Thanksgiving Piano Practice Challenge

October, November, and December seem to be three of the four busiest months of the year (along with May here in the States because of all the end-school-year activities). But despite all that, my piano families love our annual Christmas Concert in early December and were unanimous in keeping it when I offered to do a Halloween recital instead (my thoughts were to ease up their December schedules but they shot me down LOL).

This is a small recital where my students perform only one Christmas carol and that carol is a duet or ensemble piece played alongside another student, family member, or friend.. their choice! We’ve had not only piano duets but performances with violins, drums, guitars, flutes, saxophones, and even voice! I love the creative ways my students find to involve their collaborators in sharing music and the holiday spirit with others! It is such a special evening!

We usually start learning the Christmas carol to be performed in September or October (depending on the complexity of the piece). But the weeks leading up to the concert are critical for getting the piece performance ready.

That’s where our annual “Save the Turkeys!” Practice Challenge comes in! My students LOVE this practice challenge (even my teens!) and are always so eager to meet the turkeys. They earn votes for their favorite turkey(s) by practicing, and the turkey with the most votes at the end of the challenge gets symbolically “adopted” by our studio! It’s a fun way to encourage more intentional practice while also supporting a good cause.

Let’s get into the details of the practice challenge:

  1. How to Set up the Practice Challenge
  2. How it Works
  3. My Visit to Farm Sanctuary
  4. Let’s stay in touch, join the list!
A colorful turkey decoration holding a sign that says 'Practice Challenge', set against a backdrop of layered orange and red feathers.

How to Set up the Practice Challenge

Farm Sanctuary holds an annual Adopt a Turkey Project. It is a fundraiser that helps support their mission of ending farm animal cruelty. The money goes towards supporting the everyday needs of the animals they rescue (including food, bedding, shelter, and veterinary care) as well as their efforts to build public awareness, education projects, advocacy, and the direct rescue of animals suffering abuse.

Each year, five turkeys are selected from their flock to be their ambassador turkeys for the fundraiser. On the Adopt a Turkey Project website they provide each turkey’s backstory along with their personality traits (I never tell the kids their backstories… they are heartbreaking… We only concentrate on their cute personalities!).

I print out a photo of each turkey along with their personality traits and favorite pastimes then cut them out.

Colorful craft materials including orange cardstock, scissors, and glue, with printed cards featuring a turkey named Tutu showcasing personality traits and pastimes.

Using orange cardstock, I cut out fifteen feather-like shapes (three feathers for each turkey). I glue the turkeys to a feather and then glue two feathers below it. These feathers are where the kids will place their votes.

Then I hang the feathers in my teaching studio.

Cabinets decorated with orange and red paper feathers, each featuring a framed photo of a turkey and information about its personality and favorite activities.

Next, I then print out my “Save the Turkeys” practice tracker, one per student. Because I don’t want to overlap Halloween and Thanksgiving too much, the practice challenge runs for just three weeks.

If you would like to do your own “Save the Turkeys” practice challenge, you can download the free practice tracker in the Toucan Piano shop!

Four printed practice tracker sheets with a 'Save the Turkeys!' design, featuring boxes for coloring to track practice days across three weeks.

I always send out an email to my piano families the week the students will be receiving their practice charts. In the email I explain the practice challenge, give them a quick background on Farm Sanctuary’s mission, and a link to an additional fun activity: the Who’s your Turkey Twin? quiz.

Each year Farm Sanctuary provides this short and endearing quiz on their website (this year one of the questions was “What is your dream job?” And one of the possible answers was music teacher!!).

The kids who decide to take the quiz always want to know who my turkey twin is. This year my turkey twin is Serena:

“Like Serena, you are quite affectionate. You have uttered the phrase, “I’m a hugger!” on more than one occasion, and people love you for your warmth! You are known to others as laidback, charming, and fun to be around.” (Source: Farm Sanctuary)

How it Works

At our first lesson of the practice challenge, we meet the turkeys and I explain the challenge to them. I also make a point of saying that all the turkeys are safe and happy no matter which one wins (one year a student thought that the others would be eaten, so I always make sure to add that they are all safe no matter what before any questions pop up!).

Each student then receives a “Save the Turkeys” practice tracker.

For each day they practice, they color or check off a turkey on the practice tracker.

At our next lesson, we tally up the number of days they practiced that week to determine how many votes they will be casting for the turkeys:

  • 1 day of practice = 1 vote
  • 5 days of practice in a week = 5 votes plus 2 bonus votes (7 votes total)
  • 7 days of practice in a week = 7 votes plus 4 bonus votes (11 votes total)

The bonus votes are extra incentive to keep the practicing going!

A young child is placing a sticker on the turkey they chose to vote for. The turkey is a printout on a colorful feather frame, taped to a white cabinet in a music studio.

Once we tally up the votes for the week, the student then receives Turkey Stickers representing their votes (for example, 4 votes equals 4 turkey stickers).

The student can then place the stickers on the feather of their chosen turkey (or turkeys! My students usually have multiple favorites and want to distribute their votes).

A person placing a sticker on an orange and red display board decorated with turkey illustrations, alongside information about the turkey's personality.

At the end of the three weeks and after all the votes have been cast, I count all the stickers for each turkey. The turkeys with the most stickers/votes is our winner!

(Side note: I usually keep a spreadsheet and write down how many stickers each turkey is getting along the way. It’s SO much easier than counting the stickers at the end.)

Three decorative cards featuring turkeys named Arendelle, Celeborn, and Lizzie. Each card includes a photo, personality traits, and favorite pastimes, set against a colorful orange and red background. Stickers representing votes are placed below the pictures of the turkeys.

Before Thanksgiving, I visit the Adopt a Turkey project website and symbolically adopt the turkey with the most votes (i.e., make a donation in that turkey’s name).

