800 responses! That’s how many Teach Piano Today readers took time out of their busy schedules to complete our survey last week for PianoGameClub.com… which launches on November 1st.
Like many of you, I started out using piano games as a fun way to reinforce lesson concepts… something to give my students a little “brain break”.
But as I continued to dedicate more and more lesson time to piano games and “off-the-bench” activities, and as my student retention rate went through the roof, I quickly discovered that the benefits of piano games went far beyond just fun.
Now on Wednesday, I’m going to share with you how I manage to easily include piano games in every lesson, but today, let’s take a look my discoveries when I first started using piano games every… single… lesson.
Want to know exactly what I discovered?
Let’s play a little game to find out…
The video below will lead you through our “Off-The-Bench” Piano Quiz. At the end of the video quiz we’ll tell you how to get an incredible “Off-The-Bench” Piano Game that you can use with your piano students this afternoon!
Spoiler Alert: It’s quite “possible” that the quiz is “impossible” to fail 🙂
Get My Piano Game
So you passed the test! Now all you have to do is leave a comment below telling us how much time you spend every lesson performing “off-the-bench” activities and we’ll email you an exciting game that you can print off and play this afternoon.
And the best part… every single person who leaves a comment will get the game 🙂
I love using games with my students! We haven’t done it at every lesson, but I will plan on incorporating more during the lesson. Thanks.
Students love playing games. They don’t often realize that their teacher is reinforcing a concept that was learned at the keyboard. Anything you can use to make learning fun is going to be a hit in your studio!
My students love games. I try to add them to the lesson at least once a month.
We play games at every lesson. I’m always looking for new ideas to use with my students. I teach a lot of group lessons and games are a big part of the lesson.
To be honest, not much time, but trying to improve! Help me 🙂
I just started teaching not even 2 months ago (newbie here!), and I started playing simple games just this past week.
LOL…now i have small children playing leapfrog in my studio!!! RIBBIT!
My students LOVE to play games. I work with the little ones and it really breaks up the “bench” time 🙂
there’s nothing like a good game to help a concept sink in!
I never used games in piano teaching until I found TeachPianoToday. Now I use them all the time! Love it!
These off the bench activities sound great. I would like to try them because I don’t use games very much.
my students LOVE games. It just is up to me to be organized enough to have them prepared ahead of time, and I’ve certainly never done them at every lesson. Your tips on organizing them were very helpful.
5-8 minutes
I use games almost every day. Thanks for doing this. Always can use some more.
I use activities away from the bench at almost every lesson. Anything from games to movement, iPad activities, etc. In fact, all my theory is taught this way. The kids love it and learning is high!
Depending on the student, I might spend 5 min. to the whole lesson on games away from the bench. I use them to teach concepts and then reinforce it if a student has a particular problem.
I try to play some kind of game every lesson–a practice game or card game or note name game. Students LOVE it and I am always on the lookout for something new!
I spend around 5-10 minutes if I have the time! I do wish that I can always have enough time for everything in lessons!
Play them every lesson. At least 30% of every lesson. Keeps them engaged and coming along!
Different amount of time, depending on the student, lesson length e.t.c. Would love to try the new game please! 🙂
Off the bench almost always a few minutes. Every now and then a game, too – however, wished I had more time (and preferable) facilities for that!
I spent about 30% of my lesson time on games.
I use a game every lesson with children under about Grade 5 but would love some resources for more skilled learners.
With my very busy full time schedule and after school schedule this is the first time I hear of this game. I love games and so do my students. We are just getting used to Piano Maestro.
I would love to access this game! Thank you
I have lots of games but admit that I don’t put them to use as much as I should. I will try to make more time for games!
I’m trying to build up a “stash” of fun games. I just need to figure out how to schedule my lesson time to incorporate games. I do ok, but could do better.
I am a great fan. I have put several children through your Wunderkeys program and they have moved onto the next level with me. I have two boxes filled with games and I try to use them every lesson when I can. The kids have their favourites and ask for them often. It truly is a great way for them to retain the information. Thanks for all your hard work, it really has been so helpful for so many of us.
I love the idea of using games but only really use them if I see a student really struggling with a concept. I would love to (and really need to) utilize them more.
I mostly use games during group classes. I try to do off the bench activities for a few minutes at every lesson, though, either movement or playing rhythm instruments, especially for younger students.
I use games with my students almost every lesson. I usually do them at the end of the lesson so that if the student starts fooling around too much during the rest of the lesson, I can say “We won’t have time for a game, unless we get down to work now!” Works every time!
I love the concept. I have not used much time for games but I found them very useful from time to time with my students particularly when they get bored. And it works!
I’ve started using some of the games from Teach Piano Today with my younger students and they are very enthused. I will play a game if I see their attention wandering or at the end of the lesson as a fun way to end the lesson. They usually don’t want to leave and can’t wait to come back to their next lesson.
Looking forward to trying out the game
Depends on the age of the student… from 5 to 15 minutes!
I didn’t use games until I came across your website. Now, they work best with my 7-10 year old students! I use them frequently.
I haven’t used games in private lessons, only group classes but I would love to try!
I have already commented on this post, but still haven’t received the game yet. Is it too late to get still get it?
I try to have off the bench activities at every lesson! At least a couple minutes.
I play games more often with the younger students, but would like to incorporate them more with the majority!
I appreciate all your fun, savvy, innovative ideas! Thank you for sharing with us!
I play games all the time! But it would be nice not to have to create my own games every once in a while.
I solemnly promise to make time for games at every lesson! 🙂
Thanks so very much!
I don’t use them near as much I should. This looks great!
Thanks so much for all the inspiration you have supplied for my piano teaching !
it varies- usually 5-10
I use them occasionally …. I should probably use them more often!!!
I use games once in a while…but I’d love to have games for specific skills!!! It would really help expand learning in my lessons!
It really depends on my students’ age. My younger students I tried to play games with them for about 1/3 of the time. For older students it’s more of a once in a while thing.
I am curious about piano games. My students are such a wide variety of ages and abilities, I don’t know what to do with them.
At this point, I generally just do games with beginning students, kind of to keep them interested and hooked on piano.