A 30-minute piano lesson can feel as though someone pressed fast-foward on your clock. Exam prep, recital prep, method book work, technical work, composing, piano games…
… and often it’s piano games that get left behind.
But wait! What if we told you that using piano games in your lessons will actually *save* you time?! How?
When children learn new concepts or review past concepts within the context of a game, they are fully engaged in the process. No time is spent re-directing, re-motivating or re-focusing… you have an eager learner beside you ready to soak it all in! Plus… your piano student will retain information more easily when it is presented in a game-based context because he is completely engaged in the process: he wants to win the game!
Keep reading to find out how you can easily incorporate piano games into your lessons… even when time is tight.
Make Time For Games With These 5 Strategies
So… there it is… the one hurdle to including game-based learning regularly is TIME. Fortunately, you can use a couple of simple strategies to crush that hurdle, and pave the way to studio success…
1. Easy Peasy Method Book Notes
I believe so strongly in using game-based learning, that before I send a student home with a new method book, I first add some of my own notes to the header of each piano piece in the book.
In the header (in a discrete area and in a tidy way) I write down the names of one or two piano games that reinforce the concepts being learned in the piano piece. Along with the title of the game, I also note the bin number where it is stored for quick reference (more on that later).
By doing this in advance, I eliminate any time spent deciding which is the correct game to use and then searching through my storage bins to find it. And because the information is directly written on the piano piece that is already open on the piano, it also eliminates the time I might spend opening my teaching binder and referencing a spreadsheet… every second counts!
This strategy requires a bit of prep work, but if you only use two or three method books, you quickly remember which piano games go with which pieces and making the notes before sending the method book home is easy-peasy.
2. Piano Game Days
The first time you play a piano game, you are bound to spend more than 5 minutes learning how the game is played. But once your kids know the rules, playing that game in future lessons takes a fraction of the time.
Because of this, you might want to consider hosting a Piano Game Day one weekend every month or two. During this day, you can teach your piano students how to play all of the fun new games you have.
Then, when your students come for their regular individual lessons, they are ready to roll and no time is wasted learning the games.
Piano Game Days are also a brilliant way to add to your teaching income and to help your piano students meet other music-minded friends, hereby building a sense of community.
3. Game Storage
You’re probably also wondering how to store your piano games so that you can easily grab exactly what you need… and spare yourself from a chaotic studio where spare dice cause tripping hazards and game boards and cards spill from every shelf.
So, I’m going to let you in on my game-storage secret!
As you see in the photo – each of my games has its own folder. Here’s how I set up all of my game folders:
1) Purchase “2 pocket” folders (at the Dollar Tree – 2 for $1.25)
2) Tape the (included) game cover page to the front of the folder.
3) Place the game board in the right-hand side pocket
4) Place the game play instructions in the left-hand side pocket
5) Contain all playing cards, die and game markers that are needed for that specific game in a ziploc bag that is then tucked into the left-hand side pocket.
Store your games in an open basket or bin so you can see the title labels easily, and separate your bins according to learning outcome. I have bins labelled as “1: Rhythm”, “2: Note Reading”, and “3: Ear Training” to name a few. Larger game items (chalk, balls, percussion instruments etc.) go in a bin with a lid… learned that lesson the hard way 😉
With this system you can find the exact game that works to reinforce your lesson focus, have everything you need to play immediately at your fingertips (including instructions if needed), and know exactly where to find each game folder.
4. Take-Home Piano Games
Reaping the many necessary benefits of game-based learning does not only need to happen during a piano lesson!
Consider creating Take-Home Game Bags that your students can check out and take home every week. This is a great strategy for reinforcing lesson concepts AND, what I consider to be even more important… getting parents involved in home practice!
If you choose to become a PianoGameClub member you’ll have new games every month to make a program like this a smashing success!
My Final (And Most Important) Strategy… errrr Philosophy
Truth be told I believe there is ALWAYS time for piano games.
I came to realize this when I started to think of them not as games, but as teaching tools. Then, suddenly, game-based learning became much more than a brain-break… it became a philosophy.
And this philosophy is guided by one very simple question:
“Can what I am about to explain be better off learned with a piano game?”
By adopting this philosophy, you’ll discover, as I did, that there is no need to “make time” for piano games. Piano games become a necessary component of any lesson, and a necessary tool that results in better understanding and increased motivation.
Get A FREE Piano Game!
Now for the best part… we have a great soccer-themed piano game to send your way that will improve bass clef note reading! All you have to do is share with us in the comments below one little time-saving tip that you use to help make the most of your precious piano lesson minutes.
