Piano Beanbags

February 12, 2015 Jennifer Boster
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Blog, Featured Posts, Uncategorized
Today I just wanted to share something fun I made for my daughter! I have been teaching my 3-year-old daughter piano lately, and she really loves it. Her almost-2-year-old brother likes to tag along as well; it’s a fun part of our day!
Sometimes when I get awakened early in the morning by my *darling* children, the wheels in my mind start turning and I just can’t shut it off and go back to sleep – this was one of those early morning ideas that came to me last week, and it turned out so fun!
Since my daughter is pretty little, right now we are doing a combination of piano basics (keyboard topography, black key patterns, high/low, etc.), pre-staff notation/rote songs, music & movement, games on my giant floor keyboard, etc. I wanted a fun way to get her to start recognizing the different white keys without necessarily quizzing her on the letter names (she is still learning her alphabet anyway, and doesn’t know them all yet). So I made these fun beanbags for her! Each beanbag has either 2 black keys or 3 black keys with their coordinating white keys; each also has a colorful circle on one of the white keys.
When I sewed these my daughter was thrilled! We have put them to good use already. Here are a few of the ways we have used them in her lessons:
*matching them up with the black key groups on the giant floor keyboard (she puts them on either a 2-black-key group or a 3-black-key group)
*matching them up on the giant floor keyboard with the specific white key shown with the colorful circle – she got the hang of this so quick and did a great job! A good first step to learning the letter names on the keyboard.
*putting them all together in a row in the correct pattern (2 black keys, 3 black keys, 2 black keys, 3 black keys) to make a beanbag keyboard
*pretending to play some of her little songs on the beanbags once they are put together in a row!
The backs of the beanbags are just fun colorful patterns.
I’m having lots of fun teaching my daughter and focusing on coming up with ideas for one-on-one lessons for preschoolers. They are such a fun age group, and are so excited about music and learning things that it is a perfect age to start if you do it right (LOTS and lots of off-the-bench learning, music and movement, listening games, and just teaching with excitement and joy). 
What things have you found that work with teaching little ones? Or with teaching your own children?

Fun Piano Improv for Little Hands

July 11, 2013 Jennifer Boster
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Today we have a guest post by piano teacher Kristin Jensen. She has a wonderful website full of creative and adorable activities to get piano students improvising on the piano! I think you’re going to love it!

Want to know the best way to help kids master their music theory? Show them how to create their own music.

Kids love creating their own songs! When you teach your students to create, kids are even more excited about studying the piano, the parents think you’re an amazing teacher, and the kids really internalize the concepts you’re teaching.

Even very young students can successfully improvise and compose songs. I have two four year old students who always blow me away with their creations. These kids are confident and much more skilled than I was at that age! They have fun at the keys and take great pride in performing their masterpieces for others.

Here’s a quick activity that you can use with young students to get them started with piano improv. Kids love this activity—especially when you turn it into a fun themed contest. Ask all the kids to draw a picture of a space creature from Planet [insert your own silly planet name, or let the kids decide] or a strange critter from under the sea. Then show them this improv formula and turn them loose to create a song for their creature.  Have the kids perform for each other at a group lesson and give awards. The kids will have a blast!

Step 1: Position the Hands

Refer to the diagram to position the hands. Note the finger numbers.

Step 2: Play Through the Scale

Begin with left hand finger 4 and play each finger in order. Go up and then back down. You can even expand the scale into the next octave. Remember that the left hand always plays white keys and the right hand always plays the three black key group.

Step 3: Create Your Own Song

Now that you know which keys to play, you can start creating your song. Play the highlighted keys in any combination. Experiment to find the sequences and sounds you like.

If you know your music theory, you’ve probably recognized that this activity is based on the whole-tone scale. You now have a perfect lesson plan for introducing or reinforcing whole and half steps!

Visit Eartrainingandimprov.com for video tutorials and more fun ideas on how to teach kids to create their own music.

Kristin Jensen is a piano teacher who specializes in teaching kids to create their own music. Kristin loves working with young musicians and developing creative ways to accelerate their learning. Visit Eartrainingandimprov.com to see Kristin’s music teaching tips.

Note Spelling Off of the Bench

February 27, 2012 Jennifer Boster
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Featured Posts, Uncategorized

Sometimes, especially with the younger students and their shorter attention spans, you just need to get off the piano bench! This week in my studio we have been playing a game with my grand staff flannel board and some big, colorful fuzzy pom-poms from the craft store.

We take turns rolling a fuzzy onto the board (like bowling!) and then see if we can name the note it lands on – either by line or space, or by the actual note name if the student knows them. 
After all of the fuzzies are on the board, it’s fun to try playing it on the piano and see what song we came up with!
This is also a fun way to teach note names to a student, or as a fun alternative to flashcards. I think that children learn so well by play, that the more creative teaching aids we can use in our studios, the better they will learn and the more fun they will have!
What are some fun ways you get off the bench during your piano lessons to teach concepts in creative ways?
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Getting off of the bench…

October 21, 2010 Jennifer Boster
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I wanted to share something fun that has been really great for my young students (and my young son loves it too!). Sometimes (especially with young students who have the wiggles) sitting on the piano bench for an entire lesson is just out of the question. Young children need to move around, their minds and imaginations sometimes go at a mile a minute, and their attention spans can be so short at times.

