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 use games and off the bench activities for my brand new beginning students at each lesson. However it seems I do less and less as they advance. I seem to run out of time.
I like off-bench activities very. Try to do at least one activity every lesson. This way, piano lessons are more fun!
My students LOVE off the bench games. We don’t have time every lesson though… need to make time.
Depends on level of student – beginners generally get “off the bench” each lesson… more advanced students don’t. Part of the challenge lies in finding games that are appealing to pre-teens and teens.
I usually do an off the bench activity after teaching a new concept!
I enjoy watching my students’ reactions when I introduce a new game. They leave the lesson remembering they played a game; I remember that a new musical concept has been learned. It’s a win-win! Thank you for your work!
I don’t do it at every lesson, but usually it takes about 5-10 min. and usually towards the end.
I definitely spend about 5 minutes playing a game with my young students, but haven’t managed to squeeze in time for those who are a bit older. I need to work on this. Thank you for your great ideas, by the way!
I love using games in lessons, but I admit…I do only use them if there is time. I will make an effort to use them EVERY lesson!
I generally spend 5-10 minutes doing off the bench activities. I’ve made up so many of my own games and I’m getting kind of tired of them, so I’m super excited to see your games! I’ve even told my kids about it and they are excited!
I admittedly use them more with the beginners, especially when explaining rhythm. I’d like to use them more with my late-beginner stage/ intermediate students, but with only 30 minutes, we usually are spending most of our time warm-ups, theory and method book.
“playing games” is a great way to do theory — it really helps your student remember the concepts
I like to do a little game each lesson but often run out of time.
Excellent as always! Thank you!
happy to have more games!
Love the video….I’m challenged now…The “if there is time” approach doesn’t work…never enough teaching time for games at the end of the lesson. Time to incorporate them “into” the lesson.
I have learned so much from working with Wunderkeys! I am looking forward to learning more.
I have not used games on a regular basis before finding your site. Now I use them quite often. Thank you for your creativity!!
I have just started teaching piano lessons. Thank you for all the helpful information on your site!
Love the “off the bench” activities. I need to spend more time doing these with my students
Depends on the kiddo. Rarely more than 5 minutes per lesson, though. I’ve been trying to do more, because it keeps my active kids happy, and energizes and engages the calmer ones.
I am making more and more of an effort to use “off the bench” games in every lesson, particularly with the younger students. It is sometimes difficult to fine exactly the right game for the teaching moment but when I do, it is very successful…my students ask for a game over and over.
Playing Noteworks on the iPad or one of your board games (Thank you thank you thank you!)5 has become a reward in the last 5-7 minutes of our lessons. After reading about contextual interference, I also try to “mix things up” throughout the whole lesson, and intersperse more “off-bench” activities. We might spend a couple minutes marking their music with (Erasable!) colored pencils, finding intervals or broken chords, etc., which can be a treasure hunt! In between playing, I also like to integrate listening activities – e.g., I’ll play a recording of their piece, while the student follows along, pointing in rhythm to their score, or “conducting”. I need to incorporate some more active physical activities too, after reading how important it is for learning, and how much kids are forced to sit still.
Hi Deborah,
I love the idea of having the kids “conduct” as they hear the piece, I am going to try that, along with the erasable colored pencils !
Kids love games and I love the idea of using them. Music theory was always so dry as it was taught to me. Wish someone had thought of making it a game when I was a kid. Making the time in lessons for off bench activities is the hard part. As a result, I don’t get to them often.
I always try to include something “creative” that connects to what I am seeing in that student that day. Though it may not always be “off the bench”, I am grateful for the options you and others have shared!
I don’t use piano games often enough, but I look forward to trying this one!
I’m from Brazil and I use a lot of your website activities and my students love them! Right now all my young students are doing the Pumpkin practice incentive and they are having so much fun! 🙂
That’s wonderful Daiane! Love to think of all of those practice pumpkins in Brazil 🙂
I use lots of activities and games during my summer lessons session because I feel like I have more time, as most of my students take 40 or 60 minute lessons in the summer. But in the 30 minutes weekly I have with them during the school year, I just don’t usually feel like I have time. I’ll try to do some things if a student seems bored, frustrated, unfocused, if the lesson isn’t going well or if we have extra time. But I guess that might reinforce negative behaviors in some ways. Hmmm . . .
I try to allow 5 minutes at the end of the lesson but it doesn’t always work especially if they are having difficulty with a piece and I need to take some time to help them. They love it and even some of the older students enjoy them.
Not as much as I need to!
I have not used games very much in the past to be honest, but I am very excited and dedicated to begin incorporating them into lessons. I love that there are websites like this to help me!
I spend at least 5 minutes with off the bench activities with beginners – closer to 10 minutes – at each lesson. With older students we review, learn new concepts, work with technique exercises, walk the beat, etc. off the bench activities and games for about 5 minutes each lesson. I have students tell me that their friends who take lessons other places don’t get to do the fun things that my students enjoy at our lessons!!
I spend at least five minutes. Sometimes more. The students always look forward to every new game.
I usually plan one off the bench activity – usually a game – per lesson. My students love these activities. I would love to get suggestions on games for older students (middle and high school). I think they would like more off the bench activities too, but it is challenging to find activities that are not too childish. Thanks for all you do!
Games have been one of my most successful actions to motivate my students and keep them learning for a very long time.
I use games with beginners almost every lessons. With the others, I make them play seasonal games, which last at least a month, where they compete with the others by getting points for what they do and the highest score gets a price at the end. They love them!
I spend about 15-20 minutes on games and hands on activities. My students prefer non electronic games and just want to spend time with me playing old fashioned games!
I’d love to get the game referred to in the video. I already use games, but are always on the lookout for more.
I am trying to spend more time on playing games, especially to young beginners!
Yep, using games is an incentive.
5-10 minutes on games
love using your ideas and products!
I try to every lesson….my students love them!
Thanks!! Looking forward to using it this afternoon!!
5 minutes out of 30. Planning ahead of the lesson is a must….Game to match theory work or rhythm challenge needs to be decided on beforehand. IPad games alternated with other games works nicely.
I don’t spend nearly enough time off the bench. I am always struggling for more time it seems. I need to work on organizing my lessons in a more updated fashion. I’d love to see some sample 30 min lessons.
I have used them in my group lessons, but no so much in private lessons since they are shorter. However, I would certainly like to figure out a way to fit them in!
Oops – forgot to say this – I don’t spend much time playing games because I don’t seem to the time during a 30 min lesson
I love piano games, but only tend to use them when there is time after the lesson, which isn’t often. I especially use seasonal games around the holidays. I sometime leave out a game for students to play solo while waiting for their lesson. Can’t wait to get your creative ideas! Thanks for the incentive!
I have switched almost all students to 45 minute lessons to allow for more off bench activities and games.
I try to use at least 5 minutes of every 30 minute lesson playing games off the bench.