And remember… everyone who leaves a comment will receive the game (Kick Flick) by email 🙂
I travel to my students homes, so I set a timer on my phone and I have my students choose the sound. To save time during lessons, I get everything I need out of my backpack and organized while they’re choosing their sound.
I have my students pick out their stickers or play a game on my iPad while I take lesson notes.
Anything I want to do with that student goes in their lesson book, then it stares me in the face when they arrive next week–“Next week, we’ll play musical bingo!” or “Next week, we’ll pick out a new piece of sheet music.” If it requires prep for me before the next lesson, I enter it into my ever-revolving piano to do list for the next week.
WOW these are GENIUS ideas Andrea, thank you!! One little tip is I use folders for each student that I keep and when I know something applies to their next lesson I print it right away to save time.
Thanks for all your creative ideas!
My tip is to make sure I have a pencil near the piano before lessons start. Too often my own children will borrow my pencils, and I have to look for one during the lesson. 🙂
I’m a traveling piano teacher also (this is new for me; I’ve always had my own studio) so I’m finding it very difficult to anticipate and bring what I’ll need. The problem for me in lesson planning is that I really don’t know what kind of problems my students may have with a piece & even tho I walk thru the pieces ahead of time, they often come back making the mistakes I have “warned” them about.
I have organized my games according to holidays and seasons but I think I need to also have them organized by concept. How would you suggest the “double” organization?
I use clothesline pins with different musical activities written on them (ex. Technique, improvisation, lesson book, eartraining, game,etc.) I pin them one under another on left side of a cardboard stand I made (I keep the stand on top of the piano). As we get to complete each activity, we move that pin to the opposit side of the stand flipping it to the sign “DONE” that is written at the back of each pin. This way we usually don’t loose track of the time during the lesson, because we want to see all pins flipped to the sign “DONE”
While writing in students assignment book, I ask him to play this weeks scale/arpeggio to reinforce that it is practiced correctly at home! I’m considering making rubber stamps for a few terms that I seem to write a lot, ie. “fingering”, “dynamics”. Colored ink of course!
Love the idea of Piano Game Club. A time saver for me during lessons is using a timer when we play games. Most games can be adapted to be used with a timer. I set the expectation with the student of how many rounds we will try to accomplish. Just for fun I throw in an extra speed round at the end of the game. Even if the student doesn’t accomplish the task or get it perfect during the speed round it usually gets both of us laughing. Laughter is always good during a lesson!
I use my smartphone as the timer with a funny sounds as the “bell”.
I have a basic plan for the day for each student…always subject to change. But the plan allows me to have materials ready in advance.
Quick access to games is totally a time saver tip! I like the bin idea cause it looks pretty too:) I’ve got mine organized in a file folder organizer and labeled according to learning concepts so that I can easily find and pull out the right game for whatever occasion.
Great storage comments organization is a must for games. Great site
I take quick notes about each student right after they leave the lesson. Sunday is my planning day and I use office hours I set aside to plan for the coming week and put together materials based on the notes
Those were fantastic tips! Loved the idea of writing them in the header of pieces int he method book! And the Piano Game Day!
I keep a notebook during each lesson to prepare for the next week – i.e., find a certain piece, xx gets a prize if they do — this week – and make sure these things are ready before the student’s lesson so I’m not scrambling during the lesson.
Each student has a view binder; the clear pocket is a great place for parents to enclose their check payments, and for me to place ‘top priority’ assignments or reminders each week. I also keep a folder for each student which contains their repertoire lists, possible new pieces/games, technique charts, and contact info. I place the folders for the day’s students on the piano before lessons begin so they are readily accessible.
Before lessons start for the day I always read through my lesson plans and get out any activities & supplies I need, load any videos, etc.
I try to plan 5-10 minute blocks to subdivide my time. If I know there’s just 1 min. left for theory, I can decide whether I need to borrow some time from a lesson piece or let them take it home to finish.
My tips:
1. I write lesson notes while students are playing or sightreading or doing their Tedd Tales assignment. Then I don’t feel like I need to “hover” and jump in to “save” a note when there might be a pause.
2. Plan- year at a glance, month, week and daily!
3. Lesson materials laid out and ready!
Great idea!! I love games in lessons and am guilty of not using them enough because of the “time” issue. I will certainly try to make it more of a priority!
Just started a new way a saving time…I have a folder for each student with worksheets and games that way I can just grab what I need from their folder and go
Lesson planning has always been a HUGE time-saver for me during lessons. It allows me to figure out in advance what materials/games I need for each student and helps the lesson to run more smoothly overall. Of course, I can always make adjustments during the lesson, if needed, but at least I have a plan for what could be accomplished during that time.
