At the beginning of each lesson, I’ve started having my students draw a popsicle stick from a container on the piano. Each popsicle stick has one of the following written on it: 1. Chords 2. Rhythmic Dictation 3. Rhythm and Pulse 4. Vocabulary 5. Melodic Dictation 6. Sight-read 7. Play A Game 8. Written Theory […]
Teaching
Black Key Songs
Here’s a helpful list of songs that can be played using only the black keys on the piano. From almost the very first lesson, I like to have students working on picking out songs by ear. This will be a great list to keep on hand!
Images In Music
Want a dose of inspiration as you start your New Year? Head over to Mario’s Piano Podcast to watch “Images in Music” – a podcast produced by one of his students. It is excellent!
Easy Note Identification Game
Go check out The Piano Player at Funbrain. It’s a super simple note identification game. Just watch a note appear on the staff and then identify it on the keyboard below. Easy enough for any student to understand and drill their note identification skills!
European and American Music and Christianity
[Natalie’s Note: Mike Ellis is at it again – researching and writing on facets of music that often go unexplored by music teachers. In this article, he discusses some interesting correlations and raises some thought-provoking questions. If you haven’t checked out his Know Chords website, I highly recommend it. Mike has a way of presenting […]
A Customized Christmas Recital Program!
As I’ve given workshops for our local associations on how to use the computer to develop customized materials for the studio, one common desire many teachers have is to be able to make their own well-designed recital programs. In light of this, I am making available the following cover design, and corresponding files, for purchase […]