Farm Sanctuary then sends me a digital adoption certificate, which I print out and place in a gold frame on my book case in my teaching studio. The winning turkey is our studio mascot for the year and watches over us as we learn.

A framed adoption certificate for a turkey named Roberto, displayed on a shelf with DVDs in the background.

The “Save the Turkeys” practice challenge has become a fun, annual tradition at my studio and the kids are always so excited to meet the new turkeys each year.

My Visit to Farm Sanctuary

I started this practice challenge back in 2018 and it is by far my students’ favorite practice challenge. They would often ask me if I had ever met the turkeys…

This past summer I had the enormous pleasure of visiting Farm Sanctuary’s Watkins Glen location in New York State!

Exterior view of the Visitor Barn at Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, featuring a sign indicating guest parking and a large sign with the Farm Sanctuary logo.

Serendipity is such a wonderful thing! We were in Watkins Glen to visit the Watkins Glen State Park and its beautiful waterfalls (it did not disappoint! What a unique and gorgeous place!).

We were looking for more things to do in the area (we already had the Corning Museum of Glass on our list but we still had a morning to fill). I asked ChatGPT for some suggestions of activities in the Watkins Glen area and Farm Sanctuary popped up on the list.

A group of chickens foraging in a grassy area at Farm Sanctuary.

I literally did a facepalm… How did I not put 2 and 2 together?! I immediately reserved a tour and it was the perfect way to finish up our vacation!

Two people in white protective clothing gently pet a large pig lying on straw in a barn.

It was a rainy morning but the rain stopped during our hour-long tour. And we lucked out; we were the only ones in our group tour and we basically got a private tour!

As we walked the grounds, we learned about the history of Farm Sanctuary and visited Hilda the sheep’s grave (Farm Sanctuary’s first rescue).

A person wearing a clear rain poncho stands on a gravel road on a rainy day, with red barns and trees in the background at Farm Sanctuary.

We got to meet and pet cows, sheep, goats, and pigs. We saw the turkeys (!!!), chickens, geese, and ducks. We learned about their backstories and how they are thriving and living their best lives on the farm.

I had always wanted to visit the farm and it was such a dream come true! They even had a turkey tote that I snatched up in the gift shop! It had the names of past turkeys from their Adopt a Turkey project, including my all-time favorite turkey, Roberto! (I don’t know, there is just something so endearing and funny about a turkey named Roberto. And his personality was just so cute!).

A person stands outside a red barn, holding a tote bag featuring the turkeys of Farm Sanctuary.

I highly recommend a visit to Farm Sanctuary if you are in the Watkins Glen area or their Southern California location.

We got a little laugh upon leaving the farm when we saw this street sign for “Unexpected Road”. It was a dirt road that was best not to go down because of all the mud from the rain. But it got me thinking about how compassion and acts of kindness (like the founder’s impulse decision to rescue a sheep left for dead) can completely change the course of our lives and lead us to a new purpose.

A green sign reads 'Unexpected road' beside an overgrown path surrounded by trees and tall grass.

I am deeply thankful for the unexpected twists that led me to teaching piano. I am enormously grateful for my wonderful students and families and I look forward to keeping our “Save the Turkeys” practice challenge tradition going strong for years to come!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

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Composer Mysteries: A Fun Halloween Music Theory (and Music History!) Game

How can we make music history engaging to kids nowadays? By making it relatable and interesting! Who doesn’t love to hear a good story about something fascinating (and a little creepy) that happened to someone else?

Is learning about the great composers even that important?! A resounding YES!!! We gain a deeper understanding of music by knowing who the composers were as people, how they viewed their art, and the culture and times they lived in. This knowledge affects the way we play and interpret their music. Context is very important!

It can be hard, though, to carve out time during already jam-packed piano lessons to add in some music history… But what if music history was combined with music theory?

That’s where Composer Mysteries comes in! Composer Mysteries is a spooky and fun music theory game for piano students that brings classical composers to life through strange but true stories. By solving creepy tales and piecing together music theory clues, students uncover the identity of the mystery composers while reinforcing their knowledge of music theory in an exciting, memorable way.

And they also have a creepy host… Meet Domenico Skullatti!

A cartoon skeleton dressed in a white wig and baroque era clothing introduces himself as Domenico Skullatti.
  1. What is Composer Mysteries?
  2. Who’s it For and What your Students will Learn
  3. What you Need to Play
  4. How to Use it Your Studio
  5. What My Students Said
  6. Let’s stay in touch, join the list!

What is Composer Mysteries?

Dissecting hearts… gangrenous toes… a visit from Death… and a kiss on Beethoven’s skull! These are the mysteries students will dive into. Their mission: reveal the identity of the composer who is telling the story.

Composer Mysteries is an elementary level game that uses true stories from the world of classical music to test your students’ knowledge of music theory concepts. It is one of my favorite Halloween piano games for students because it doubles as a fun theory activity and a music history lesson in disguise!

A collection of mystery cards featuring stories about classical music composers lay in front of the Composer Mysteries piano game board.

Using the clues, students arrange the theory cards around the piano game board. When all the cards are in place, they flip over the card indicated on the mystery sheet to reveal the composer’s identity.

Two illustrated cards of the game Composer Mysteries. The left card describes a mystery about a composer. The right card shows a piano with the correct order of the game cards and reveals the identity of the composer, Jean-Baptiste Lully.

Who’s it For and What your Students will Learn

Composer Mysteries is designed for elementary-aged students (ages 6 – 11). Each story is told in the first person, with the composer narrating what happened, using simple, kid-friendly language.

The game comes with four different stories and each story has four levels of play (16 variations in total): pre-reader, primer, level 1, and level 2A. This allows the game to be used with students at different levels and it can grow with your students.