Thank you for sharing these helpful ideas! I write down my lesson plans and games-to-play notes, but welcome additional time-saving tips!
I use my own preprinted assignment sheets that I’ve honed over time. It helps with keeping the writing down each week.
Ah yes, organizing my games/activities is on my project list. This gives me an idea now..
Thank you for sharing your game storage ideas! This will eliminate frantic time spent finding game pieces and make lesson planning much easier.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50022354/
— I try to organize my games into these magazine holders – labelled on the spine …
— another tip — have various levels of cards that you can use the same game board with
What a great post. I have a shelf right by where I sit with the songs, games, and papers I will use for the week so they are within reach.
Love all your helpful ideas and encouragement! One time-saving thing that I do is that I have a nice file cabinet in my piano room where I have labeled files of activity pages to hand out as needed when a student needs extra reinforcement. I also have files of Christmas and other holiday activity pages to hand out also.
I’m a big believer in piano games! I’m always on the lookout for new ideas!
I usually leave the games at the end of the lesson. My student would be busy playing the game while I write down the week’s assignments.
For my exam students, I photocopy the Technical Requirements page(s), and keep the copy in the student’s piano lesson binder. It saves time because I don’t have to get up and retrieve the exam syllabus during the lesson.
Someone might have already said this so I’m sorry if it’s a repeat! I have a file cabinet with a drawer full of folders. Each student has one folder and I organize them roughly by day of the week so all my Monday students are at the front, then Tuesday, etc. Each month I print out who needs what based on their projected progress and put it in their folders. This is especially handy with my 15 students who are going through Andrea’s and Trevor’s “Shhhh… Your Piano Teacher Thinks This is Practice” book.
Thanks again for all your amazing resources! I would be a very boring teacher without you guys 🙂
While I’m writing in their assignment notebooks, I have the kids start to sight read (silently) the next piece we will be working on. I’ve taught them all the steps they need to effectively sight read and by the time I’m done writing they are ready to start playing.
I like to chat with my students, and hear about their week when we first start. I have found as I show interest in other aspects of their lives, it has helped create a better teaching relationship. This takes time though, so I have started having them do warm up exercise while we chat about their week!
Appreciated the storage tip with games in a bin. Also the reminder that these games are teaching tools when used at the appropriate time with a minimum of time spent with “let’s get started info” by including the occasional piano game party day.
Great ideas! My time saving tip is to introduce rhythms learned in that lessons pieces at the beginning of the lesson by rote, then when we go to look at the piece, voila they’ve already learned the rhythm and it takes much less time by rote!
I love your idea of writing on the page of their music books what game to play.
I go with my natural – obsessive – personality and whatever I am obsessing about everyone gets to play along whether they need it or not
I still have trouble with saving time. I always go over the allotted time! But one thing I try to remember to do is write their homework while they’re playing, instead of after the lesson.
Love any new ideas. Teaching games seam to teach faster than anything I can say Imlove to use them. Thanks for great ideas
I have the student remind me that it is time to play a game:) They love the responsibility of having to remember for the whole week to remind me the following week. And, they NEVER forget!
It will be a great game to play for the boys. They get a kick out of games, just for boys. At least that’s what they think. Girls like soccer too!
A game at the start is a great time-saver; it helps ease my students into “piano lesson mode.”
I teach 45 minute lessons even to beginners. That way you have time for games, off the bench activities, plus time for chatting, which is necessary for establishing the relationships so necessary for ongoing teacher-student trust.
Wow, you are just awesome. Thank you for everything, I really wish I knew you in person! The organization ideas are very helpful – I currently keep games in a binder that is exploding. I like the notes at the top of the method book page – that is helpful. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Have a great day!
I use carbon paper to keep a copy of my student practice sheets….and then write my next lesson plans directly onto the carbon copy , relating each thing to what has been practised ( or not!)
After teaching piano for 45+ years, I am finally becoming convinced that adding games to lesson times is a very valuable incentive and worthwhile practice! I love the Wunderkeys activities, and am learning to apply them to many of my younger students. I realize that assigning less work to each student each week, I will save lesson time and thus will have time for a game that will reinforce any concept that needs extra attention. I have been so blessed by this web site! Thank you, Andrea and Trevor, and all those who add their suggestions and comments!
Thank you so much for all your great ideas! They really help me take my teaching to the next level!
As a traveling teacher, I don’t have the luxury of storage bins or file folders… so I keep my games in ziploc bags that then fit nicely into a zip-up three-ring binder. Ziploc bags go in three-hole sheet protectors and larger pieces I carry in a canvas bag. My time saver is having one or two games for each concept in my bag, so I have less to hunt through!