The Wheel of Doom 🎹 | A Fun Piano Lesson Game Students Love
If you’ve ever wished for a way to keep students engaged and excited during lessons, let me introduce you to the Wheel of Doom — a playful studio game that turns practice challenges into a fun adventure.
Inspired by @ryantrahan’s 50-state journey, the Wheel of Doom has quickly become a favorite activity in my studio.
Why Off-Bench Piano Games Help Beginners Learn Rhythm Faster
Are you spending enough time "playing" with your students?
I'm not talking about board games or boom cards. I love those, too. I'm talking about games that use LARGE body movements. I'm talking about visuals that PREPARE our students instead of overwhelm them.
Free Piano Key Worksheets for Beginners: Make Learning Fun and Stress-Free
Teaching beginners to find their way around the piano keys is one of the first (and most important) steps in piano lessons. But let’s be honest—traditional theory books and endless drills can make this stage feel dull for students and exhausting for teachers. That’s why I created a set of free piano key worksheets that turn review into something colorful, memorable, and fun.
🎹 Baby Shark Pre-Reading Piano Solo & Duet – Make a Splash With Your Young Beginners!
Looking for a fun pre-reading piano solo or duet for young beginners? Baby Shark brings smiles and success to preschool piano lessons.
🎹 Beginner Piano Worksheets That Help Your Students Actually Learn the White Keys and Basic Rhythms
If you’ve been teaching beginner piano students for any length of time, you’ve probably asked yourself:
“Do my students really know the white keys and rhythm values—or are they just guessing?”
You’re not alone.
White key names and basic rhythms are foundational skills, but they take more than just a few lessons to truly sink in. And if we move on too quickly, we risk building everything else on shaky ground.
That’s why I created this free, printable resource:
Creative Piano Teaching Resources:Fun Piano Key Worksheets for Young Kids
Are you a piano teacher who's constantly searching for innovative ways to keep your youngest students engaged? Do you find yourself wishing for resources that combine fun, effective learning, and a touch of magic? I hear you, and you are not alone!
As piano teachers, we pour our hearts into nurturing a love for music in our students. But let's be honest, those initial lessons on the piano can sometimes feel… well, a little less than inspiring for tiny hands and short attention spans. You've probably tried flashcards, tried singing songs, and even brought in some musical games. Yet, the struggle to make those white keys "stick" in a memorable and exciting way is real. Why do they always forget?
You want your students to feel excited to learn, not just to tolerate it. You want them to grasp fundamental concepts without tears or glazed-over eyes. And most importantly, you want to ignite a lifelong passion for piano, starting from those very first notes
The Day I Said Yes to Für Elise—and Watched a Beginner Shine
This post will either be a horrific trigger of your most dreaded student request... or a welcome relief. 😅
With those two possibilities ahead of us, here goes the story:
I have this 9-year-old student.
He’s a little nerdy, wildly enthusiastic, and absolutely loves piano.
We’re talking brand-new beginner here—I haven’t even officially introduced the white key names yet. We’ve just been exploring black key patterns, finger numbers, and rote pieces. (You know the drill.)
And then... it happened.
“I want to play Für Elise!”
Easy Piano Songs for Kids: Fun, Familiar Tunes to Keep Beginners Engaged
If your beginner students are wiggly, distracted, or just not connecting with traditional method books, you’re not alone. Many piano teachers are feeling the shift—today’s kids are growing up in a fast-paced, visually stimulating world. Black-and-white sheet music just isn’t cutting it for every child.
You want your students to fall in love with music. To light up when they finally master a new piece. But instead, you might be seeing blank stares, skipped practice, or frustration that leads to burnout. Not to mention, they just stop practicing!
Get the Leash! — An Easy Piano Song for Beginners Who Are Ready to Read on the Staff 🐾
Looking for an easy piano song that’s perfect for beginners and still sounds adorable? Check out Get the Leash!, a studio-licensed early elementary piano solo that’s short, sweet, and all about the joy of a pup who’s ready to GO. And I mean when she wants a walk, she wants a WALK! 🐾
🐾 Easy Piano Music for Beginners: A Fun, Pre-Reading Piece for Young Piano Students
If you're looking for easy piano music for beginners that students actually enjoy playing, take a look at People Smile at Me! This pre-reading piano solo is perfect for young children just starting piano lessons—especially those who need easy sheet music that’s playful, accessible, and confidence-building.
A Piano Lesson Plan for Young Children
Why This Method Works for Young Beginners
Breaking down rhythm learning into physical, visual, and auditory components makes the process accessible and enjoyable. It’s a great strategy for teaching rhythm to young piano students, especially when they aren’t quite ready for more traditional note-reading methods.
Want to learn more effective teaching strategies for young beginners? Stay tuned for my upcoming posts with more practical tips and creative ideas!
How to Teach Musical Phrasing to Piano Students (With Help from a Magical Queen)
If you’ve ever wondered how to teach musical phrasing to piano students in a way that truly sticks—especially with your fairy-loving beginners—let me introduce you to Ginny.
Ginny adores all things girly. Princesses, ballerinas (she takes ballet herself), and sparkles? Yes, please. But when it came time to teach her about musical phrasing, my usual superhero metaphors fell flat.
That’s when The Musical, Magical Queen came to the rescue.
Done-for-you: The Ultimate Summer Music Camp for Young Pianists
Turn Up the Fun This Summer with Red, the Confused Blue Heeler Music Camp!
Are you looking for an exciting way to engage your piano students this summer? Imagine a camp filled with music, storytelling, and adventure—all wrapped up in one easy-to-use package! Introducing Red, the Confused Blue Heeler, a five-day music camp designed to bring the magic of classical music to students of all ages.
Plan and Celebrate Piano Success for Young Kids
My Piano Planner is your ultimate tool for enhancing beginner piano lessons, designed with both parents and teachers in mind. This thoughtfully crafted planner is a resource-packed companion to help ensure every child’s musical journey is celebrated and supported. With 32 pages - you have plenty of room to help your young student plan and grow!
Finding the right tool for the job - Preschool Piano
As parents and teachers, we all want to give kids the best start in life, and research has shown that music plays a vital role in developing young minds. From improving motor skills and social abilities to boosting confidence and creativity, the benefits of music are endless. But how do we introduce music to little ones in a way that’s engaging and effective?
This is where our music exploration book for young kids comes in. Designed especially for preschoolers and special needs students, this book lays a strong foundation for musical studies
Managing Children’s Feelings at Piano Lessons
I hate to admit this, but I used to make kids cry at piano lesson. Occasionally. Not every lesson, but it did happen. Over the years, I got better at managing my feelings, and theirs.
But the other day, I did it again.
Here's what happened: My student came in and happily played a Christmas song with absolutely NO rhythm. You know the drill. She just played one note after another, and then another, and then turned to me with a smile on her face.
I said something like: "Hey that's great - now let's count the rhythm!" So we counted and clapped. Then I asked her to play and - horror of horrors - COUNT OUT LOUD! She said it was too hard, I said it wasn't. I didn't notice that her lip started trembling.
A Fun, Interactive Rhythm Game for Piano Lessons
Yesterday, I worked with one of my beginner students who often struggles to hold her half notes for the full two beats. It's a common challenge with younger students, especially when they haven’t yet felt the rhythm in their bodies. For kids, understanding rhythm is much easier when they can experience it physically. That’s why I came up with a simple game that gets them moving, and it only requires a small amount of space and some washi tape.
Bring Holiday Cheer to Your Young Beginners with 'O Christmas Tree' Pre-Reading Duet
REASONS FOR KIDS TO TAKE PIANO LESSONS
