Back in October, we released a Halloween Improv Activity… and it was a huge hit. In December we decided to release a Christmas Improv Activity and again, it was a huge hit. We kept the ball rolling last month and released a Valentine’s Day Improv Activity and… you guessed it… a huge hit!
So we couldn’t just sit back and ignore St. Patrick’s Day, could we? Of course, we couldn’t!
Piano teachers have been using our improv activities as cute recital pieces for little kids, as fun activities for parent participation days, as sibling duets for home practice, and as themed lesson activities.
Andrea and I hope that the St. Patrick’s Day Improv Activity we’re sharing will bring loads of foot-tappin’ fun to your studio. Check it out below.
A St. Patrick’s Day Improv For Your Piano Studio
This activity will encourage your piano kids to experiment with improvisation in a way that ensures success… and is a whole lot of fun! Using an accompaniment with a Celtic-flair, you and your students can get into the St. Paddy’s day mood. Here’s how it works:
Step 1
Print (double-sided) and cut out the St. Patrick’s Day Improv Cards found here.
Step 2
With your students, practice saying each St. Patrick’s Day phrase while tapping, snapping, and clapping the rhythms. Then, have your students try playing the rhythms on any one white key. We have included a blank card for students who want to make up their own rhythms.
Step 3
Spread the cards out on your studio floor and have your students select two of them at random.
Step 4
With their fingers in the C 5-Finger scale, have your students play the rhythms on the cards selected in Step 3 on a single key and then have them experiment with different “white key” melodies to match the two rhythms on their selected cards.
Step 5
Begin playing the St. Patrick’s Day accompaniment found here. As you play, instruct your students to join in when they feel comfortable; creating melodies in the C 5-Finger position to match the rhythms on the cards selected in Step 3. Your students can play a melody to match just one card or can switch back and forth, playing a melody to match one card and then playing a melody to match the second card. Or they can play repeated melodies in whatever order they please… hey, it’s improv!
Step 6
When the duet starts to come to life, encourage your students to really experiment with the melodies… adding dynamics, changing octaves, and experimenting with harmonic intervals.
Did You File Away These Improv Activities?…
Because It’s never too early to start preparing future lessons, I have included links to our Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day improv activities below. If you have the time now, print them off and put them in a handy little folder so they’re ready to roll when it’s time to go.
Add This Halloween Improv Activity To Your Bag Of Tricks
A “Santa’s Workshop” Improv Activity For Beginning Piano Students
Create a Love for Improvisation With This Valentine’s Day Activity
Leia says
Yay! I’ve loved all of these! And thank you for making a PDF of the accompaniment, makes it much easier to use 🙂
Andrea says
Hi Leia – you’re welcome! Glad they get good use in your studio 🙂
LeeAnn Britton says
Thank you so much for all you do! My kids just love the improve. They were just asking last week if we could do the valentine one again. You guys are Awesome!!
Andrea says
Hi LeeAnn! We hope to do an Easter one as well so you should have quite the collection building 🙂
Jeanne says
Perfect timing! I needed to add some improv this week for one particular student who just needs creative time in her lesson. Thank you!
Andrea says
You’re so welcome Jeanne! Glad you are enjoying them 🙂
Zoé Iglesias says
I have used all these thematic improv cards with a six-year-old student and she just loves them! We used them the whole month of October, December and now February because every lesson she wanted to play the improvs, and well by the end of the month she learned all the catchy phrases. Last week she just asked me if we were going to have some new ones for Spring *hint hint!* or other holiday, so these St. Patrick’s came just in time for her lesson later today. Thank you!
Andrea says
Perfect Zoe! So glad you can use them right away!
Drema says
Hi Trevor and Andrea,
Thank you both for all these creative ideas and these improv cards you guys made! I really like them. Last week I used some Christmas Elves ones with one of my adult students and she thought it was so fun and made her improvising easier.
I was just thinking to myself, hmm, maybe I can just make some up for Spring. Then….ta-da…..you guys posted one this Monday.
Thanks so much and hope you both have a great week!
Andrea says
Hi Drema – so glad it came at the perfect time 🙂 Love that you’re doing improv with adults too.
Sarah says
I recently joined the book club and have been using Improv Allister for my lessons at school. The children of all levels are having a ball with this and as a teacher I’m loving that they are learning the skills for improvisation, thank you so so much for putting the latest St Patricks one together it will be a hit for sure! Do you have any other St Patricks music or activities?
Shirley says
Thank you so much for your fun improv activities! My studetns with autism LOVE them all! One boy is still asking to play the Halloween improv.
Andrea says
Thrilled to hear it Shirley! 🙂
N. says
Thank-you Andrea and Trevor!
This was the perfect way to send my students off for March break. Every student enjoyed creating their own rhythm, and all the parents were thrilled to hear their child(ren) create beautiful and original compositions. (Some even sang the phrases with the music. Yay!) It was a positive experience for all.
Thanks again!
Andrea says
So great to hear! Thanks for taking the time to share 🙂
Teresa Arth says
We start off our Groups with a different activity and this fell into place. There were new students that were visiting our studio this day and they had a great time making up an Irish Jig.. Thanks for the idea..
Trevor says
So glat to hear it Teresa!
Nina says
Hi Andrea! Thanks for this idea! I came to your FB to search for a St. Patrick’s Day themed activity and found this. 🙂 I am wondering if you could include the ‘Print’ option, along with the FB, Twitter and Pinterest. Possibly have a ‘Save’ button as well. I am not sure of the best way to print your directions. Thanks, so much! Nina
Andrea says
Hi Nina – we’ll look into this for sure 🙂 You can “copy paste” the text if you like into a word document for now. From now on we are including printable directions with everything we create from this point forward (find them in an easy-to-find format on http://www.wunderkeys.com) There’s a great Birthday improv on there for your piano student Birthday weeks!