The four levels of play cover the following concepts:

  • Rhythm symbols (quarter notes, half notes, dotted half notes, whole notes, and rests)
  • Dynamic markings
  • Finger numbers
  • Keyboard awareness (identify the names of the keys)
  • Music symbols (treble clef, bass clef, repeat sign, time signatures, legato, staccato, sharp, flat, natural sign, fermata, tie)
  • Intervals (repeated notes, steps, skips, half steps, whole steps, seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths)
  • Note reading
A close-up view of four colorful clue cards from the 'Composer Mysteries' game, featuring music theory clues.

Each level has its own Clue card and set of music theory concept cards.

An image featuring a music mystery clue card with a list of musical hints, surrounded by colorful music note cards that display various musical symbols.

The backs of the music theory concept cards have the portraits of 6 different composers. Students will not know which composer is the Mystery Composer until all the cards have been placed in their correct spots around the game board piano.

An image featuring a music mystery clue card with a list of musical hints, surrounded by colorful music note cards that display various musical symbols and composers Chopin, Haydn, and Bruckner.

What you Need to Play

Everything is included in the digital download! Prep is minimal: just print, laminate (optional), cut out the cards, and you’re ready to go!

How to Use it Your Studio

There are several ways you can use Composer Mysteries in your studio:

  • Do a whole month of spooky classical stories and play one mystery every week in October (this is what I did when I played it for the first time with my students. I promoted it with my families and on my studio Facebook page!)
  • Print multiple copies of the gameboard and use it in group lessons (give each student their level-appropriate music theory cards and clue sheet and their own gameboard). Read the story together then see who can finish their game first and reveal the identity of the mystery composer.
  • Use it in the month of October as an end of lesson closer
  • Use it as a practice incentive: practice a certain number of days in a week and unlock the next mystery. A practice log is included in the digital download.

What My Students Said

The power of stories is a truly amazing thing! Years after telling them a story they will, out of blue, ask me things like, “What was the name of that composer who had his heart cut out?” The stories stick even if the oftentimes complicated composer names don’t.

My students loved this game! They were grossed out by Bruckner’s tale, couldn’t believe Lully’s priorities in life, were mystified by what happened to Mozart, and Chopin… well, Chopin tends to be the one they remember best!

I can’t wait to play it with some of my beginner students this October! With Composer Mysteries, they are in for a fun and spooky musical adventure!

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Let’s stay in touch, join the list!

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Image of a new student piano packet featuring a canvas tote bag, binder, manuscript paper, and colorful pencil pouch, with a text overlay indicating the contents meant for new piano students.

Inside the Piano Bag: Everything New Students Get on Day One

Starting piano lessons should feel exciting—not stressful. But I found myself frustrated when students showed up without the basic supplies they needed. Instead of spending precious lesson time chasing down binders and notebooks, I decided to simplify everything with a new student packet. Now, kids feel like they’re getting a “piano swag bag,” and I have peace of mind knowing we can dive straight into the music from day one.

I started charging a new student registration fee (approximately one-third of a month’s tuition) and purchased all the materials to give to the student at their first lesson. The fee covers the materials as well as my time to prepare it.

With everything ready to go for our first lesson, we can fully concentrate on the fun of learning!

Let’s take a closer look at what I give my students at their first piano lesson!

  1. New Student Packet
    1. Tote Bag
    2. Binder
    3. Notebook
    4. Manuscript Paper
    5. Pencil Pouch
    6. Pencil and Erasable Colored Pencils
    7. Practice Aids
  2. Materials Parents Purchase
    1. Method Books
    2. Practice Journal
  3. Extra Tips
    1. Watch for Sales
    2. Buy in bulk
    3. Keep your Receipts
  4. Let’s stay in touch, join the list!

New Student Packet

I will always cater the contents of a new student packet according to the age and experience of the student. The items below represent what every elementary-age beginner student receives at their first lesson at my studio. If they are older or a transfer student, I will adapt the packet to their needs.

Tote Bag

If you decide to use nothing from this post except one thing, let it be a tote bag! My students very rarely forget their books and I attribute that to the tote bag.

Two canvas tote bags lay on top of a piano bench. One tote bag is beige and has the word “Piano” and the image of a piano keys on it in dark blue. The second tote bag is black with the image of piano in gold on it.

I use 13.5”x13.5” canvas tote bags and I personalize them using my Cricut and my own designs. These totes are the perfect size to fit piano books, binders, and all sorts of odds and ends. If you don’t own a Cricut or want a simpler way to make it “a piano bag”, you can add a charm to the strap or iron on a small piano patch (this one is so cute and so is this one!) to give the bag some extra pizzaz.

Kids and parents know that this is their piano bag and it has a single purpose: keep their piano materials together in one place. When kids are done practicing they can place their books back in their tote (which is an especially useful habit when siblings are taking lessons and have different books). And it’s easy to grab on the way out the door… no one has to hunt down a missing book!

Having a dedicated place for their piano materials is a life saver and helps kids be responsible for their belongings and take ownership over their piano journey.

Binder

Every student receives a 1.5-inch binder. A pet peeve of mine is seeing loose papers all over the place… I’m not the most organized person in the world, believe me, but I do like having all my music together and in order.

I place the Studio Calendar in a sheet protector at the front of the binder for easy reference (plus the sheet protector helps create a buffer between the cover and the pages inside the binder, which helps avoid tearing).

The binder is the perfect place to hold the theory sheets I make as well as studio-licensed music, free music downloads, or digital music students purchase.

Younger students also receive an “About Me” worksheet to take home at their first lesson. It asks them simple things like what their favorite candy is, what they do for fun, etc., which can be great conversation starters in those initial lessons where we are building the teacher-student relationship.

