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Time Signature/Meter Card Game
Need to revise time signatures/meters with your students? Here’s a matching card game to help. Meter/ Time Signature Cards Alternative uses:- Using rhythm worksheets from Wendy Steven’s Compose Create site (see previous post ‘Getting creative with rhythms and composing‘), clap or tap different time signatures/meters with your students. Clap/play a rhythm and see if your student…
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Getting a little creative with rhythms and composing
With so many students preparing to sit their AMEB examinations, I wanted to keep on top of their sight reading skills. Of course when we’re constantly going through new repertoire it’s no problem, but I don’t like to get stuck into the ‘typical’ exam routine where students are only focused on their exam work and…
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Spelling Bee – violin game
My son was recently in a Spelling Bee competition at his school and did really well (was in the final top 10 – so proud of him!). I previously had my piano students play a game with cards involving words you could spell with the letters ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘E’, ‘F’ and ‘G’. The…
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Barbie.com piano/vocal songs for the girls
My sister kindly pointed out to me recently that Barbie.com have 4 songs free to download and print for the piano. They are too hard for beginners to play, but they do have a sing along part. The four songs are from The Island Princess and include:- ‘Always More’ ‘Here On My Island’ ‘I Need To…
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Giant Action Cards – Beginner Violin game
I remember using some giant cards I would hold up to teach a song to a group of students. The cards had things like ‘Sing Loud, Sing Soft, Ice-cream Lovers Sing, Stand up to Sing, Sit Down to Sing’ etc each with a different picture. I decided to make up my own set of giant…
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Music Practise at home: Motivational charts and stickers
Why do I spell ‘Practise’ with an ‘s’ instead of a ‘c’? Because practise with an ‘s’ is the verb whereas practice with the ‘c’ is the noun. A verb is a doing word, and so our students/children should be physically practising rather than just talking about it. I’ve been putting up a few helpful…
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Music practise at home – ‘three times in a row correct’ with sounds
Practise at home doesn’t have to become drudgery. If you keep things fresh for your kids, they can absolutely love the time they spend with their instrument. My kids love to play their pieces 3 times through (each piece) and proudly ring one of the three bells I have sitting on top of my piano…
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A little on the subject of practising and parents…
I found this article on a site called Piano253.com and it expresses what I feel about practising so well. I feel it is so important to have parents on board with their child’s practise, to check if anything needs to be read or signed, perhaps take notes in your child’s lesson. I even have parents record their child’s…
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The Music Alphabet Poster
Here’s something to laminate and use with your students if they are having trouble remembering the musical alphabet. You can sing the standard ‘Alphabet song’ simply repeating these 7 letters over and over throughout the song. How to vary:- Start from ‘A’ and keep working your way around. Start from any other letter and keep…
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‘Three Times in a Row Correct’ with coloured handbells.
Aldi were selling one octave sets of coloured handbells for $15 about a year ago, so I bought a set almost expecting them to be out of tune and very dodgy (ever seen the violins they have sold? EEK!!) but to my surprise, they weren’t bad at all for that price! I will quite happily…
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