-Man, etc...
- Playing "Simon Says" with requests like "Simon Says wiggle finger 3s" or "Simon says point with finger 5s"
- Joy Morin created "Finger Twister" - http://pianoadventures.com/guide/06_finger_numbers.html
- Faber has many wonderful ideas at http://pianoadventures.com/guide/06_finger_numbers.html
Musical Alphabet/Naming Piano Keys -
- Flip-a-Note Keyboard: I like to send my new students home with a flip-a-key keyboard (.pdf below). It's a two page file. You simply cut around
the keys of the 1st page, glue down the rest of the paper to the second page, and then your students can guess what letter a key is and flip it up to see if they are right or wrong.
- Keyboard Race: Similar to Joy Morin's Amazing Keyboard Race http://colorinmypiano.com/2012/03/15/the-amazing-keyboard-race/, I use personalized markers by gluing a picture of a student's face (with Elmer's clear glue) to the bottom of a clear stone. The students get a kick out of seeing their face through the stone, and they definately know who's piece is whose. I have later sent these home with magnets on the back or in a little baggie with home-use directions.
- I love Tonic Tutor's "Piano Keys"
- Keyboard Laminate - Using a laminated paper of a keyboard and flashcards or a spinner with A-G, I have students use dry-erase markers to identify notes.
- Blind Note Hunt - Similar to Bastien Primer page 15, I will blindfold a student so he/she cannot see the keyboard and then have him/her identiy notes by the feel of white/black key patterns.
- Many of the Naming the Staff Notes links below also offer worksheets for naming piano keys
Counting/Notes Values
- Heart Beat Rythm Game (See Valentine's Page under Make It Fun!, then Seasonal/Theme Fun)
- It All Add's Up worksheets at http://www.makingmusicfun.net/htm/printit.htm
Naming Staff Notes - There are sooo many note naming and notespeller worksheets out there! A few sources include:
- http://www.sheetmusic1.com/NEW.CHILD.MUS.ED.HTML
- https://rcmusicstudio.musicteachershelper.com/resources
- http://www.makingmusicfun.net/htm/printit.htm
- http://www.sheetmusic1.com/NEW.CHILD.MUS.ED.HTML
- http://www.musicfun.com.au/downloads.htm
- http://www.pianolessonsinyourhome.com/lessons/kids-corner/
- http://musictechteacher.com/music_quizzes/music_quizzes.htm
- http://www.susanparadis.com/catalog.php?site=piano-teacher-resources&§ion=3&level=x&sub&subtype2=x
Flashcards - It's a great idea to have parents just buy a set of flashcards for newer students. Especially a set that contains notes, symbols, and piano terms. Free flashcards can be downloaded at http://www.makingmusicfun.net/htm/printit.htm
I also like the online flashcard games at:
Treble Clef - http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/note_naming/flash_card/note_flashcard_easytk.html
Bass Clef - http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/note_naming/flash_card/note_flashcard_easybk.html
and http://www.funbrain.com/notes/index.html
Symbol Search worksheet - test your knowledge of all you see in the grand staff at http://www.pianimation.com/2010/02/21/symbol-search-worksheets/
Chords - I just created a bass note chords worksheet (below) for a young student who enjoys composing music and learning about different keys. This offers students to choose what key, list the notes of that key, and then mark on a keyboard and staff the notes of each of the basic chords and inversions of the key.
Compositions - See Make It Fun!, then Composition Fun!
Fine Motor activities - see Make It Fun!, then Fine motor Activities
whatnoteflipkey_bw.pdf | |
File Size: | 44 kb |
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bass_clef_chords_and_inversions_for_the_key_of.pdf | |
File Size: | 187 kb |
File Type: |