Are you looking for ways to fit more ear training activities into your lessons? Why not use a few familiar holiday songs as tools to work on ear training this season?
Today I am sharing 4 fun and festive ways you can sneak a little ear training into your lessons during the holidays--including FREE printables that you can start using right away!
Keep reading to see the list...
Today I am sharing 4 fun and festive ways you can sneak a little ear training into your lessons during the holidays--including FREE printables that you can start using right away!
Keep reading to see the list...
1. Play holiday melodies by ear.
Many traditional holiday songs are fun, familiar, and easily singable--a winning combination for ear training!
Challenge your students to sing the first line of a favorite holiday song, then to play it by ear. This is a quick activity that is easy to work into any lesson this season.
Many traditional holiday songs are fun, familiar, and easily singable--a winning combination for ear training!
Challenge your students to sing the first line of a favorite holiday song, then to play it by ear. This is a quick activity that is easy to work into any lesson this season.
| For an even bigger challenge, have your students notate these holiday melodies on the staff. This is a great way to review note names, rhythms, the rules of stem direction, and more. This free printable helps even young students with the task of singing, playing, and notating the first line of a few well-known Christmas songs. Click on the image to get your free copy! |  |
2. Transpose holiday songs to different keys.
Transposing is an excellent way to work on not only ear training, but intervallic reading as well. As a bonus, students get a chance to play in a variety of keys that they might not yet have encountered in their repertoire.
Challenge your students to transpose the first line of one of their holiday repertoire pieces into 3 different keys. Or, use one the the 3 free transposing worksheets below!
Click on the images to get your free copies!
Transposing is an excellent way to work on not only ear training, but intervallic reading as well. As a bonus, students get a chance to play in a variety of keys that they might not yet have encountered in their repertoire.
Challenge your students to transpose the first line of one of their holiday repertoire pieces into 3 different keys. Or, use one the the 3 free transposing worksheets below!
Click on the images to get your free copies!
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3. Harmonize familiar holiday melodies.
There are many traditional holiday songs that can be played using only the I, IV, and V chords of a key. This provides students with a great opportunity to review these primary chords, as well as to learn how to harmonize by choosing the best chords to fit the melody line.
"Joy to the World," "Silent Night," and "Jingle Bells" are three familiar holiday favorites that can all be harmonized with just the primary chords. Challenge your students play the melody by ear, then choose the best harmony to fit the melody line.
Or, make things even easier by using one of the printables below! These printables feature the melody of a traditional holiday song and ask students to write the best primary chord harmony on the lines provided to complete the music.
Click on the images to get your free copies!
There are many traditional holiday songs that can be played using only the I, IV, and V chords of a key. This provides students with a great opportunity to review these primary chords, as well as to learn how to harmonize by choosing the best chords to fit the melody line.
"Joy to the World," "Silent Night," and "Jingle Bells" are three familiar holiday favorites that can all be harmonized with just the primary chords. Challenge your students play the melody by ear, then choose the best harmony to fit the melody line.
Or, make things even easier by using one of the printables below! These printables feature the melody of a traditional holiday song and ask students to write the best primary chord harmony on the lines provided to complete the music.
Click on the images to get your free copies!
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4. Write out the rhythms from well-known holiday tunes.
We all know how easy it is for a holiday song to get stuck in our head (ahem..."Carol of the Bells," anyone?). Get your students clapping, counting, and notating those unforgettable rhythms!
Clap a random measure or two of rhythm from one of your student's current holiday repertoire pieces, then have them notate it on a blank piece of paper. Or, use one the of the Christmas rhythmic dictation activity printables shown below!
These rhythmic dictation worksheets provide 4 levels of familiar holiday rhythms in a variety of time signatures to help you get started. (Level 1 is pictured; the printable also includes Levels 2, 3, and 4 with more complicated rhythms.)
Click on the image to get your free copies!
We all know how easy it is for a holiday song to get stuck in our head (ahem..."Carol of the Bells," anyone?). Get your students clapping, counting, and notating those unforgettable rhythms!
Clap a random measure or two of rhythm from one of your student's current holiday repertoire pieces, then have them notate it on a blank piece of paper. Or, use one the of the Christmas rhythmic dictation activity printables shown below!
These rhythmic dictation worksheets provide 4 levels of familiar holiday rhythms in a variety of time signatures to help you get started. (Level 1 is pictured; the printable also includes Levels 2, 3, and 4 with more complicated rhythms.)
Click on the image to get your free copies!
Bonus Printables
The two printables below also make fun ear training challenges for students of all ages:
My 2 "Christmas Jumbles" challenge students to unscramble the measures from the first line of a well-known Christmas tune and write them on the staff. For an even bigger challenge, ask students to complete these jumbles without using the piano by imagining the melody line as they look at the music--a sneaky way to help students practice the skill of audiation.
My "Christmas Name That Tune" worksheets challenge students to sight-read each line, then guess the name of the Christmas tune. This can also be used as an audiation activity by having students try to guess the tune before they play it on the piano. It is a fun activity to use in holiday group classes, too!
Click on the images to get your free copies!
The two printables below also make fun ear training challenges for students of all ages:
My 2 "Christmas Jumbles" challenge students to unscramble the measures from the first line of a well-known Christmas tune and write them on the staff. For an even bigger challenge, ask students to complete these jumbles without using the piano by imagining the melody line as they look at the music--a sneaky way to help students practice the skill of audiation.
My "Christmas Name That Tune" worksheets challenge students to sight-read each line, then guess the name of the Christmas tune. This can also be used as an audiation activity by having students try to guess the tune before they play it on the piano. It is a fun activity to use in holiday group classes, too!
Click on the images to get your free copies!
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What do you think? Have you discovered any creative ways to work on ear training during the busy holiday season? I would love to hear from you in the comments!
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