If you’re teaching piano lessons during the summer months, then adding some outdoor piano games is a great idea. A change of focus and a chance of location can add a great boost of motivation and fun to your lessons! Plus, you’ll avoid having students spend their time gazing wistfully out your studio window 😉
Today we’re sharing a piano game that you can use as an effective learning tool. All you need is a beach ball and a sharpie! The next time the sun is shining head outside for some hands-on learning and play “Beethoven’s Beach Ball”. This game works best with three people so grab your student who is waiting for his lesson and share the final 5 minutes of your current lesson and the first 5 minutes of your upcoming lesson and have some fun!
How To Play “Beethoven’s Beach Ball”
Beethoven’s Beach Ball is designed to help students learn to quickly identify integral parts of piano pieces such as key signatures, time signatures, primary chords, musical form and more.
Today’s game works well in master classes, piano parties, or other groups settings. To play the game, you will need multiple copies of a selected piano piece, a multi-colored beach ball, and at least three people.
Before playing the game, inflate your multi-colored beach ball. On each of the beach ball’s colored sections write a question to be answered (using a jiffy marker). Shorten the questions to fit on the beach ball as shown below.
The following questions are samples only. Depending on the age of your students, questions can be easier or more difficult and can be changed according to what you have previously covered in lessons or theory classes.
1. Key Signature? (In what key is this piece written?)
2. Time Signature? (What is the time signature of this piece?)
3. Tonic note? (What is the tonic note in this piece?)
4. Dominant note? (What is the dominant note in this piece?)
5. Musical form? (What is the musical form of this piece?)
6. Major or Minor? (Is the song in a major key or a minor key?)
How To Play:
1. Begin by sitting with your students in a circle on the grass.
2. Each student should have a copy of the piano piece to be studied.
3. Pass the beach ball to a student.
4. Upon catching the ball, the student must answer the first question they see on the ball.
5. After answering, the student passes the ball to another person who reads and answers the next question.
Play continues until all of the questions have been answered at least once. Increase excitement by setting a timer and trying to pass the ball and answer questions before it rings. Choose a new piano piece to start the game again!
Game Based Learning… No Matter What The Season!
Game-based learning is effective and fun… your students will retain the information quickly because they are fully invested in the learning process! PianoGameClub games will help you to turn your ear training and theory instruction into game-based awesomeness! Find out how just $8 per month can help you to build an amazing game library!
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