Color In My Piano » music theory http://colorinmypiano.com ...a place to exchange ideas and resources for piano teaching Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:27:33 +0000 en hourly 1 DIY Floor Music Staff for $10 http://colorinmypiano.com/2012/02/06/diy-floor-music-staff-for-10/ http://colorinmypiano.com/2012/02/06/diy-floor-music-staff-for-10/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:01:43 +0000 joy (admin) http://colorinmypiano.com/?p=5549 I’ve been wanting a floor staff for a long time.  Now I finally have one!

Here’s the materials I used:

  • oblong vinyl tablecloth (mine is 52” x 90”) or a shower curtain.  (I paid $8 at Wal-Mart for my tablecloth.)
  • black masking tape, or electrical tape.  (I found a roll of black masking tape for $1.29 at my local craft store.  Masking tape is 1” wide.  If you want thinner lines, use electrical tape.)
  • ruler
  • pencil

I’m happy with my decision to go with a vinyl tablecloth over a shower curtain.  I got the tablecloth suggestion from a friend of mine from back in Michigan (thanks, Michelle!).  The vinyl is a little bit stiff which helps it stay flat on the ground (although it’s pretty wrinkly from the packaging – hopefully those little bumps will smooth out with time), and the fabric backing prevents it from slipping around on my hardwood floor.  The vinyl will be easy to sweep or wipe off if needed, and I love that my floor staff folds up easily for storage!

After some math, I determined that I would make the spaces 3.5” wide.  Using a pencil and ruler, I marked where the tape should go using a little dash every 18” or so.  I wanted to make sure the tape lines were nice and straight!

I would have liked to make the spaces larger so I originally considered using the tablecloth vertically instead of horizontally, but I also wanted to have plenty of room down the length of the tablecloth.  My own two feet don’t really fit well in the spaces, but it will probably be just the right size for my students’ little feet.  Fortunately, my beanie animals fit just right too!

The plush alphabet letters pictured in the first photo came from Goodwill.  It was a near-complete set of 2 of all 26 letters for just $1.  I removed A-G from the set and plan to give the rest to my 3-year-old nephew, who is obsessed with letters right now.  :)  If you wanted to make your own set of colorful letters, you could make them by cutting letters out of felt.

I’d like to sew some black, round bean bags to use as music note heads, but I think for now I’m going to buy a package of small black paper plates at the dollar store and cut out the middles to fit on the staff.  Another idea is to buy a package of pre-cut round foam discs from a craft store or dollar store.

Now I just need to make a treble clef and a bass clef!  I don’t think masking tape is going to work well for making the curvy treble clef shape, so I’m trying to think of an easier way.  I might just cut the clefs out of cardboard or out of a dollar store shower curtain, and then spray paint it black.  Any other ideas?

I can’t wait to show my new floor staff to my students!  I found a few floor staff games here at Jennifer’s Pianimation blog.  Please let me know if you know of some other great floor staff games.  :)

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]]> http://colorinmypiano.com/2012/02/06/diy-floor-music-staff-for-10/feed/ 6 Just Added: Musical Flashcard Sorting game http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/12/16/just-added-musical-flashcard-sorting-game/ http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/12/16/just-added-musical-flashcard-sorting-game/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:27:42 +0000 joy (admin) http://colorinmypiano.com/?p=5328 This is a simple game to play with groups of students that makes note-naming flashcards a bit more interesting.   It involves sorting the flashcards onto alphabet letter signs on the floor, as pictured on the right (the “A” flashcards would go in the blank space on the right side of the page).

The game is pretty flexible, because beforehand you can sort out exactly which flashcards you want to focus on with your students.  This also allows you to control how long you wish the game to continue.

You can also use different flashcards.  With my Homeschool Music Class this week, we used my Piano Key naming flashcards (they came with the MiniMusic set I purchased earlier this year).  With my Piano Readiness Class, we’ve been doing on-staff work so we used regular staff-note-naming flashcards (I use this set from Faber & Faber, but any flashcards will do).

Another tip with this game: if you are using the note-naming flashcards, arrange the musical alphabet signs on the floor in a column, so that A is at the bottom and G is at the top.  I recommend this because this arrangement resembles the staff, where the musical alphabet progresses vertically.  If you are using piano-key-naming flashcards, I would arrange the signs on the floor horizontally, just like the keyboard.