A binder is open and it’s front cover holds a print out entitled “About Me”as well as music theory bookmark in its front pocket.

Notebook

Notebooks are a catch-all for random things. Sometimes we use them to write out a song we are working out by ear or to explain a theory concept. They are great for those moments when you just need a piece of paper.

A binder with a pink cover, a purple notebook, and a red music manuscript paper notebook lay on a piano bench.

Manuscript Paper

I am a strong believer in putting pencil to paper. I think students focus better and learn more effectively when they are writing things out. I go into detail about why I consider manuscript paper one of the top practice tools a student can have in a this blogpost.

Every time a student finds a manuscript notebook in their packets, I can see their eyes light up… they love to receive it. I think it makes them feel like they are on the road to becoming musicians.

For beginners, we bust it out when they start learning to read music (and sometimes when we open the notebook for the first time, I find some notes in it already because they got excited to use it! That always makes me smile). We will write out notes and do simple compositions to practice using the new notes they are learning.

A close-up of a hand holding a pink pencil, writing on manuscript paper with musical notes and annotations.

Another possibility is to use single sheets of manuscript paper instead of purchasing a dedicated notebook. These printed sheets can be placed in the student’s binder. The Toucan Piano Manuscript Paper and Rainbow Manuscript paper available as free printables in the Toucan Piano shop are great options!

Pencil Pouch

A pencil pouch is useful for storing pencils and other practice tools I give my students. It keeps everything in one place instead of swimming around inside their tote bags.

A yellow pencil pouch lays on a piano bench. It’s contents are spread out over the piano bench. They include: a pencil, a mechanical pencil, rainbow colored barrel monkeys, a die, mini-erasers, 2 red pompoms, and erasable colored pencils.

Pencil and Erasable Colored Pencils

I tell my students that if they only have one tool at their piano, it must be a pencil! I have a whole blogpost about why I think the humble pencil is the most important practice tool for students.

Sheet music for piano sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven, featuring lots of handwritten annotations and markings in pencil.

As mundane as it may sound, a pencil should always be available at the piano. It can be used to:

  • Write in or circle notes that need fixing
  • Write in the proper rhythmic counting
  • Section off measures or phrases that need extra practice
  • Circle dynamic markings that need to be incorporated
  • Refine the pedal markings to get the desired sound for a passage
  • Write in performance reminders
  • Write in ornamentation
  • Keep track of repetitions (especially for younger and beginner students)
  • And this list could go on and on!

I also provide my students with a few erasable colored pencils, because color makes the annotations in the score more fun for the kids and we can color code which helps kids recognize patterns or specific notes we may be learning. I also love for kids to take ownership of their learning and write things in, search for things, and highlight things on their own. Using writing tools that are erasable is key!

Practice Aids

I give my students a bunch of little extras to help with practicing at home. As we work on pieces during our lessons I show them how to use the practice aids at home to help them work through difficulties and build good practice skills. I usually include:

  • Pompoms: Useful for reminding students to keep a rounded hand-shape when they play (we place them on the keys under the student’s palms and we are extra careful not to squish Mr. Fuzzy!)
  • Barrel Monkeys: These little guys are fantastic for doing repetitions (I used them all the time in my lessons!). I hang them from my piano lamp or a binder ring at our lessons and every time they play the passage correctly, they can add a monkey to the chain. But it they make a mistake, all the monkeys fall down.
  • Mini-erasers: Check out this blogpost for lots of ideas for using them in lessons and at home.
  • Die: A student can roll the die to determine the number of repetitions of a particular passage or to pick a random measure to start playing from in their piece.
A colorful chain of barrel monkeys hangs from the ring of a binder and a piano lamp, above some sheet music.

Materials Parents Purchase

I provide all the extras to make lessons run smoothly, but I do require parents to purchase a few things for lessons:

Method Books

In my Studio Policy, it states that parents are responsible for purchasing all the lessons books and I like to set that in motion right from the beginning. Parents expect their kids to need books and it’s a much easier ask than the supplemental materials I provide through the registration fee.

In case you are wondering, my favorite Primer level books are from Alfred’s Premier Piano Course (I only use the Lesson book and the Performance book since I supplement a lot in the beginning with materials in the binder). I use these with every beginner elementary-aged student.

Practice Journal

I use a practice journal to help students remember which pieces they are working on each week. But it is so much more, really.

A practice journal page with handwritten notes, including assignments, practice tips, and a music practice log. The page features sections for lesson details, scales, and extra space for notes.

(Full disclosure: I designed and self-published the practice journal I use with my students because I wanted specific things from a practice journal that I wasn’t finding on the market).

What I love about using a practice journal:

  • It’s a one-stop spot for kids and parents to find all the information about what is being practiced each week
  • It is a space me to provide detailed practice instructions
  • It is a log of which pieces we worked on and how long we worked on them
  • It is a place to go over music theory and write out personalized theory exercises
  • It is a place for students to write down questions that come up during practice at home
  • It is a place for self-reflection and to keep track of different things they tried during their practicing
  • It is a practice tracker (the journal has both a tracker for the week at the top of each weekly page as well as a tracker for the whole year at the beginning of the journal)
  • It is a place for students to write down goals
  • It is a place for students to keep track of the names and locations (book name, page number, etc.) of favorite pieces that they have completed

Keeping a practice journal is a great habit to instill in students from the very beginning.

An open practice journal featuring keyboard graphics with the text 'The Journey Begins...' and a welcoming message about learning piano.

Extra Tips

I’ll make a new student packet maybe 1-2 times a year, but even though I don’t make them quite as often as when I was building my studio, I still like to keep all my supplies on hand. I find it easier than having to check what I need to buy each time a new student signs up for lessons and it gives me time to wait to get some deals on some of the items.

