Category: Theory

Musicianship Monthly #20: Mighty Music Vocabulary!

10/30/2022

November is right around the corner--and the start of another month means it is time for a new Musicianship Monthly post!

What is "Musicianship Monthly?" Each month, I share links to free resources you can use to focus on a specific musicianship skill with your students. (Want to see past skills we have covered? Click HERE!)

This month, the focus is on music vocabulary. I am always looking for ways to help my students review musical terms, especially those tricky Italian terms that tend to trip students up! So for November, I am sharing 3 FREE worksheets that will help your students review the most common terms used for dynamics, tempo, and articulations.

Want to get your free mighty music vocabulary worksheets? Keep reading!

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New Piano Tutorial Video!

6/15/2022

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I was honored to be invited by Musicnotes to create a special tutorial video for their new "Behind the Notes" YouTube channel! In this video, I walk pianists through 2 versions of Leonard Cohen's famous song "Hallelujah"--one for easy piano and one for intermediate piano!

The easy piano version introduces students to the melody, harmony, and form of this famous song. We'll talk about I, IV, V, and vi chords; inversions (and why we use them); and how broken chords can add interest to an arrangement.

In the intermediate piano version, I'll share a few tricks that arrangers use to create more sophisticated sounding arrangements!

You can find the sheet music for both versions I demonstrate in the video at Musicnotes, as well:

The easy piano version (including lyrics and chord symbols) is available HERE.
The intermediate piano version is available HERE.

What do you think? Do you teach this song in your studio? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!

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Musicianship Monthly #16: The Basics of Music Notation

4/29/2022

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Can you believe that May is almost here? The start of a new month means it is time for a new Musicianship Monthly post!

What is "Musicianship Monthly?" Each month, I share links to free resources you can use to focus on a specific musicianship skill with your students. (Want to see past skills we have covered? Click HERE!)

This month, we will be practicing the basics of music notation! I am sharing several free worksheets that will help students become pros at drawing clefs, time signatures, and notes on the staff.

Keep reading for your free notation worksheets!

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10 Fun Ways to Use Scrabble Tiles in Your Next Lesson!

2/20/2022

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If you have read my past blog posts, you know I am a big fan of "gamifying" my lessons! I've blogged previously about how I use puzzle erasers and dice to spice up review activities with my students.

Today, I am sharing a few ideas for musical activities you can do using a common board game you probably have in your closet right now.

Keep reading for 10 fun ways you can use Scrabble tiles in your next lesson!

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Tips for Teaching Scales

2/12/2022

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We all know the importance of scales for both developing technique and understanding music theory. However, helping our students to master the major and minor scales--including remembering the correct key signature and finger pattern for each scale--can be a challenge!

Today I am sharing the process I use for introducing my students to scales at each level of musical development. I'll also be sharing a few tips, tricks, and free resources that you might find helpful with your students, too!

Keep reading to learn more about how I teach scales!

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Musicianship Monthly #20: Mighty Music Vocabulary!

New Piano Tutorial Video!

Musicianship Monthly #16: The Basics of Music Notation

10 Fun Ways to Use Scrabble Tiles in Your Next Lesson!

Tips for Teaching Scales

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