Category Archives: Uncategorized

40/100 Useful Free Piano Pieces

I often use the Piano Time tutor books with beginners – book 1 works well for beginners aged about 8 and upwards. Did you know you can download extra pieces and sample pieces from the OUP website? This link https://global.oup.com/academic/product/piano-time-pieces-1-9780193727854?cc=gb&lang=en& … Continue reading

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32/100 Trip down memory lane

My first ever piano teacher, back in maybe as long ago as 1960 or 1961, was one of the Old School. I mean the sort who plays you a bit of the tune, and you play it back, and she … Continue reading

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22/100 Star light star bright

I keep posting about this song; this term I intend to use it as a starting point to teach pitch and rhythm notation, and first steps in composing songs, to a year 5 6 class with 24 children. Investigation of … Continue reading

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8/100 Colouring-in

A while back – couple of years ago? Can’t remember – I started using colour, especially when teaching in the early stages. I use colouring pencils to show the structure of pieces. Like this, perhaps: (from Kabalevsky Op 39)  The phrase structure … Continue reading

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Friday 12th June – Hi There, I’m still here!

I guess this “comment” from the spam box says it all; Hi admin, i see your blog needs fresh posts. Daily updates will rank your website in google  higher, content is king nowadays. If you are to  lazy to write … Continue reading

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Issue 149: Welcome to The Jungle

After the disaster (health-wise) that was the last half of term, I was very pleased to get through the week that has just gone. It is going to take a couple of weeks to build up the “teaching stamina”. I … Continue reading

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Issue 149: Singing semitones

I’ve a favourite song, no, I’ve lots of favourite songs. This favourite song is called “Roller Ghoster” and you can find it on www.singup.org, or in Singing Sherlock Book 2. Here’s a sound sample: http://www.boosey.com/pages/cr/composer/sample_detail.asp?sampleid=11236 The tricky part is getting … Continue reading

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Issue 146: What does the fox say?

Ding-ding-ding-ding da-ding-da-ding. Three times. That’s what the fox said. I was given an all-singing-and-dancing fox by some friends just before Christmas – and – BING lesson plans for  the last day of class music teaching before the end of term were … Continue reading

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