A new free Printable has been added to the Printables page:
These cards are a great manipulative to use with young beginners when you are first introducing them to the keyboard. Students can use the cards to build a keyboard on the floor, alternating the groups of 2 and 3 black keys. Or, students can use these at the piano, and lay the cards right on the piano keyboard, matching the groups of black keys appropriately. I printed a few sets of these cards, laminated them, and put them in zipper bags. This short activity is great for Piano Readiness Classes.
There are two versions included in the pdf: one with the letter names on the keys, and one without. To download this free pdf, visit the Printables > Other Resources page and scroll down to the B’s for “Black Key Group Sorting Cards.” Enjoy!
Black Key Group Sorting Cards (258.0 KiB, 57,086 hits)
This is a great idea– it’s simple yet effective. Thanks for sharing. Have you tried these out with your students yet?
Oh yes, I never post anything without testing it out with my students first. 🙂 I used it with a pair of 4-year-old students, and they loved it enough that they wanted to take them home with them! I printed a couple of extra copies for them to take home.
I tried this with one of my 5 year old pupils. I cut one set into individual notes and placed them on the piano keys. We had a guessing game removing one or two notes at a time. She loved it!
My 12 year old son has a piano recital this weekend. He’s number 11 on the program. I asked his teacher what he could do so he can stay warmed up while he’s waiting and one thing she suggested was getting a flat mat with piano keys printed on it to “play” while he’s waiting. I looked all over the internet to find one I could print out but none of them seemed to scale & I didn’t want to have to fiddle with it. This printout with the blank keys is perfect! It’s just slightly smaller than his keyboard but I think we can make it work. I’m going to tape it all together and cover it with clear contact. I also love the DIY silent mini keyboards. I think I’m going to make some to decorate his room and over his piano with. Thanks for sharing these!
You’re welcome!
Where are the printables?
Sorry about that — the link should be working now!