You have probably heard of cross-training. It’s a regular part of any athlete’s routine where they develop their skills by performing a sport or activity other than their own.
Think… rowing and biking or yoga and running.
Our piano students can (and should) cross-train too and “color drumming”, an activity that does NOT require a drum set, is a wonderfully fun way to hyper-focus on rhythm work.
With nothing but an overturned container, a couple of pencils (drum sticks), and the printable we are sharing today, color drumming will probably work its way into your regular lesson routine.
Use Color Drumming With These Students
Color drumming is a rhythm activity that requires a little bit of coordination on the part of your piano students.
While you can give it a go with kids of any age, it is best suited to slightly older students.
Today’s Color Drumming Printable is designed as a standalone activity but will work wonders when paired with our newly-released WunderKeys Elementary Piano Lesson Book 2A.
With a focus on dotted quarter notes and eighth rests, today’s printables will commit these tricky rhythms to memory and eliminate any stumbles when your students return to the bench.
Note: If you’re interested in WunderKeys Elementary Piano Lesson Book 2A you can check it out here.
Color Drumming: How It Works
Your student should sit on the floor with an overturned container (ice cream bucket), the color drumming printable, and a pencil in each hand.
The Color Drumming printable contains lines of “rhythm-only” music with colored note heads.
If a note head is RED, the student should tap the rhythmic value with the pencil in her right hand. If a note head is BLUE, the student should tap the rhythmic value with the pencil in her left hand. If a note head is black, the student should tap the rhythmic value with both pencils.
Download Our Color Drumming Printable
To download today’s Color Drumming printable, click on the image below. And don’t forget to check out WunderKeys Elementary Piano Lesson Book 2A.
