Category Archives: For During the Lesson

Improvisation Yields Creativity and Musical Understanding

By joy (admin) | Published: 9 July 2010
The benefits of including improvisation activities in piano lessons. The freedom to explore and be creative. Discovering musical concepts on your own. Developing your musical ear. Playing by ear. Composing an original composition.
Also posted in Beginners/Elementary Level, By Student's Level, Composition, Ideas, Improving as a Teacher, Improvisation, My Students, Topics in Teaching Piano | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Just Added: Scales & Primary Chords Worksheet 1 (CGDF)

By joy (admin) | Published: 21 June 2010
Also posted in Advanced Level, By Student's Level, Ideas, Intermediate Level, Studio Class / Group Lessons, piano camps, printables, worksheets | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My Thoughts on Practice Requirements

By joy (admin) | Published: 11 June 2010
Many of you may remember being required by your piano teachers growing up to practice a certain amount of minutes each day/week.  Perhaps your requirement looked something like this: 15 minutes a day, 140 minutes each week, or 45 minutes, 5 days a week. One of my previous teachers built her incentive program around how [...]
Also posted in Ideas, Improving as a Teacher, Motivation, Topics in Teaching Piano, incentive programs, practicing | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Fun tip

By joy (admin) | Published: 28 May 2010
Today I just thought I’d share a fun little tip I learned from one of my students this week!  Yes, you read that right: she taught me.  =)  She is a young beginner student, just learning how to read music on the staff.  She informed me that she came up with a way for remembering [...]
Also posted in Beginners/Elementary Level, By Student's Level, Ideas, My Students, inspiration | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

May 20-27 Free Giveaway: Drawing Music Symbols Boards

By joy (admin) | Published: 20 May 2010
I am excited to announce the first ever free giveaway on the Color In My Piano blog!  *drumroll…* THREE lucky winners will each be mailed a pair of laminated boards for learning and drawing music symbols.  (You may recall when I blogged about these boards here. I am keeping my set, of course, but I [...]
Also posted in Games, Ideas, Studio Class / Group Lessons, What I'm Up To, giveaways, piano camps | Tagged , , , , | 20 Comments

Just added: Performing at the Piano Worksheet

By joy (admin) | Published: 29 April 2010
Just added: a new free, printable worksheet called: >  Performing at the Piano Worksheet Just in time for the spring recital season, this fill-in-the-blank worksheet is intended to help prepare students for an upcoming recital or other performance by discussing stage presence and performance etiquette. Terms/concepts covered in the worksheet: Memorizing Applause Bowing Checking the [...]
Also posted in Advanced Level, Beginners/Elementary Level, By Student's Level, Ideas, Intermediate Level, Memorization, Recitals / Performances, Studio Class / Group Lessons, Topics in Teaching Piano, printables, worksheets | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Follow-up on Recording Students Before Performances

By joy (admin) | Published: 19 April 2010
I don’t know about you, but I have some students who are participating in a spring performance coming up soon!  Last week, I recorded my student Jean playing her recital piece during her lesson (click to read more about recording students as preparation for performances).  Then we spent some time listening and discussing the recording. [...]
Also posted in Ideas, Motivation, My Students, Recitals / Performances, Technology, What I'm Up To | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Preparing for Student Recitals: Recording!

By joy (admin) | Published: 16 April 2010
Many of us teachers are probably currently preparing our student for spring recitals, so today I thought it might be beneficial to discuss a way of preparing for performances: recording your students playing their pieces, and then listening to the playback together. Benefits of Recording The student practices performing. Playing for a recording device can [...]
Also posted in Advanced Level, Beginners/Elementary Level, By Student's Level, Ideas, Improving as a Teacher, Intermediate Level, Interpretation, Recitals / Performances, Studio Class / Group Lessons, Technology, Topics in Teaching Piano, practicing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Just Added: Write In The Barlines #2

By joy (admin) | Published: 5 April 2010
That’s right, a new free printable worksheet has just been added to the Printables >Worksheets page: Write In the Barlines #2 This worksheet is for use after using the Write In the Barlines #1 worksheet.  This time, students must draw the barlines through both staves of the grand staff instead of through just one staff.  This [...]
Also posted in Beginners/Elementary Level, By Student's Level, Group Keyboard, Ideas, Intermediate Level, Studio Class / Group Lessons, Topics in Teaching Piano, music theory, printables, worksheets | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Play forte – but NOT accented…

By joy (admin) | Published: 2 April 2010
You know, learning to play an instrument is all about making breakthroughs.  There are so many things to consider and train yourself to do.  It’s a complicated process!  You are never done learning.  There’s always room for improvement. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been realizing that when I play forte on the piano — [...]
Also posted in Advanced Level, Beginners/Elementary Level, By Student's Level, Ideas, Improving as a Teacher, Intermediate Level, Interpretation, Posture at the Piano, Topics in Teaching Piano | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment
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