Where we live,Β it is decidedly toque weather now, and this means that my studio door opens every 30 minutes with a blustery burst of cold air, jackets, scarves, gloves and… mud.
Unbundling my piano student snowmen takes a few moments, but once they’re on the bench with me we’re having a blast warming up their chilly fingers with some wintery technical exercises that improve control and execution of articulation markings.
Today we’re sharing one of our favorite wintery warm-up printables that you can use with your own piano students to focus on articulation markings and to warm up frozen piano fingers!
A Wintery Articulation Adventure
Your piano students are going to be begging to do this warm-up all winter. Simply download it, print it out, discuss the various articulation markings found in the musical excerpts, and then enjoy narrating the wintery tale as your students provide the soundtrack.
Note: On the final musical excerpt in the story you’ll notice that there are no articulation markings. This is intentional and allows your students to createΒ their own arrangements of slurs, accents and staccatos! If you choose to laminate this and use it with multiple students, simply use a dry erase pen!
You can download your Wintery Articulation Adventure here.
If you’re having fun with story-based warm-ups then your piano students will love our story-based Christmas books! Filled with adorable characters, illustrations and lyrics, they’re also packed with carefully-levelled carols to continue learning even through December.Β
Kelly Koch says
Thank you SO much! We absolutely love TEDDtales. My students beg for them, and for some reason, it creates a teeny-tiny little bond between us. Sometimes we read the story together, and they’ll soften and warm to the activity, even leaning against me like a story-time thing! It’s precious bonding time, who knew?
Andrea says
Hi Kelly – story-based learning is so near and dear to our hearts for this very reason. Read a child a story and it’s an immediate connection and a lasting warm-fuzzy memory. So glad you’re experiencing this! π Strong connections are what we all aim for as piano teachers as they are what get kids through the “tough stuff”.
Anna Fagan says
How cute! I am obsessed with snowmen … so, even here in sunny Central Florida, we’ll be using these in lessons. Thanks!
Andrea says
You’re so welcome Anna! If you head out our way you could make snowmen for days π
Milla says
This is what we need right now! Also, your sign-up stickers for recital practice are genius: many of my students improved drastically using these. Thank you!
Andrea says
Thrilled to hear it Milla! The Showcase stickers have been a huge hit with my students too (and their parents). Link here if anyone else is wondering what we’re talking about. https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2016/11/18/encourage-holiday-piano-practice-with-our-showcase-stickers-printable/
Sherry L says
So grateful for this lovely winter activity! So many times you have saved me with fun seasonal activities π Thank you!
Sanne says
Thank you so much for such a refreshing and creative warm up. I just love the story and the pictures.
Andrea says
You’re so welcome Sanne! Glad you can use it π Hope it makes your lesson planning a bit easier this week.
Denise says
Love this! I sure miss the snow! Not much of it anymore now that I’ve moved down south. π
My students love TeddTales! I downloaded all the stories to my Ipod for easy access. Now my students are wondering when the 2nd book will be released. Is there a plan to release it soon?
Andrea says
Hi Denise – we’ve been so busy with PianoBookClub and PianoGameClub and now the release of the new WunderKeys method books! However, we LOVE TEDDtales and my own students are really wanting a Book 2 as well! We have about half of the stories written – we write them all ourselves and to find the time to do 24 is tough π Yes, we plan on a TEDDtales 2 in the future for sure however!
Denise says
I can imagine how busy you are with all the teaching, composing, running a music school and business, sending wonderful resources our way (oh, and the easy job of raising children…ha! ha!) that there is little time right now to finish book 2 of TeddTales. π I totally understand! Looking forward to the eventual finished product!
Andrea says
LOL – people occasionally refer us having a “team” and we have to chuckle. How nice that would be to have one!! π Have a great holiday Denise!
Barbara says
I am a late viewer today but had to tell you how on time this is! I am having my annual Christmas Open House next week and this is perfect!
Thanks for all that you do! You are remarkable!
Andrea says
Hi Barbara – so glad you can use it π Thanks for reading our blog!
Sarah says
I love these little stories with exercises and so do all my students. Great fun. They don’t even realise we are doing some work.
Andrea says
The best work happens when it doesn’t feel like work at all! So glad that you are enjoying it Sarah! Happy Holidays π
Hyrgy says
Thank you very much!!! I love it! Do you have more like this? I’m very interested!
Andrea says
We have one for Halloween π https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2016/10/05/a-frightfully-fun-printable-for-strengthening-your-piano-students-34-and-5-fingers/ and we also have an entire book that’s a lot like this. https://www.teachpianotoday.com/books/teddtales-technical-exercises-dramatically-different/