Chord inversions are one of those stumbling blocks that gradually, and then very forcefully, starts to get in the way for intermediate students. I’ve made it my mission to nip this in the bud this year. It’s been working so well for my students, and I’m hoping I can help you with this issue too….
piano teaching
CKQC020: Improvisation “sandwiches” with repeated note embellishments
The mid-year concert at my studio is called the “January Jam”. This recital is all about creative skills and ensemble playing. This year, all my students created some form of this “improvisation sandwich” as one of their performances. To create a sandwich, they play a piece three times: Plain, as written Improvising the right hand,…
CKQC019: How I explain intervals and how I use my games lending library
Students can sometimes get confused by the way intervals are counted. It’s tempting to start counting when you move – but you actually need to count both notes when working out the interval. This game Fiendish Fishiness (found in the Vibrant Music Teaching library) provides lots of practice of intervals – as well as some bonus music…
CKQC017: Learning through listening with the rote piece ‘Dragon Dance’
Here, my student Georgia is working on Dragon Dance from Pattern Pieces 2. She was having a little trouble bringing in the right hand on time in one section. Rather than tell her where the glitch was or having her count it out, I decided in this case to give her an opportunity to listen…
CKQC016: Chop suey practice game with the practice kit
Chop Suey is a practice game from my practice kit. (Find instructions on how to make your own practice kit here.) Games like this keep students focussed and attentive during their practice time. The more varied their practice is, the more they have to keep their brains awake for the duration of their practice. Lily…
CKQC015: Playing side by side to improve piano student rhythm
My student Amelia was having a little trouble following the rhythm in this piece which is at the beginning of the Piano Safari book. She was doing something many students have a tendency to in the beginning: playing repeated notes more quickly than other notes. I believe they do this because these parts are “easy”,…
CKQC005: The sheer joy of piano pattern pieces
This post is the fifth in the video series: Colourful Keys Quick Clips. You can catch all the quick clips published so far by clicking here. In the last two quick clips, I shared some of my specific rote teaching strategies. In this video – I want you to see what rote pieces can do….
CKQC004: Teaching piano by rote and pattern
This video is the fourth in the series: Colourful Keys Quick Clips. You can catch all the quick clips published so far by clicking here. This rote piece from Piano Safari is always a hit with students and makes a fantastic first recital piece too. My student absolutely FLYING through this, many students would just…
CKQC003: Hand tapping as a rote teaching aid
This video is the third in the video series: Colourful Keys Quick Clips. You can catch all the quick clips published so far by clicking here. When you’re teaching pattern pieces you sometimes need to employ a rote teaching aid to help you on your way. Anything you can do to make the learning easier…
CKQC002: Fun music theory with gamified time signatures
This video is the second in the new series, Colourful Keys Quick Clips. You can catch all the quick clips published so far by clicking here. As many of you know, I’m big on games, and today I want to give you a taste of what it’s like to teach music theory through games. This…