Watch for Sales

I will usually visit my local big box stores after the kids are back at school to get some good deals on notebooks (I’ve purchased them for as little as 10 cents a piece in the past), binders, and pencils. Binders, especially, tend to be one of the more expensive items in my new student packets, so I definitely keep my eyes peeled for good deals on them.

I used to buy my tote bags from Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts (RIP Jo-Ann, you are very missed!) because I could use coupons (with a 40% coupon I could get three tote bags for under $8). Michaels craft store has been my new go-to for tote bags (sold in packages of 3 and I can use my coupons!) but Amazon sells them in larger quantities, which is helpful if I need to make a bunch of tote bags all at once.

Buy in bulk

Buying in bulk will generally save you money. If you have place to store all the little practice aids, definitely buy them in bulk (I originally bought a 500 pack of barrel monkeys years ago and I’m still working through them! But they were worth every penny, my students and I have really enjoyed using them).

Keep your Receipts

You should be keeping track of everything you purchase for your studio for tax season. I keep a simple spreadsheet where I write the date of the purchase, what was purchased (I have broad categories, like “Supplies”, “Books”, “Sheet Music”, etc.), the name of the vendor, and how much I spent. Then I tuck away the receipt in a bin so I have everything ready for filing my taxes for my piano business.

Explore more creative teaching ideas
  • Halloween Note-Reading Challenge
    Every fall, when students return to lessons after summer break, I feel like we spend the first month just reviewing concepts and note-reading. The summer slide is a real thing… This studio-wide Halloween note-reading challenge gets things back on track. Only the best note-readers will survive the Zombie Pian-o-pocalypse!
  • Prac-Tris: A Videogame-Inspired Practice Challenge
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  • Slurs & Ladders: The Recital Prep Game
    If there is one game my students beg to play year after year (and sometimes when we don’t even have a recital anytime soon!) is this recital prep game. It’s a great de-stressor and it shows students how prepared they are to perform while also injecting some fun and joy back into those recital pieces that may be sounding a little tired.

Let’s stay in touch, join the list!

As a “toucan” of our appreciation download a free set of note flashcards (link in our Welcome email)!

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Performance Practice – Part 2: Internal Distractions

Practicing any skill, be it the piano, math, reading, or anything we are trying to get better at, requires us to think deeply and focus our minds on the task at hand.

Internal distractions are thoughts that pop into your mind that take your attention away from what you are doing. Sometimes the thoughts are helpful but sometimes they aren’t… and when they aren’t, they can quickly escalate into more thoughts and even result in physical reactions from our bodies (for example, cold hands, racing heart, butterflies).

Imagine that thoughts are the branches on a tree. The mind is a monkey that jumps from branch to branch all day long without stopping. As you can imagine, a monkey would get tired from all this jumping… and so do our minds! And when our minds are tired and distracted, they convince us not to do the things we should.

Practicing requires focus because it is deep work. We need to learn to control the inner chatter and calm our minds. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix for internal distractions, it takes time and consistent effort to overcome them.

In part 1 of this performance practice series, we talked about external distractions and how to minimize them. Let’s now talk about different types of thoughts and how we can manage them.

  1. The Busy Mind
    1. Meditation: Focus on your Breath
    2. Write it Down: Get those Thoughts out of Your Mind!
    3. Show them the Door: In and Out
  2. The Tired Mind
    1. Play Something you Enjoy
    2. Take Frequent Breaks
    3. Try it for 5 Minutes
    4. Focus on One Important Thing
  3. The Unhelpful Mind
    1. Be your own Best Friend
    2. Triple R Exercise: Record, Rationalize, and Replace
  4. References
  5. Coming up Next!
  6. Let’s stay in touch, join the list!

The Busy Mind

The Busy Mind has lots of thoughts all the time.  It loves to make sure we are always thinking about everything we need to do and how we are going to do it (for example, our mind might remind us that we have to do the dishes or that we need to get a birthday present for a friend).

Our minds should not be storage units for to-do lists, schedules, or plans. Our minds should be a place to dream up ideas, be creative, and learn interesting things.  And when it comes time to practice we should put all our focus on working on our pieces. So what can we do about it?

Meditation: Focus on your Breath

Stopping the internal chatter before starting to practice is so important! Your practicing will only be effective if your mind is actively involved in the process.

A great way to calm your mind is to spend a few minutes doing meditative breathing before starting to play. You do not have to be a Zen master to practice meditative breathing. Find a quiet place, sit comfortably, set a timer for 5 minutes, close your eyes, and focus your attention on your breath. Notice how the air flows into your body. Feel the breath leave your body as you exhale. If a thought pops into your mind, observe it without interacting with it, and return your focus to your breath.

A piano student meditates at the piano.

A great technique to try is Square Breathing. Draw a large square on a piece of paper. Place your finger on a corner of the square. Inhale slowly while slowly moving your finger along the side of the square. When you reach the next corner, hold your breath while your finger traces the next side of the square. At the next corner, start exhaling slowly while moving your finger along the third side of the square. At the last corner, hold your exhale while your finger traces the last side and returns to the corner you started on. Repeat the exercise a few times, focusing your mind on your breathing.

A graphic illustrating square breathing. A square is circumscript by the words inhale, hold and exhale.

Square breathing is a technique I have my students practice, but I tell them to use their piano book instead of a square. As they sit in the audience waiting for their turn to perform, I encourage them to trace the outline of their piano book while breathing.

Students have reported back that it really helped center them before performing. Some commented that they did this exercise when the person right before them was performing. It helped keep them calm when they knew they were up next!

Write it Down: Get those Thoughts out of Your Mind!

It can be enormously frustrating to be playing a passage in your music and suddenly have your mind point out that you need to feed the dog! Your concentration is now gone and you have to bring your mind back to the music, which takes mental energy to do.

