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 enjoy using games and typically use them as a reward so they don’t get used each and every lesson.
I usually sped at least 10 minutes of a 30 minute lesson playing games. For hour long lessons it’s usually close to half and hour!
I always use the last 5 minutes for off the bench, but as often as possible I will do something mid-way through the lesson, too
Games are great to reinforce music skills.
6 minutes…? I love interactive guaranteed success.
I try to integrate about 5 mins each lesson but more would be valuable I’m sure!
For me it depends on the student’s level. Younger beginners at least 10 min. Older, more advanced, less but for them I probably substitute more listening.
I often try to solve some problems off-the-bench in “game mode”, so I am really excited about new “game levels” 🙂
I think games are a great way to start my lessons!
As always, you are brilliant! My students and I just love each and every game you create, thank you! Because these games really do help students to build their musical knowledge and this helps them immensely when they are back on the bench, we use games regularly in our lesson time!
Haven’t done it much, but I’m willing to try!
I don’t do games but want to incorporate games into my teaching. I feel that parents are paying me and want to see progress in their music their child is mastering.
Maybe 5 minutes in an hour-long group lesson. Not long enough…
Having recently started several young students, I am actively discovering and using new games in the piano lesson. I would like to implement a routine of starting the lesson with 1-5 min of a game. So far, I have noticed an increased enthusiasm once they get to their actual pieces to play!
Almost every lesson, varying 5 – 15 minutes. I’m finding parents love to join in too!
WOW! That’s a lot of interest in your blog on piano games! I appreciate each and every idea you present and try to use many of them. I held a Music Theory Party last Saturday for all my level 2A Festival students. We had fun and they got to practice specific skills needed for their theory test in a couple weeks! Thanks for everything you so willingly and energetically share with us!!!!
I usually use games only in group settings, but I have a few young ones who benefit from in-lesson games. I try to follow their lead!
We play games at every lesson. I am always on the look out for new games. Thanks.
I go through phases where we use games every week (5-10 minutes in a 30-minute lesson) and then don’t touch them for several weeks/months. Some consistency would be nice! 🙂
Play games at almost every lesson for 5 – 10 minutes
I try to incorporate a game into each lesson but sometimes run out of time. We often use the end of one student’s lesson and the start of the following student’s lesson to play a game together. Some comments have mentioned that they don’t have enough different games but I have a couple of students who often ask if they can play the game we played last week again as they really liked it. While a variety of games is great I think that, as teachers, we often forget that students, especially the younger ones, also learn from repetition. A time challenge with a familiar game can make it exciting. Thanks for all your great ideas. I really look forward to your emails.
I usually use at least one game or off-piano activity; time is an issue, though, so waiting for your Wed. post! 🙂 Thanks!
on average we spend about 5 minutes per lesson playing games.Always looking for new ones!
I sometimes struggle to find the time for games in a 30 minute lesson, but ALWAYS see a difference in the students’ engagement when I do!
I hate sitting still as much as my students do, so I use off-the-bench games probably MORE than I should! 🙂
I love using piano games that reinforce particular concepts as I introduce them to students. It definitely makes it a fun way to teach and for the students to retain the information more easily. But just remembering what I have, keeping them organized and at my fingertips is a challenge!
One lesson per moth is game day. I use this day to focus on improvisation, composition and a game that reinforces what we’ve been working on throughout the month. My kids love your games. Especially the ones involving candy!
I spend at least 10 minutes every lesson playing games and another 10 doing off the bench activities. (In South Aftica lessons are an hour)
But with the younger children this often becomes at least 30 mins of the lesson time.
I spend about 1/3 of every lesson off the bench. I love your games – thanks for sharing!
Great video I recently did an hour of games with a set of twins who forget their books. So I combined their lesson tines and we had a blast. The long hour went by in a flash and the one who have having letter key recognition troubles is now trouble free!
I do at least 3 minutes each week. Love your games
I love games and use them at least twice a month but not every lesson.
I always play games with my students, regardless of their age. Heck, I think my adult students like the games better than the kids! Apps are good but good ol’ board games, card games, etc. that you make and play one-on-one with the students are the best. They like the personal time you spend with them. With our lives being so hectic, kids these days don’t get alot of quality one-on-one.
I try to play every piano lesson!
Thanks!
I use hands-on activities/manipulatives/games mostly with my younger students; I need to be more pro-active incorporating them with older students.
Finding your web site this summer has really challenged me to find “off the bench” ideas. I am still working on making the time for these activities during lessons, but when I do the response from the students is enthusiastic!
I let my students guide me. Usually five to ten minutes.
Use games at almost every lesson, at least 5 minutes. Also use them at studio classes.
I don’t use games as much as I would like. Not always every lesson.
I try to use an off-the-bench activity at every lesson (at least 5 minutes), but sometimes it just doesn’t happen because I run out of time, etc. Looking forward to your game!
I teach primarily one-hour group lessons, specifically so we can have a 15 minute game time at each lesson. It is my students’ favorite part of the lesson!
I use games sometimes but not as often as I would like
In the beginning about 5-10 mins. More advanced just when introducing certain concepts and occasionally for fun review
Initially I just did music flashcards, mainly, but now I’m collecting quite a few idea and have made up a number of games. My aim is to do 1 at each 1/2 hour lesson, but not always achieved. I’m always ready for new ideas.
My students love music games!
I don’t use games as much as I’d like, but my students certainly enjoy them. I need to (a) plan my lessons a little better, and (b) have a bigger arsenal of games to use.
I use “off the bench” activities for at least 5 minutes every lesson.
I forgot to add that I spend at least 15 minutes per lesson on a game.
Wow! That is a lot of piano teachers using games! I do something with each student each week away from the piano.
I want to make each lesson more fun!