If you have kids, no doubt you have some of these cluttering up your house.

If you don’t, get some! (blocks, that is)  Because you now have a fantastic piano game to play with these blocks!  This game is best for wiggly younger students.

Step 1: Gather up all your blocks from under the couch, under the beds, and behind the refrigerator until you find the letters A through G.

Step 2: Print some free music staff paper from www.blanksheetmusic.net.

Step 3: At your next lesson, instruct your student to “roll” the blocks (just like rolling dice).

Step 4: Since the blocks have letters on both sides, your student will then be instructed to quickly separate the “piano letters” (A through G) from the rest of the blocks.  (This is good at helping youngsters quickly identify piano letters!)

Step 5: Set a timer.  5 seconds for each letter.  In the above example, the timer is set for 15 seconds.  Instruct your student to draw the notes on her staff paper in that 15 seconds.

Step 6: Roll again.  Keep it fast paced, so the student is forced to think quickly and trust instincts.  Shorten the time if it is too easy!