Download the pdf of the alphabet signs and detailed gameplay instructions by visiting the Printables > Other Resources page.  Scroll down to the M’s for “Musical Flashcard Sorting game.”

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]]> http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/12/16/just-added-musical-flashcard-sorting-game/feed/ 0 Just Added: Large Staff for Simple Compositions http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/11/04/just-added-large-staff-for-simple-compositions/ http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/11/04/just-added-large-staff-for-simple-compositions/#comments Fri, 04 Nov 2011 14:44:32 +0000 joy (admin) http://colorinmypiano.com/?p=5179 With my Piano Readiness Class, we’ve been learning about staff notation.  Last week, each student composed a mini-composition on the piano and then we together notated the piece.  We used colorful markers to label the notes (A, B, C, etc) and also wrote in finger numbers, so they can continue playing their compositions at home.  They loved the idea of being composers!

This is the sheet paper we used to notate our compositions.  Young students tend to draw rather large notes :) , so I left plenty of room between the lines of the staff.

To download, visit the Printables > Other Resources page and scroll down to “Staff Paper — Large Staff for Simple Compositions.”

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]]> http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/11/04/just-added-large-staff-for-simple-compositions/feed/ 0 Recent Purchases: Scale Blocks & A Technique Monkey http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/11/03/recent-studio-purchases-scale-blocks-a-technique-monkey/ http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/11/03/recent-studio-purchases-scale-blocks-a-technique-monkey/#comments Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:19:14 +0000 joy (admin) http://colorinmypiano.com/?p=5171 I don’t know about you, but I’m always on the lookout for creative and inexpensive items for my teaching.  The dollar store is one of my favorite places to go!

In the craft aisle at Dollar Tree right now, there are packages of foam cubes, as shown in the picture.  I’ve always wanted to make scale blocks like Natalie Wickham’s, but have never got around to buying the wood blocks and paint.  These foam cubes seem like a pretty good alternative, although they may not last as long I suppose.  On the upside, it doesn’t take long to write the alphabet letters on these little cubes with a marker!  I am going to go back to buy a couple more packages, so I can make a nice set of scale blocks using the orange colored cubes.  

With the rest of the colors, I am going to make rhythm dice, Major/minor/augmented/dimished dice, time signature dice, and whatever else I can come up with.  I’m sure they will be useful for games down the road!

Now, you may be wondering about the “technique monkey” mentioned in the title of this post.  Well, I can’t claim this idea as my own either.  Irina Gorin uses a similar monkey with her students, to teach them about arm weight.

This little friend (yes, also from the dollar store) has velcro on his paws, so you can wrap the monkey around the student’s wrist and have them swing the monkey for a ride with loose, weighty arms.  I always find teaching basic piano technique to young ages pretty challenging, so I’m happy to have any kind of prop that may help!  Once the student has experienced an awareness of arm weight away from the piano, they can hopefully begin to transfer the same feeling over to when they are at the piano.  :)

 

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]]> http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/11/03/recent-studio-purchases-scale-blocks-a-technique-monkey/feed/ 15 Just Added: Musical Alphabet Cards http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/10/28/just-added-musical-alphabet-cards/ http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/10/28/just-added-musical-alphabet-cards/#comments Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:30:27 +0000 joy (admin) http://colorinmypiano.com/?p=5127 There are others who have shared alphabet card printables similar to what I’m posting today, but I’m adding mine to the mix anyway.  :)  I wanted some that would work well to print onto colored cardstock paper.  Since I don’t have a color printer, this is an easy way I can still get colorful things to use with my students!

I used these cards with my new weekly Homeschool Music Class (just started last week, thanks to Sheryl’s recent post at her Notable Music Studio blog) and with my Piano Readiness Class.  My students LOVED making “musical alphabet snakes” in order to learn how the musical alphabet is different from the regular alphabet.  Included in the pdf is a card which outlines some other possible activities to do using the cards.  These activities work great in both group settings and private lessons.

Do you have some other activities to share that involve alphabet cards?  Share them in the comments!

To Download: visit the Printables > Other Resources page and scroll down to the M’s for Musical Alphabet Cards.

