Cut out the FACE GBD graphics and they can be handily placed on the stave by students to let them see how the Skips Alphabet works. Best enlarged to A3 then printed or laminated.
In line with Piano Safari 1’s ‘Landmark Notes’, this is a sheet you can use quickly in piano lessons to check your pupils’ recognition and understanding.
Use this to help your students identify the mood/feeling they would like to convey when playing a piece of music. I have laminated mine and ask pupils to stick Blue Tac dots next to their chosen emotions.
I print out this wheel and stick it in pupils’ technique books. Once a pentscale has been mastered (major or minor), they are allowed to colour in either the circle (for the major keys) or the segment (for the minor keys). They can then see their progress and aim to ‘collect the set’.
It could also be used for them to demonstrate mastery of full scales, chords, arpeggios etc.
I use these with my beginner students to allow them to learn and appreciate celebrated piano music by key composers. I’ve included some basic facts and a very simple accompaniment that they can play along with. Useful for reinforcing and practising note/key finding along with keeping a steady beat.
Use this simple game to test your pupils’ understanding of stepwise movement on the stave along with key Landmark Notes. Pupils take turns with their teacher to throw the die and move from Low F to High G, but if they land on a Landmark Note then there will be a consequence!
If laminated or printed onto card you could play it while sitting with the pupil at the piano - all you’ll need is a die and Blue Tac stuck to buttons.
The idea of this activity is to develop pupils’ understanding and confidence with keyboard geography. I use my laser pointer to point at the grid squares and ask them to play the notes shown without looking at their hands (they wear an apron for fun!).
There are different levels of difficulty and I cross off the squares they’ve achieved or cover them with small sticky notes.
This is a Trivial Pursuits style game where pupils work in a pair or three to collect all 8 IRDs on their drum kits. As they land on a coloured IRD their partner asks them a question from the question sheet. If they answer correctly they can colour it in on their drum kit. If they get it wrong they can try again next time!
I’d recommend enlarging the game board to A3 and using buttons as
I use these games as a quick fun activity to help reinforce key concepts. Best laminated and each sheet printed four or five times. Then played as a typical game of ‘snap’ and as quickly as possible!
I use these for extra reinforcement with my pupils as they begin to understand the mechanics of scales. They’re also really useful to aid discussion and to practise the patterns on the fallboard.
Use these sheets to help pupils develop their skills in intervallic note reading. They can be used in any clef and I usually ask pupils just to use the 2nd finger of their left/right hand (if playing the piano!)
Use this snakes and ladders-inspired game to help pupils practise recognising their intervals. Instead of using a die, ask them to pick up a card and recognise the interval. If correct they move that number of spaces, if incorrect they stay where they are.
If they land on a square with a cable car they can move up. Landing on an icy path means they move down!
For an alternative idea they could also play the intervals on the piano in either the bass or treble clefs.
I created this for my class to complete while they watched ‘The Snowman’. At key points I’d choose an Interrelated Dimension such as ‘tempo’ and they would decide whether the music heard was fast or slow. They’d then draw and colour a Christmas decoration on the correct part of the
Aimed at younger beginner piano learners, this activity sheet asks them to tap the nails on the wooden board with the correct finger number sequences.
Each sequence can be tapped using their right and hand fingers and there is space for the teacher to tick off each challenge when achieved.
I use this sheet with my beginner students to reinforce concepts associated with stave note reading (e.g. line/space notes and step-wise movement with 2nds). It can be laminated or used in a drywipe pocket as shown. Quick to use and a useful starting point for discussion and learning.
Based on the popular ‘Grandma’s House/Dog House’ key naming method, print and cut out these prompts which can be placed behind or on top of the piano keys to help your beginners find their keys. Best either printed on card or laminated.
Use this colouring page to help motivate your students into learning notes from the Treble and Bass clefs. This sheet uses notes close to the Piano Safari’s Landmark notes.