An interesting thing happens when we write things down though… the mind stops obsessing over what it wants us to remember! The simple act of writing the thought down puts the mind at ease, frees up mental space, and allows the mind to move onto other thoughts.

A piano students writes down their thoughts in a notebook with a pink pencil while sitting at the piano.

Have a piece of paper or a notebook with you at the piano. Before you begin practicing (or if your mind interrupts you while playing), write down any thought that your mind is trying to help you remember.

Show them the Door: In and Out

When we are focused on work, our minds can often try to distract us by throwing random thoughts into our mental space. From the “I wonder what’s for dinner?” to the “I can’t believe my friend said that!”, the brain is trying to hijack our concentration for a quick thrill (who doesn’t get excited about eating some good food?!).

When these random thoughts pop up, imagine that your mind is a revolving door. The thought comes into your mind and immediately leaves through the other side of the door.

A revolving door illustrates the idea of thoughts entering and exiting the mind without being processed.

We can watch the thought come and go without focusing our attention on it. This will allow us to continue playing our music without having to re-focus.

The Tired Mind

The Tired Mind has been working hard on intense mental activities. It has run a marathon and now it doesn’t even have energy for a short walk. When we are physically tired, a good night’s rest usually resets our bodies and allows us to wake up with renewed energy. But that may not always be enough when our minds are tired…

A tired piano student rubs the temples of her head with her fingers.

A Tired Mind might be more forgetful, stressed, easily distracted, unmotivated to do things, or irritable. When your mind is tired it’s going to try to convince you not to do the things you need to do.

Unfortunately, we can’t always take a mental vacation from our responsibilities, especially when we have a deadline to meet, like an upcoming recital. But we can be gentle and kind to ourselves and still make progress in our practicing even when we don’t feel like playing.

Play Something you Enjoy

Before starting to practice, spend a few minutes just playing music you love! A famous quote states that “Music is a balm for the soul,” it has the power to soothe us and lift our spirits. So play for the pure pleasure of making beautiful music. It will put your mind in a more peaceful, happy, and energized place to start practicing.

Take Frequent Breaks

If we have a lot to work on, it is important to take frequent breaks. A timer is great for this type of practice. Determine how long you want to practice before a break (for example, 20 minutes) and how long each break will be (for example, 10 minutes). Then set the timer and start practicing. When the timer goes off, set a timer for your break period and walk away from the piano. Return to practicing when the timer goes off. Repeat this routine as many times as needed. (I love this cube timer, check out this blogpost for more ways to use it!).

A piano student sets a 15 minute timer on the piano.

Try it for 5 Minutes

We can do most things if we tell ourselves we’ll only do it for 5 minutes. Sit down at the piano and set a timer for 5 minutes. Play through your recital pieces without stopping for 5 minutes. During that time you will notice parts that need work and parts that you have mastered. When the timer goes off, evaluate how you are feeling. Most times you will feel ok to keep going, so continue to practice, this time working more intentionally on a passage that still needs work. If after the 5 minutes you still feel tired, give yourself grace and walk away from the piano content in knowing that doing something is better than doing nothing at all.

Focus on One Important Thing

If we don’t have a lot of time to practice or our mind is tired, we want to make our practice time as meaningful as possible. Pick something in your piece that is important or that you find difficult (for example, a passage with tricky fingering) and only work on that during your practice time. Your mind will fully focus on this one single task without worrying about having to save time for practicing other things. A lot of progress can be made by just focusing on a single difficulty.

A piano student practices using post-it notes to focus in on a specific portion of their piece.

The Unhelpful Mind

The Unhelpful Mind likes to toss negative thoughts into our heads. When we focus on these negative thoughts our minds can quickly escalate the negative self-talk, which oftentimes leads to physical symptoms of anxiety like cold hands, butterflies in the stomach, shaking, heart racing, sweating, stomach pain, etc.

The Unhelpful Mind is exactly that… unhelpful! The thoughts it creates do not help us be better or lead us in the right direction. These thoughts want to see us crash and burn. There are many different categories for these unhelpful thoughts; let’s take a look at a few common ones most musicians hear from time to time:

  • Mind-Reading Thoughts – our minds tell us what everyone else is thinking (for example, “Everyone thinks I’m playing terribly!”).  We all know that we can’t read other people’s minds, but the Unhelpful Mind likes to try to make you believe that it can.
  • Should Thoughts – our minds tell us what we SHOULD be doing to be perfect and the best player ever (for example, “I should be able to play this piece perfectly without a single mistake by now!” or “I should be able to play this because Oliver plays this and we are the same age!”). We all know that there is no such thing as “perfect” but we are still drawn to the idea of perfection like a moth to a flame… We have to avoid the “flame of perfectionism” at all costs because we will never be perfect.
  • Overgeneralized Thoughts – our minds tell us something broad (not specific) that it wants us to believe is always true in all situations (for example, “Everyone plays so much better than me! or “I’m never going to get this!”). We know that these thoughts are lies that sneak into our minds when we feel upset, frustrated, or stressed.
  • Catastrophic Thoughts – our minds take a small problem (for example, “I’m having a really hard time with this fingering.”) and spirals out of control, turning the small problem into a big one (“I’m going to mess it up at the recital and everyone is going to laugh at me and it’ll be the worst thing to ever happen to me!”)

The Unhelpful Mind can be calmed by using a lot of the same techniques we use to help the Busy Mind and the Tired Mind, like Meditative Breathing, the Revolving Door, and Taking Breaks. But sometimes the Unhelpful Mind can be insistent and we need to take a little extra time and effort to transform the unhelpful thoughts into helpful ones.

Be your own Best Friend

The Unhelpful Mind just told you something negative. Now imagine that your best friend just said those exact words about themselves. When we love someone, we never want to hear them talking badly about themselves. We immediately try to console them, encourage them, and build them up to help them see themselves the way we see them.

