As you digest and enjoy the seemingly endless leftovers from the festive season, I thought you might like some reading material to go with your pie. These 10 posts were the most popular piano teaching articles on the Colourful Keys blog this year.
Make sure you didn’t miss any of these essential piano teaching articles. There’s freebies, tips and tutorials galore; and you might just find some new inspiration for the new year.
10. Grand Staff Twister
These games are super fun for any group lesson or camp. Being able to “step into” the staff can really help kids to see the logic on the grand staff. And when it clicks, it’s magic.
9. Garageband to the Rescue
This piano lesson plan is great for teen students. Using garageband to build up a chord progression is not only fun and rewarding, but encompasses so much music theory as well.
8. 3 Ways to Solve the 30 Minute Time Crunch
It’s not surprising this post made it into the top 10. One of the biggest frustrations I hear from piano teachers is how they can possibly fit everything into the 30 minute lesson. Check this post out for 3 creative solutions to this problem.
7. Symbol Splash
My students love this game – and it seems so do piano students all over the world! The element of falling in the water is the best part and helps to build the music theory tension.
6. Rhythm Vocabulary Cards
Rhythm Vocab cards are super adaptable to your particular teaching style. They provide a quick and easy way to practice rhythm in the lesson and at home. My students who use these have a fantastic sense of rhythm and beat – try them out in your studio!
5. Scale Level Charts
I love my scale level system, and I’m so glad other teachers do too. Getting kids to practice their scales is so much easier when you gameify the learning. These levels make that super easy to do, with very little teacher prep.
4. iPad apps for Piano Teachers
The iPad is very popular among piano teachers (with good reason!). In this post I share my favourite iPad apps for piano teachers. Check it out – some of them might surprise you. 😉
3. 7 Ways to Practice Scales
Never ask your students to “try that scale one more time”. Instead try switching it up with one of these creative scale practice strategies and keep your students on their toes.
2. Practice Kits
The runner-up post for this year was these practice kits. By making practice into a game, your students will find their way to the piano bench more often, and make more progress once they get there.
1. Piano Puzzle Flashcards
Number 1 with a bang was the Piano Puzzle Flashcards! These neat little cards with foam backing are a fantastic way to get your students to make a direct connection between the grand staff and the piano keys.
Use your holidays to put some together, and surprise your students with them at the first lesson back. Print out the timelog sheet to make it even more fun. 🙂
What was your favourite piano teaching article this year?
I always love getting more inspiration to fuel my teaching fire. What idea or article did you love this year? What had the biggest impact on your studio or teaching?