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 🙂
My students love games and I love how they learn from them. It’s a win win scenerio!
I use notation flash cards with some of my younger students, but would definitely love something to break up the half hour of “hard” work for all levels!
I try and do at least one game per week with my younger students but sometimes only get to one every 2-3 weeks with older ones, though many would love one every week. It’s just hard to do some weeks when we don’t even make it through all their songs because we’ve been isolating a concept or piece.
I usually save the games for group lessons, but I recognize now the need to incorporate them into the weekly lessons too. Thanks for your ideas and encouragement.
I often end with a game. Not always, but most of the time. It depends on the student, really. With some of my more advanced ones, we just don’t have time to do anything but play the piece they’re working on, but with some of my younger ones, almost all I do is play games!
0-10 minutes. I tend to use games only with younger students.
Not as much as I like but am planning on doing more……..thanks for the great site. I have been using a lot of your ideas and tools!
I end their lesson with a game. I try to spend the last 5-8 minutes in a game sometimes more sometimes less. The more practice they do during the week the faster their lesson goes and they get to play more than one game.
It varies but generally I have at least one game per lesson, usually at the end. It is a real benefit when teaching a specific concept or just winding down at the end of the lesson. I often wonder how I taught so many years without using games?
I use games with my younger students.
Can’t wait to get the game! It’s a goal to start using them more often
I use at least 5 of the 30 minute lessons on games. Always looking for new ideas.
I use games, but usually, not enough time. I want to use more interesting games in my lessons. Can’t wait ’till next month!
After your encouragement, I think we may start our lessons with games this week! Thank you!
I’ve been including more games, and the kids love it! I recently did a game-only lesson for my family group on Friday mornings, and it was great fun! I told them to leave their books at home…a first for me. Thank you for your encouragement in this area and my students thank you, too! 🙂
With younger students I do some. But I have to admit that when students don’t practice (and that happens A LOT) I end up reteaching a lesson and find that so frustrating and then there is no time for a game. Barbara
Zero to 5 minutes. Now I see it should be more
I am indeed motivated and impressed with your ideas and am ready to integrate piano games as often as possible into my students’ lessons, perhaps 10 mins in alternate lessons. Thanks in advance for providing me the piano games.
It seems I have more younger and beginner students so I have been adding games and off the bench rhythm activities. Sometimes if there is time I will play a creative beginner game with my more advanced students “just for fun”. It always brings smiles and laughter which is so important.
I spend about 5 minutes on piano games – but not every single lessons. Excited to get more ideas!
So excited for some games. Thank you for all your great ideas
I use games for 15-20 minutes during group lessons.
It depends on the student, but an average of 5 minutes per lesson.
They can also be useful for pupils who have not been practising properly – nothing more disheartening than turning up rusty and just having to bang away at the pieces you were stalling on. I look forward to finding something suitable for older kids too, 13+.
I LOVE games but as with many of the previous comments, it is sooo hard to fit it into a 30 minute lesson. My students love games as well and I have tried to use it as incentive to practice. I tell my students that the less time we have to re-learn a piece due to lack of practice, the more time we will have for fun games – however, this doesn’t work so well and sometimes it just back fires as my students are then leaving disappointed. I think the trick for me is games that are about 5-7 minutes that are very easy to set up as well as games that pertain to the piece we are working on! So on bench games as well as off bench games! Thank you so much!
For school age children, I break every 30min lesson into approx 6-5minute activities and since I’ve been reading TPT, I usually make one each week an off the bench game-great responses!
I usually spend about 5-10 minutes of the lesson playing a game.
My studio at school is very small with not a lot of moving around space but I do try do use some at the keyboard games – especially with younger students. However, at home we get off the bench more. I certainly could be more intentional about planning the games. I need a better way to organize the quick games so I have them at my fingertips.
Looking forward to the piano game club
I try to incorporate some games, but like many have commented, mostly for my younger students. Thinking about your post about sports/music and how we can encourage our students more; my practice incentive is an olympic/team concept in which I hope to include games for every lesson. You have such great timing, you must read my mind!
I usually run out of time for games, but when I occasionally begin the lesson with a game, we spend up to 10 minutes on it.
I fall into the “if I have time” category. I’m really excited about trying out this new concept.
I do use games, but not at every lesson.
I only use them with beginners! About 5 minutes/lesson. I need to fix that! Thanks
Not as much as I could.
Games are always included in my theory part of the lesson.
So, probably 20% of the lesson is games.
I use them probably monthly, but would like to use them more often. Just don’t know what to do.
I intend to do games a lot, but I have trouble fitting everything into a 30 minute lesson time, especially for kids who are chatty.
At the beginning of this piano year I was determined to incorporate at least one game per lesson, especially for note names. I have succeeded most of the time, and it’s been fun for me and my students. Thanks for the great ideas!
It depends on the student. Anywhere from 2-10 minutes.
I use games almost every lesson for about five minutes. My students love them and ask to play again.
When i play a game with a student it usually takes about 3-5 minutes.
I usually spend at least 5 minutes in off the bench activities. Younger students often get more than that.
I have started using games this year, and my students love them! I am always excited to see how much they enjoy them!
I use a game at every lesson. Usually takes about 20% off the lesson time but always seems to be worth it on many levels.
I have different games that I try and play each week. Sometimes I use board games, sometimes beach ball games. I always try to have some different activity to engage the brain differently
Very recently I realized that piano lessons should be more than just chugging through the method books. While I think that my teaching style can be fun, I know that is not enough to break out of the daily grind and keep the students motivated and invigorated. I teach voice and drama lessons and always do a variety of activities in those and had an “ah ha” moment this summer. Piano should be that way, too! So I am just now starting the process of figuring out how to incorporate activities in my lessons. It’s exciting, but a bit overwhelming to revamp the lesson strategy and planning process!
Depends upon the lesson and having the right game. I like to include one every week …. but that doesn’t always happen.
I rarely use off-the-bench activities, but it’s something I’d like to get more comfortable with. Thanks for your resources!
Love your ideas, realize the importance of games and my students love them but feeling frustrated by the lack of time in a 30 minute lesson! Any of your words of wisdom on timing in lessons would be appreciated.
I have been using games when there is time. Now I will have to be sure to make time for games.