Hands hovering over a piano shape themselves into a heart shape.

We need to show ourselves the same sort of kindness and love that we show our best friends. When an unhelpful thought pops into your mind, talk to yourself like you would talk to your best friend.

Triple R Exercise: Record, Rationalize, and Replace

When an unhelpful thought stops by for a visit, write it down (Record). But don’t only write down the thought itself, write down every detail that was happening when the thought came to you (what you were playing, how you were feeling, anyone who was with you, etc.).

Then, if possible, figure out what kind of thought it was (Rationalize): mind-reading thought, should thought, overgeneralized thought, catastrophic thought, or another type of thought.

Finally, turn that unhelpful thought into a helpful thought (Replace). Talk to someone (a friend, parent, teacher, etc.) if you are having a hard time finding a way to make the thought helpful.

If you find this exercise helpful, keep a notebook at the piano when you practice and draw a table, like the one below, and fill it out as needed.

A table exemplifies the concept of recording, rationalizing and replacing unhelpful thoughts.

References

I used many sources for my research and I wanted to take a moment to highlight a few that you may find helpful if you want to dive deeper into the subject:

  • The Bulletproof Musician – This website is a treasure trove of information about performance anxiety! Noa Kageyama, a performance psychologist and faculty member of The Julliard School and Cleveland Insitute of Music, offers weekly posts, courses, and a myriad of free resources to help musicians with performance anxiety.
  • Managing Stage Fright – A Guide for Musicians and Music Teachers by Julie Jaffee Nagel: This book is filled with practical strategies for managing performance anxiety. The book is directed at teachers, making it unique in the literature. As teachers, we have to navigate the intense emotions students feel when it comes to performing and the author, a pianist and psychoanalyst, conveys her research and strategies in a wonderfully empathetic manner.
  • Playing Scared – My Journey through Stage Fright by Sara Solovitch: This is the personal account of the author in achieving her goal of giving a formal recital the day before her 60th birthday. She does research along the way and describes the journeys of famous musicians, actors, athletes, and even a reverend in managing their own stage fright.
  • The Musician’s Way – A Guide to Practice, Performance, and Wellness by Gerald Klickstein: This book covers a wide variety of topics. Part II of the book on performance is very informative and provides great practical strategies for musicians to try implementing in their performance practice.
Three books lay on a piano bench: The Musician's Way, Playing Scared, and Managing Stage Fright.

Coming up Next!

In the next post we will be talking about the musical mind and how to focus our attention on what matters while practicing for a performance.

Pianists plays the piano. A thought bubble shows her thoughts. She is thinking about music notes.

Explore more creative teaching ideas
  • Performance Practice – Part 1: External Distractions
    Recital season brings more than just music—it also brings nerves. While learning a piece is one thing, preparing to perform it confidently in front of an audience requires a different kind of practice. This 4-part series explores strategies to help students manage anxiety, handle distractions, and step onto the stage feeling ready to share their music with confidence. In part 1 we are looking into external distractions.
  • Slurs & Ladders: The Recital Prep Game
    If there is one game my students beg to play year after year (and sometimes when we don’t even have a recital anytime soon!) is this recital prep game. It’s a great de-stressor and it shows students how prepared they are to perform while also injecting some fun and joy back into those recital pieces that may be sounding a little tired.
  • How to Bow at a Piano Recital
    You’ve just finished playing your piano recital pieces and now the audience is clapping, what do you do now??! It’s time to take a bow and enjoy the adulation for all the hard work you put into learning your pieces. Here’s the step-by-step on nailing the perfect piano recital bow!
  • Positive Notes: Recital Encouragement
    Spread some positivity and encouragement to your students this recital season with these adorable Positive Notes! They will help remind them of how hard they work and how much you believe in them.

Let’s stay in touch, join the list!

As a “toucan” of our appreciation download a free set of note flashcards (link in our Welcome email)!

By joining the list, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive updates from Toucan Piano. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Performance Practice – Part 1: External Distractions

Recital season is upon us and a topic that comes up a lot is performance anxiety. As children get older and become more self-conscious, performance anxiety can start to creep in… It affects everyone (there are countless stories of professional musicians who suffer from performance anxiety) but it doesn’t always affect everyone in the same way or even negatively. It can be harnessed as an agent of good to enhance their performance. 

A student in braids plays the grand piano at a recital.

As pianists we do not always have the luxury of numbers (like other instruments playing in orchestras or bands) and it can feel overwhelming to sit in front of an audience to perform (even if it’s a wonderfully friendly audience made up of family and friends). This is an extremely important topic to work on with students but oftentimes gets overlooked because of the more “pressing” matter of working out the technical difficulties of the performance pieces (and I’ve been guilty of this too!).

In this four part series, I’m going to talk about how students can practice for performance.

But isn’t practicing for a performance just playing the piece from beginning to end like one would on the day of the recital? As we will see, the answer is a resounding no.

A piano student practices the piano.

The type of practice most students are familiar with is used to learn the piece. Through this type of practice, the student works out the technical difficulties, gains consistency and ease in playing it, increases accuracy and expression. Then when they are “done learning”, they are able play the piece. But this is not enough to perform the piece with confidence in a high-stakes setting like a recital or audition.

Performance practice requires a different set of practice strategies. The suggested strategies in this series are based on research but obviously not everything works for everyone. Students should experiment with all the different strategies to find the best ones that work for them. But, all of these strategies take time and consistent effort to make them useful… They require practice.

As teachers we want our students to approach the piano at the recital feeling confident and ready to share their music with the audience. The performance practice strategies will help prepare students for things that may happen on the day of the recital… intrusive thoughts, performance anxiety, and unexpected and unwelcome distractions. When students have a sense of control over the “unexpected” and are equipped with tools to handle them, they are free to play in the moment with confidence. They have practiced for performance and they know what to do!

