Category: Composition

Think Like a Composer: Tips for Teaching Musical Interpretation

1/30/2020

Today I am sharing this article that I wrote for the blog at Tonara.com.

If you aren't familiar with Tonara, it is a unique app with a variety of features that enable teachers to manage their studio and motivate their students to practice. Visit Tonara's website HERE to learn more!

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then I think it is safe to say that music is in the ear of the beholder. Have you ever noticed that three different people can listen to the same piece of music and experience it in three completely different ways?

One of my favorite things about music is that each performance is truly a three-way collaboration: a merging of the inspiration of the composer, the interpretation of the performer, and the experience of the listener. Each musical performance is different, and each time we listen to a piece of music it has the potential to make us hear it in a new and exciting way.

Many of our students begin piano lessons because they have experienced the emotional connection that listening to a beautiful piece of music can bring. A great musical performance is all about bringing the composer’s “story” to life. So, how can we help our students learn to interpret the stories behind their music and to perform more artistically? Let’s teach them how to think like a composer!

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A Free Valentine's Day Improv Activity!

1/27/2020

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Today I am sharing a fun improv activity for February that can be customized for students at every level! This activity encourages students to improvise in both major and minor keys and to create a melody in 3/4 time.

Click HERE or on the picture to download this activity, including a teacher instruction page for tips on how to introduce this improv to your students.

Happy improvising!

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The Bear and the Bird: A Story-Based Improv Activity for Beginners

12/31/2019

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The new year is always a great time for incorporating a few fresh, creative activities into our lessons! With that in mind, today I am sharing one of my favorite creative activities for beginning students: a story-based improv activity.

This is a great activity for helping students become comfortable creating sounds at the piano away from the written page. I tell students that for this activity, I am the narrator and they are my "sound effect engineers." Their job is to choose a sound on the piano that they think fits the story as we read it together.

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Free "Falling Leaves" Composition Activity

8/18/2019

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It has been a long, hot summer around here. As my studio gears up for the new school year, my thoughts are turning toward fall--cooler weather, changing leaves, and everything pumpkin spice!

With that in mind, I have created a fun, fall-themed composition activity that can be customized for beginning to intermediate students. Use this activity to jump start creative thinking in your beginners, or to review scales and notation on the staff with your returning students.

Click HERE to get all three pages of the "Falling Leaves" composition activity, including an instruction sheet and staff template page for notating each student's composition.

What do you think? Are you planning any special fall activities for your students this year? I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments!

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Fun with Scales! (An Improv and Composing Activity)

12/7/2018

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In several of my previous posts on improvising and composing (see all of my posts related to composing HERE), I’ve talked about how to create a melody from the major or minor scale and how to harmonize it using chords from that scale. However, there is a wide, wide world of scales out there apart from the traditional major and minor that we hear most often in Western Classical music.

Today, I will be sharing a few different scales that might provide interesting composing opportunities for your students. Ready to have fun with scales? Let’s go!

1. The Major pentatonic scale

Now, I’ve talked a bit about the pentatonic scale and improv HERE. But it is worth repeating, because the pentatonic scale is so easy to harmonize, and it is found in so many different styles of music, from folk music to Impressionist music to jazz!

Beginners can use the black key pentatonic scale to create a melody and hold the damper pedal for instant harmony. Late elementary students can harmonize their melodies using any of the black keys—all of the notes of the pentatonic scale work well with the others.

For intermediate students, create an easy jazz improv by playing the pentatonic scale over seventh chords. For example, play a C major pentatonic scale (C-D-E-G-A) over the chords Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, and Fmaj7. This will give you a nice, modern jazz sound.

2. The Whole Tone Scale

Do you want to evoke a feeling of magic or outer space? Use the whole tone scale! This scale is made up of all whole steps (hence the name) and is easiest to play as C-D-E-F#-G#-A# (three white keys followed by three black keys).

Just like the pentatonic scale, beginners can use the damper pedal to create instant harmony with the whole tone scale. More advanced students might enjoy harmonizing this scale with major thirds or augmented triads.

3. The Dorian Mode

The Dorian mode can be created by taking a natural minor scale and raising the sixth step—for example, playing the D minor scale with all white keys. To me, the Dorian mode evokes a feeling of medieval or Renaissance music—perhaps because I associate this mode with the song “Scarborough Fair,” which is based on this scale.

Since the Dorian mode is only one note away from the natural minor scale, it can be harmonized easily using chords built on the minor scale—just be sure to use a major IV chord instead of the minor iv usually found in minor keys. Or to play up the medieval feel, experiment with using open fifths to harmonize this scale.

4. The Lydian Mode

The Lydian mode can be created by taking the major scale and raising the fourth step—for example, playing the F major scale with all white keys. The Lydian mode has a playful sound; a couple of pieces based on this scale are “The Simpsons Theme” and “Lost Woods” from the “Legend of Zelda” video game.

Since the Lydian mode is only one note away from the major scale, it can be harmonized with many of the same chords. Just remember to use a major II chord instead of the minor ii usually seen in major keys.

If you would like a more structured way to compose with any of these scales, try using my “Snowflakes” guided composition activity, found HERE. Instead of using a major or minor five note scale as directed on the worksheet, substitute one of the scales I described above. This will help your students to create a really unique, wintry composition—as well as introduce them to some fun, new scale sounds!

What do you think? Do you encourage your students to improvise with scales? What are your favorite non-major or minor scales? Feel free to chime in below!

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Think Like a Composer: Tips for Teaching Musical Interpretation

A Free Valentine's Day Improv Activity!

The Bear and the Bird: A Story-Based Improv Activity for Beginners

Free "Falling Leaves" Composition Activity

Fun with Scales! (An Improv and Composing Activity)

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