Sometimes you just need a gimmick. In fact… when teaching little piano students, “gimmicks” can be powerful leaning tools. In those moments where you have a tired-out, frustrated, overwhelmed or otherwise unhappy little one on your bench, pulling out something interesting and fun is like sprinkling magic “happy dust” over your piano lesson.
If your approach to theory needs some “happy dust” then you’ll love the DIY teaching tool we’re sharing in today’s post. It’s a fun and (very) simple way to encourage your piano students to focus on the nitty-gritty details in their music. So, eat a popsicle, save the stick and read on!
Connect Kids To Their Piano Scores With Inspector McEye
In addition to exploring theory in games, in stories and in worksheets, it is important to solidify concepts in context. Using your piano students’ current pieces as study material brings immediate relevancy to their learning.
But exploring theory in context risks becoming a little boring; unless you employ a gimmick… like Inspector McEye. Using Inspector McEye your once-reluctant students will be happy to explore their scores and strength their understanding of theory concepts.
To make your own Inspector McEye, you will need a popsicle stick, some washi tape, some glue and a googly eye. I added a cape for fun!
14 Ways To Explore Theory With Inspector McEye
Armed with Inspector McEye your piano students can respond to the following 14 requests and have a blast studying their scores:
- Point to all of the ___ (choose a note name).
- Point to notes that step up, notes that step down and notes that repeat.
- Point to notes that skip and notes that leap.
- Point to a 5th (or another interval).
- Point to a half note (or other note and rest values).
- Point to an accent (or other articulation markings).
- Point to a symbol that means forte (or other dynamic markings).
- Point to the measure with the rhythm that I will clap.
- Point to a measure that matches the melody I will play.
- Point to the tonic and dominant of the piece.
- Point to notes that are played together.
- Point to patterns (rhythmic patterns, measures that repeat etc.).
- Point to notes played with the LH and notes played with the RH.
- Tap each note value while counting the treble clef rhythm.
More Quirky Theory Fun And Games
You’ll find yourself reaching for Inspector McEye more often than you may think… and you can bet your students will be happy to study their scores using this little bit of fun!
If your looking for more quirky, educational and fun ways to inspire kids to love theory, then you’ll want to check out Teach Piano Today’s PianoGameClub. For just $8 US/CDN monthly PianoGameClub subscribers receive four laugh-out-loud piano games each and every month that have piano students begging to learn theory!
