Saturday, June 29, 2013
GO! Keyboard Letter Name Game
GO! is a keyboard letter name game played on the piano keyboard. I use a small panda and a penguin as tokens for the game and we place them on middle C. The student and I move our animals to the keys as we take turns turning over cards. Cards read, Go Up to D or Go Down to G or Go to Nearest F. For beginners, this reinforces up and down as well as moving to letters quickly. Who wins? Why the student of course. At the end, you can say they ended closer to middle C or farther from middle C if they must know who won.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Practice Board Game with Student Input
The first game I would like to share is one I pull out year after year and each year, students continue to add new practice suggestion cards. The game board I use is one I found on eBay called TuneDin. The original cards have song titles that the players were asked to play on kazoos. We do not play the game as it is originally intended. I adapted this game by covering the card content with name tag stickers. Students suggest ways to practice and sign their name to the card.
We use the game board by starting at the treble clef sign and rolling the dice to move around the board until returning or passing the treble clef. We usually play this game with a recital or contest piece, but it can be used with any piece the student chooses. The student piece is divided into sections and there are separate cards that direct which section to play. As the student rolls the dice and moves around the board, if they land on a red note, they turn over a new section card and change sections. With each turn, they pick a practice suggestion card and play the section with the instructions on the card. I started the game with a few suggestion cards, but the students have added many over the years.
This game board is terrific looking, but you could make your own easily or adapt a different game board and just use blank cards for the draw cards. The magic is how having the suggestions made by other students in your studio really motivate the students to practice their piece in different ways.
I have posted pictures of the game board and the playing cards. You really don't have to have a board at all because the student sits at the piano during the game. I have a small table that I place near the bench so the student can reach the board, but stay at the piano.
We use the game board by starting at the treble clef sign and rolling the dice to move around the board until returning or passing the treble clef. We usually play this game with a recital or contest piece, but it can be used with any piece the student chooses. The student piece is divided into sections and there are separate cards that direct which section to play. As the student rolls the dice and moves around the board, if they land on a red note, they turn over a new section card and change sections. With each turn, they pick a practice suggestion card and play the section with the instructions on the card. I started the game with a few suggestion cards, but the students have added many over the years.
This game board is terrific looking, but you could make your own easily or adapt a different game board and just use blank cards for the draw cards. The magic is how having the suggestions made by other students in your studio really motivate the students to practice their piece in different ways.
I have posted pictures of the game board and the playing cards. You really don't have to have a board at all because the student sits at the piano during the game. I have a small table that I place near the bench so the student can reach the board, but stay at the piano.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Great Plans for Site
As an experienced private piano teacher and published composer, I hope to offer my students and other teachers some of the resources I have created and used in my own studio. I am excited to begin this project. I have some unique studio games and technique sheets as well as original pieces that I think will be helpful and fun to use. It will take time to post it all, but I am ready to put the plan into action. Keep checking for new pages to appear each week.
Susan Alcon
Susan Alcon
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