So at times like this, I like to whip out my roll-up piano! This thing is so cool. Of course it does not have the same feel as a real piano, but it really does work. It is perfect for sitting on the floor and learning about the keyboard. You can use it to teach theory concepts, the layout of the piano keys, note names, chords, etc. Plus it is so darn cool that students will be so interested and get a real kick out of it. This thing is awesome, it is so portable and really works quite well. I definitely recommend it for young students, and think that anything to make lessons more fun and exciting will have an impact on the success of the students.

Teaching High and Low

October 14, 2010 Jennifer Boster
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I recently came up with a little game to teach the concept of high notes and low notes…it has been a success! Not only has it been great for teaching high vs. low on the keyboard, but has become a great tool for exploration and improvisation at the piano. I have used this with preschool-aged children (and even with my son who is not yet three). It would probably also be great for other beginners who are school-aged.

It is really very simple. You can play it at the piano or away from the piano (I have a little keyboard printed on the sheet to use if you are not at a piano). I put the sheet and a small envelope inside of a file folder for easy organization. Here’s a photo:

The child gets to reach in the envelope and pull out a little picture. It could be a picture of a fish, a star, a butterfly, a rocket, etc. We then talk about if the object is high or low – a fish would be LOW because it swims deep down in the ocean. An airplane would be HIGH because it flies high in the sky.
Then we play some notes to represent the picture! My son likes to put the picture on the left side of the piano if it is low, and on the right if it is high.
The fun of this game is the improvisation that naturally happens when you start to play what things “sound” like. For example, when a child pulls out a picture of raindrops, you can start up high (where the clouds are) and play short rain drop notes going all the way to the bottom of the piano! A rocket ship can start low, and then when it “blasts off” you can play a fast glissando all the way to the top! A swing goes up, then down, then up, then down. The possibilities are really endless.
I love this because it gets the child playing and exploring on the piano! My son and I love playing “train music.” One of us plays short, low “chugga chugga” notes and the other plays high, long “train whistle” notes.

What ways do you teach the concept of high and low notes to young beginners?

Some software that I LOVE

September 21, 2010 Jennifer Boster
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Pianomouse Goes to Preschool, Hybrid CD-ROM
So I need to tell you about some awesome piano/music software that I just bought.

I currently have a little student who is preschool-aged (not to mention an almost-3 son who LOVES learning about music and piano with his mommy). Because of Janina’s recommendation, I decided to buy Pianomouse Goes to Preschool. And let me tell you, I absolutely LOVE this software! You should go buy it. Seriously.

This software is published by Pianomouse (and I just discovered that if you go to their website, pianomouse.com, they are currently updating their software and creating a new product line for 2011 – can’t wait!) and it is made for children ages 3 through 5.

Some things I love about this software:

  • The characters are fun, and they fully narrate the entire game
  • Colorful illustrations and fun music
  • It is simple to use, even for young children (my almost 3-year-old loves it)
  • Teaches recognition of the musical alphabet, musical symbols, notes, musical instruments, and composers, as well as how many beats each note gets – can you imagine teaching a 5-year-old who already knew all of these things? I think it is great.
  • I think my favorite part of this is Khachaturian’s Keyboard – it teaches keyboard topography and includes finding high and low notes, finding groups of three black keys and two black keys, and finding groups of high black keys and low black keys.
  • I love that my son can already distinguish between the different types of notes and can even pick out a half note without seeing another picture of one, and that he is saying things like “treble clef” 🙂

Children select games from the interactive menu screen. As you move your mouse over each picture, the names of each game are narrated by the fun characters.

The software consists of twelve different games, some of which have a couple of different levels –

Gone Fishing

The Apple Note Farm

Musical ABCs
Khachaturian’s Keyboard

BOUNCE!
Pianomouse Coloring Book
Clara in the Concert Hall
Meet a Famous Composer
Pianomouse Concentration
Instrument Parade

Puccini’s Musical Hopscotch
Pianomouse’s Music Workshop

I think that this software is an excellent addition to any music class or studio that involves young children. It helps give them a great foundation for their continued music and piano study.

Laying a Foundation

July 20, 2010 Jennifer Boster
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What gives a beginning piano student a good foundation? If you were to teach a young beginner for a few months or a year, what skills and knowledge would you wish to teach them in that time to start them off on a lifetime of music making? What skills would you hope they could attain before studying with a new teacher? What is most important for a beginner to learn?

**Thanks to a survey-taker for the idea for our topic of the week! Yes, I do read your responses and love your input on what we should discuss on this blog. If you haven’t yet taken our reader survey, head on over!

