This was one of the first games I created especially for Vibrant Music Teaching members, and it’s become a go-to resource in many studios worldwide…including mine! Here we work on counting out the intervals carefully (counting one where we are) and later on we progressed to counting them in our heads so that the students…
Colourful Keys Quick Clips
CKQC049: Building a note value tree
Here we use my proportional rhythm cards to build a tree of note values and further reinforce the relationship between the different note values. This type of exercise can help head off any note value confusion at the pass and is a great review to do before playing a rhytm/note value game. What are…
CKQC048: Working on harmony in a student’s composition
At a certain stage of my composing projects, the students need to add harmony. How you approach this will depend on the students’ level but this will show you one way I teach this part of the composing process. Another great way to work on this is to have students find out what’s happening…
CKQC047: How to use the Rhythm Vocab cards
Rhythm Vocab cards are one of the most used resources in my studio. This exercise is just one of many ways we put these cards into action. Swapping rhythm and beat helps students not only understand the words but also gives them the opportunity the be the beat and focuses their attention on how it…
CKQC046: A simple rhythm exercise for piano students
One of the beginning rhythm concepts that piano students can get tripped up by is feeling quavers (eighth notes). They can often either be too fast or uneven. This little exercise is something I do as a warm up to help students feel how the beat subdivisions and prevent quaver fever from ever taking…
CKQC045: Using dynamics to make scale practice more musical
Adding dynamics to scales and arpeggios is such a simple way to get more value out of practising scales, and make them more enjoyable – win, win. I have my students experiment with different dynamics when working on scales, although this is the most common way they practise them: with a crescendo ascending and…
CKQC044: Teaching Happy Birthday to piano students by ear
Happy Birthday is one song almost every student knows, and it’s also one every pianist should know – so that they can accompany friends/family at parties. I’ve been loosely following the Puzzle Play books by Forrest Kinney to teach many of my students to play this by ear. Each student will be different. Some…
CKQC043: Teaching piano scales with one finger from each hand
I want my students to think through their scales, not just play them. Here we’re working on scales first with just 1 finger from each hand. After this, we want on to do the “real” fingering. This exercise is just a way to get students thinking and seeing the pattern more clearly, before adding…
CKQC042: Using Create First improvisations in buddy lessons
This duet improvisation pattern is from Create First 1 by Forrest Kinney. I love simplifying these accompaniment patterns for using in buddy lessons. You’ll see I start off with my student here and then leave once she’s secure with the pattern. We also discussed (before this clip) how to land on the home note…
CKQC041: Reviewing piano posture with young students
At the start of the new year, one of the first things we do is go over the piano posture or how to sit at the piano. We start by swinging our arms around to make them free of tension, then practice lifting and dropping them so we can feel the freedom of movement….