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]]> http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/10/28/just-added-musical-alphabet-cards/feed/ 2 Just Updated: Scale & Arpeggio Fingering (2 Octaves) Reference Sheet http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/06/24/just-updated-scale-arpeggio-fingering-2-octaves-reference-sheet/ http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/06/24/just-updated-scale-arpeggio-fingering-2-octaves-reference-sheet/#comments Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:43:32 +0000 joy (admin) http://colorinmypiano.com/?p=4264 Some of you may remember the Scale & Arpeggio Fingering reference sheet I posted in December of 2010. About a month ago, a friendly reader made some very helpful suggestions for improvement, and so I spent quite a bit of time revising the printable. It’s called “Scale and Arpeggio Fingering for Piano (2 Octaves)” and you can find it on the Printables > Other Resources page.

I originally created this printable with my intermediate/advanced students in mind who are working on 2- and 4- octave scales/arpeggios and have trouble keeping all their fingerings straight in their head once they start getting them under their fingers. It’s nice to have a guide tucked inside the front cover of a book to refer to now and then!

The document contains three pages:

Page 1: Rules and tricks for remembering scale and arpeggio fingerings (as shown on the right).

Page 2: A listing of the fingerings for each Major and Harmonic Minor scale/arpeggio (2-octave) for piano.

Page 3: A continuation of page 2.

Of course, there are a few different ways to finger scales and arpeggios, so I’m sorry if the fingerings listed in this printable do not correspond with the ones you prefer to teach your students. These are the ones I like to use, and I thought I’d share it with anyone who might happen to find it useful.

If anyone else finds typos or inconsistencies, please let me know! I did my best to proof-read the fingerings, but it is certainly possible that I still may have missed something!

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]]> http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/06/24/just-updated-scale-arpeggio-fingering-2-octaves-reference-sheet/feed/ 2 Just Added: Introduction To The Staff Worksheet http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/04/04/just-added-introduction-to-the-staff-worksheet/ http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/04/04/just-added-introduction-to-the-staff-worksheet/#comments Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:02:53 +0000 joy (admin) http://colorinmypiano.com/?p=3893 A new worksheet has just been added to the Printables > Worksheets page called:

Introduction To The Staff Worksheet

This worksheet is appropriate for beginners who are ready to be introduced to staff notation.  It is appropriate for use in both private and group settings.

Terms used in this worksheet:

  • line notes
  • space notes
  • treble clef
  • bass clef
  • middle C

Students are instructed to draw the items from the list above onto the staff provided.  This worksheet is great for use especially with visual and tactile learners, who benefit from drawing and seeing each symbol on paper.

To download the worksheet, click the link above and scroll down to the I’s.

Enjoy!

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]]> http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/04/04/just-added-introduction-to-the-staff-worksheet/feed/ 5 Q&A Forum | Do your students undergo standardized testing? http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/02/22/qa-forum-do-your-students-undergo-standardized-testing/ http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/02/22/qa-forum-do-your-students-undergo-standardized-testing/#comments Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:26:20 +0000 joy (admin) http://colorinmypiano.com/?p=3615

Last week we had some great replies to the question about what level of recital music to assign. Here’s our new forum question for this week!  I have really enjoyed hearing you responses the last few weeks.  Keep it up!

Do your students undergo standardized testing?  Why or why not?  If you do, which testing(s) do you use (MTNA testing for your state in the U.S., RCM/NMCP, Piano Guild, etc.)?  Do you require it of all your students or is it optional?  What benefits do you see in doing testing –not doing testing, as the case may be?

I’m looking forward to hearing your responses on this one (as usual)!!  Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Photo Credit: vanz | CC 2.0

Have an idea for a Q&A Forum question?  Please send me an email admin[at]colorinmypiano.com.



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]]> http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/02/22/qa-forum-do-your-students-undergo-standardized-testing/feed/ 14 Musical Jenga! http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/01/31/musical-jenga/ http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/01/31/musical-jenga/#comments Mon, 31 Jan 2011 12:18:03 +0000 joy (admin) http://colorinmypiano.com/?p=3546 I did it!  I created my own Musical Jenga game.

I got the inspiration from the Sing A New Song blog, who in turn got the idea from someone on the Faber Piano Adventures forums. (To view a list of other favorite games with musical spins, click here.)

