Category: Pedagogy

Hands-on is Helpful.

I live in Cleveland Ohio in the U.S. There is a large and vibrant classical music community here due to the presence of the Cleveland Institute of Music. As a result, a lot of my student’s parents are musicians. At an introductory lesson, one pianist-father observed all of the hands-on -piano-activities his son was engaged in at the lesson. His comment was that piano pedagogy had come a long way since he had taken lessons as a boy. I believe this is true, largely because of all of the awesome sharing that takes place between all of us on the internet and on social media. There are so many great ideas and activities going around. I love to come up with hands-on activities myself, and I enjoy sharing them with our Paloma Piano community. In this post, I thought I would share how to create your own hands-on piano activities.

Resources are Everywhere!

For ten years, I worked as a preschool teacher in a Montessori School. The head teacher at our school was a highly trained Montessori Specialist and highly creative person. She taught me to see everything as a potential learning activity. Discarded keys became a matching lesson; old perfume bottles: an opportunity to sort and the match tops to the bottles; clothes pins and cloth: a chance to hone fine motor skills, and on and on. The shelves at our school were filled with learning activities; most of them handmade. I noticed that there were two main strategies to come up with new activities. I also knew that I could apply these ideas to piano teaching.

Strategy 1: Think of a Problem that Needs Solving

Is a preschool student having trouble remembering the names of the keys? Think of ways that could help him remember. Use things that are colorful, interesting to look at and to touch. For young students, I like to choose things that feel interesting and are large enough for little hands to grasp. I think of using the senses of sight, touch and sound together when creating activities for young students. Getting young students off of the piano bench periodically is also important.

Older students can benefit from hands-on activities as well. Visual aids can be used to teach theoretical concepts like how scales are constructed or how different triads are formed. More advanced students also love games and challenges. Is an older student having trouble memorizing? Think of ways to turn memorizing into a game or a challenge. Using these ideas you can create your own hands-on piano activities.

Strategy 2: See Something and Then Come up With Ways to Use It

There really are resources everywhere. Keep this in mind when shopping, cleaning out closets and drawers or just walking around outside. When you come across something interesting, ask yourself if it is something you can use in a piano lesson. This can be super fun and the more you practice coming up with ideas the better you will get at thinking of great and unique activities for your students.

Learn more about using games in your studio read the post “Piano Teaching Games”

Start With a Brain Dump

When trying to find ways to solve a problem or make use of an object. Write down every idea that comes to mind no matter how crazy it may seem. Inevitably some of these ideas will be good ones and ideas always lead to more ideas for you to create your own hands-on piano activities.

Here’s an example of how to create your own hands-on piano activities.

Jillian is 4 years-old she is having trouble understanding the concept of high notes being the on the right side of the keyboard and low notes being on the left side of the keyboard. I am going to think of ten crazy, off the cuff ways to help her.

1. Take a paper keyboard chart turn it on its side so the right side of the keyboard is higher, then put it back down.
2. Put a red bead or piece of paper on the right side of the keyboard and a red sticker on the paper flip it up and see how the red is high, use a different color for the low notes on the left side.
3. Play a higher lower gameplay a note and have the student play a higher or lower note.
4. Put a red sticker with an H on the student’s right hand use a different color for the left hand.
5. Have the student put a red bead on the high side of every group of three black keys (B). Repeat with the low notes.
6. Play a “Chase” game. Play a note have the student play a higher note as quickly as possible until the top of the keyboard is reached. Repeat for the low side of the keyboard.
7. Use a small plastic bird and place it on the highest notes on the keyboard use something like a small fish for the low notes.
8. Make up a little chant and movement activity to a simple tune like “Merrily We Roll Along” The high notes are on the right, on the right, on the right.” Etc.
9. Have the student play a five-finger exercise and say the word “higher” on each note C through G. Reverse for the low notes.
10. Have the student find a series of random notes each one must be higher (or lower) than the next. (for example; A, G, F. G must be higher than A and F higher than G)

Obviously, not all of these ideas are fantastic, but a couple of them are usable and one or two might really click with my student.

Try these exercises.

Think of some ways to help these students.

1. 1. Scott has been playing for three years but has trouble remembering Key Signatures.
   2. 5-year-old Sandra avoids using her thumb when playing.

Think of some ways the following objects could be used in a piano lesson. (You can add other objects to the ones suggested

1. 1. Pipe Cleaners
   2. Sea Shells
   3. Small Wooden Cubes

I know that teachers are such creative people and are always coming up with new ways to teach. I hope some teachers might find these ideas helpful. I would love to hear about how all of you come up with unique activities for your students.

If you like this post please share it.

If you would like lots of free printable music and resources you can use in your studio become a Paloma Piano member.

Visit our sister-site for parents and students pianoparents.net