Teaching New Pieces: Beginners

July 15, 2010 Jennifer Boster
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There are so many things we could discuss in the topic of teaching new pieces! I think this is an important topic and I hope to get lots of input from you! I think today I will focus on how to teach new pieces to beginners. Since beginning pieces are rather short and very simple, I think it is a good place to start 🙂

Four Elements of a Piece
Basically, there are four elements which need to be learned in any piece. Each element is important and should be learned right from the beginning. A good way to remember these elements is by the acronym FERN:
F – fingering
E – expression
R – rhythm
N – notes
(I actually sometimes like to use the acronym NERF instead – especially for students who may be familiar with or into Nerf toys!)
I think it is a big mistake for our students to learn the notes and the rhythm, and then only after they are learned to add in dynamics and expression. We need to teach our students to play musically right from the beginning, to make it a habit to play slurs, staccatos, and dynamics as they are learning new pieces.
Teaching New Pieces to Beginners
Here are some techniques to teaching new pieces that I have used in my studio. I’d love to hear what you do in yours!
Look the Piece Over
Before a student begins a new piece, it is important to look it over with them (just like the first step of sight reading) and help point out all of the important elements of the piece, including key signature, time signature, accidentals, dynamics, etc.
Hands Alone Practice
Practicing hands alone is an important way of practicing a new piece, no matter what level the student is! Students should become comfortable with playing hands alone before putting hands together. For beginners, many pieces are not hands together anyway, so you won’t have to worry about this. When students first learn how to put two hands together, it can take some coordination and getting used to! Hands alone practice will make this a lot easier.
SLOW Practice
Pianist Rudolf Firkusny says this about slow practice: “I do advise practicing in a slower tempo. I think it’s a good idea because…you can overcome bad habits which can creep into your playing.” (The Well-Tempered Keyboard Teacher, p. 356) This is true at any level! Let’s help our students develop good habits in their practicing and playing.
Show Them How to Practice: FERN
In order to help our students learn the four elements of their new piece, it is helpful to give them specific practicing instructions. Here are some ideas:
  • Notes
    • Have them name the notes before playing
    • Play and say letter names (When learning new pieces, I find it so helpful to have the student say things out loud as they play, such as note names or counting – it helps keep their minds active in the learning process and, in my experience, helps to learn a piece more accurately!)
    • Play and say “intervals” – step, skip, or repeat (helpful in learning relationships of notes on the staff)
  • Rhythm
    • Clap and count rhythm (is helpful in learning the rhythm without needing to worry about playing the right notes)
    • Play and count rhythm (depending on the student, you may want to have them count “1,2,3,4” “1, 1, 1-2” or “quarter, quarter, half-note”)
  • Expression
    • Dynamics: have the student practice the piece, focusing mostly on dynamic contrast. I always tell my students to exaggerate the dynamics – make forte really loud, and piano really soft. Make a big deal out of how musical it was and how fun it was to listen to with such great dynamics! We should teach our students to listen to the sound and dynamics they produce from a young age.
    • Slurs: If the piece has simple, two-note slurs, you could have your student say, “down, up!” as they learn the correct wrist movement used in a slur.
  • Fingering
    • Although fingering is important at all levels, I like to be careful about not stressing finger numbers too much to beginners. Yes, it is important to teach them the finger numbers and help them play in the correct position with the correct fingers. But, I have had too many young students who rely way too much on the finger numbers and not enough on the actual notes. As a result, some students do not learn the notes well enough. This illustrates the great disadvantages of playing pieces only in C major position for too long. I think we need to get our students out of C position as soon as possible, get them playing notes all over the keyboard, and get them to realize that, although fingering is important, you can actually play any note on the piano with any finger (what a concept!! hehe). I like to have my students find the correct note first, and THEN look at the finger number.
Polishing Up a Piece
Whether or not a piece is going to be a future recital piece, the end goal should be for the student to be able to play it with correct notes, rhythm and fingering, with good expression and musicality, with no stopping and at a comfortable tempo…right? What are some ways you help your students achieve this?
If the student has learned the piece well, focusing on each of the four elements, and has practiced it efficiently, there should be no problem polishing it up! 
If the piece needs some polishing, try breaking it into shorter sections (one line at a time) and challenge the student to play that line three times in a row, perfectly.
Teach the student to evaluate their own playing and to identify spots where they have problems. When my students play a piece for me, I like to ask them to evaluate their own playing. If they learn to be aware of when they mess up in a piece, they will be able to better fix it in their practicing.
Using the metronome is something that needs to be learned by young students, and can be very helpful in keeping a steady tempo. I try to pick a good tempo for them that is not too fast, one that they will be able to play the entire piece at comfortably. Once they are able to do that, we may raise the tempo a bit, depending on the piece.
I hope these ideas were helpful. I would love to hear ideas of how you teach beginning pieces in your studio!

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Piano Beanbags

Fun Piano Improv for Little Hands

Fun Piano Improv for Little Hands

Note Spelling Off of the Bench

Getting off of the bench…

Getting off of the bench…

Teaching High and Low

Teaching High and Low

Some software that I LOVE

Some software that I LOVE

Laying a Foundation

Teaching New Pieces: Beginners

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