I found an off-brand version of the Jenga game at Target for about $5.  Then using two different colored Sharpie permanant markers, I put various musical terms on the blocks:

The blue side is for beginner piano students (intended for beginner, pre-readers with at least 6 months of lessons), and the black side is more advanced (intended for on-staff readers with 1-2 years of study).  The great thing about having two levels in one game is that you can have students of different levels play the same game together without the more advanced students having such an advantage over the less advanced students.

How the game works: each student pulls a block from the tower on their turn (from anywhere but the top layer) and must define the term/clap the rhythm on the block.  If they answer incorrectly, they must pull another block from the tower.  Pulled blocks must be gently put back onto the top of the tower.  If the tower collapses while a student is pulling a block, that player is the loser and the previous player is the winner.

I haven’t had the opportunity to try it with any students yet, but if it turns out to be a success I may make another game with “Level 3″ and “Level 4″ terms.  =)

In case you are interested, below are the terms I used.  Many of the same musical terms are on the easy level as in the harder level.  This is to allow the flexibility of playing with only one side if needed, and still get all the necessary terms covered during the game.  However, I was careful to put them on the same block so that the same terms wouldn’t keep popping up in the game as often when playing with a mixture of levels.

EASIER SIDE | HARDER SIDE:

  1. Quarter note | same
  2. Half note | same
  3. Dotted half note | same
  4. Whole note | same
  5. Quarter rest |same
  6. Half rest | same
  7. p | same
  8. mp | same
  9. mf | same
  10. f | same
  11. slur/legato (drew a slur over three notes) | same
  12. staccato (drew staccato marks under three notes) | same
  13. fermata | accents (drew accents under three notes)
  14. LH | sharp
  15. RH | flat
  16. Treble clef | same
  17. Bass clef | same
  18. Barline | same
  19. Measure | same
  20. Staff | same
  21. Repeat sign | same
  22. Double bar | same
  23. 3/4 | same
  24. 4/4 | same
  25. 2/4 | same
  26. C on the keyboard (drew section of keyboard and put a dot on “C”) | C on the staff.
  27. D on keyboard | D on staff
  28. E on keyboard | E on staff
  29. F on keyboard | F on staff
  30. G on keyboard | G on staff
  31. A on keyboard | A on staff
  32. B on keyboard | B on staff
  33. Finger 1 (to “define” or answer this one, they just have to hold up the correct finger) | natural
  34. Finger 2 | rit.
  35. Finger 3 | tie
  36. Finger 4 | 4th (interval)
  37. Finger 5 | 5th (interval)
  38. unison | same
  39. Step (drew two notes on the staff and wrote “Interval?”) | same
  40. Skip | same
  41. 8va | same
  42. rhythm 1 (students must correctly clap the 2-3 measure rhythm) | rhythm 1 (more challenging than the easy side)
  43. rhythm 2 | rhythm 2
  44. rhythm 3 | rhythm 3
  45. rhythm 4 | rhythm 4
  46. rhythm 5 | rhythm 5
  47. rhythm 6 | rhythm 6
  48. rhythm 7 | rhythm 7

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]]> http://colorinmypiano.com/2011/01/31/musical-jenga/feed/ 2 Free Lead Sheets: Wikifonia.org http://colorinmypiano.com/2010/11/29/free-lead-sheets-wikifonia-org/ http://colorinmypiano.com/2010/11/29/free-lead-sheets-wikifonia-org/#comments Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:01:48 +0000 joy (admin) http://colorinmypiano.com/?p=3279

NOTE TO VISITORS: I am not the owner of wikifonia.org.  Like you, I am simply a fan of wikifonia.  When wikifonia.org is down, please do not leave comments or send me emails asking me when it will be back up.  I don’t know any more about it than you do. Thanks!

I came across an interesting site last night…

Wikifonia.org is a place where you can download free lead sheet pdfs.  The best part is that it’s completely legal: in fact, the author rights of copyrighted music are compensated (read more here).

Lead sheets can be a fun way for students (especially for teen/adult students) to use and practice their knowledge of theory, chords, and voice leading in a practical, fun way!

Some quick examples of songs they have available:

  • The Beatles
  • What A Wonderful World
  • Stevie Wonder
  • Folk tunes (including Christmas songs)
  • Jazz standards
  • Soundtracks/music theatre
  • and much more!

Check it out!

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