  1. References
  2. What are External Distractions?
  3. Types of External Distractions and Management Methods
    1. Distraction no. 1 – Electronics
    2. Distraction no. 2 – People
    3. Distraction no. 3 – Practice Space
    4. Distraction no. 4 – Noise
  4. Spot the Distractions: What’s Stealing your Focus?
  5. Coming up next!
  6. Let’s stay in touch, join the list!

References

I used many sources for my research and I wanted to take a moment to highlight a few that you may find helpful if you want to dive deeper into the subject:

  • The Bulletproof Musician – This website is a treasure trove of information about performance anxiety! Noa Kageyama, a performance psychologist and faculty member of The Julliard School and Cleveland Insitute of Music, offers weekly posts, courses, and a myriad of free resources to help musicians with performance anxiety.
  • Managing Stage Fright – A Guide for Musicians and Music Teachers by Julie Jaffee Nagel: This book is filled with practical strategies for managing performance anxiety. The book is directed at teachers, making it unique in the literature. As teachers, we have to navigate the intense emotions students feel when it comes to performing and the author, a pianist and psychoanalyst, conveys her research and strategies in a wonderfully empathetic manner.
  • Playing Scared – My Journey through Stage Fright by Sara Solovitch: This is the personal account of the author in achieving her goal of giving a formal recital the day before her 60th birthday. She does research along the way and describes the journeys of famous musicians, actors, athletes, and even a reverend in managing their own stage fright.
  • The Musician’s Way – A Guide to Practice, Performance, and Wellness by Gerald Klickstein: This book covers a wide variety of topics. Part II of the book on performance is very informative and provides great practical strategies for musicians to try implementing in their performance practice.
Three books lay on a piano bench: The Musician's Way, Playing Scared, and Managing Stage Fright.

What are External Distractions?

As students prepare for their recital performance, they may be facing lots of external distractions when they sit down to practice (or maybe even ones that prevent them from practicing altogether!).

An external distraction is something that comes from the outside (not from within you) that takes your attention away from what you are doing.

Everyone is surrounded by external distractions… devices, pets, siblings, children, parents, friends and SO much more! It can often feel like the world around us is constantly trying to distract us from what we really need to do. Our students face the same challenges.

Learning a new piece and preparing it for performance takes a lot of focused work. Winning the battle against external distractions may seem challenging but it’s well worth the effort!

It all starts by removing the distractions students can control AND coming up with a plan to handle the distractions they can’t control.

Examples of external distractions include pets, conversations, smartphones, videogames, siblings playing, sirens, and storms.

Although it is important for students to be able to play through the occasional unintended noise during a performance (we’ll talk about that in a later post), for the hard work of learning their recital pieces, students should work in a space where external distractions are minimal.

By learning to protect their focus from everyday distractions, students set themselves up for productive practice sessions while also strengthening their ability to stay focused in any setting.

Types of External Distractions and Management Methods

Let’s talk about four of the most common external distractions that students may run into and different strategies for students to handle them.

Distraction no. 1 – Electronics

I think this is the one most students struggle with… The brain LOVES electronics because they stimulate the brain without the brain having to do any real work. They are instant gratification suppliers and the brain eats it up! Children and teens are particularly susceptible to their siren call. Some of the most common culprits are smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, videogames, computers, and the television.

A piano student plays on her smartphone instead of practicing the piano.

Here are five suggestions to protect practice time from electronics:

  • Put the device in another room.
  • Put the device in Airplane mode.
  • Turn off notifications.
  • Turn off the device.
  • Use these distractions as rewards for practicing.

With electronics, the easiest method is distance. Students may think about their electronics during practice, but if the device is out of reach, they’ll be less tempted to stop.

Distraction no. 2 – People

Our friends and family mean well, but sometimes they can unintentionally distract us from our practicing. Most of the time parents will be so delighted that their child is practicing that they will not interrupt them (unless there is a real reason). The true culprits are usually siblings and friends.

In order to handle these distractions, a student could:

  • Let everyone in the house know that they are practicing and don’t want to be disturbed.
  • Practice when siblings are not home (for example, their sister is at a dance class).
  • Ask siblings to do their activities in a different room of the house (this may require parental intervention).
  • Set aside a specific time to answer texts or FaceTime friends (a student could even go so far as to let friends know that they are practicing and will only be available at after a specified time).

Usually a conversation is enough to get these external distractions under control.

Distraction no. 3 – Practice Space

A student’s practice space should have everything they need for a successful practice session, which could include but is not limited to their instrument, their instrument’s accessories, proper lighting, comfortable ambient temperature, metronome, and a pencil.

A piano and its bench are covered in books, a blanket and stuffed animals.

To set themselves up for success a student could:

  • Make sure their instrument is always ready for practicing (tuned, not convered in clutter, etc.).
  • Keep everything they need at their instrument (sheet music, metronome, pencil, timer, etc.).
  • Make sure their space is well-lit, whether with natural or artificial light.
  • Make sure they are comfortable (wear clothing that is season appropriate so they are not too hot or too cold, ensure that their outfit is not restrictive and allows them to move freely while wearing it, etc.).

If the practice space is ready to go without the need to tidy up or move things around, it’s easier to just slip into practice mode. Taking a few minutes at the end of practice to reset the space makes the next session easier to start.

Distraction no. 4 – Noise

As musicians our sense of hearing is extremely important! Our ears need to focus on the music we are practicing. Students in particular are still developing their listening ear so external noise is even more problematic.

Noise can come from every source imaginable… pets, siblings, background house noise, conversations, neighborhood noise, devices, etc.

A black labrador dog lays its head on a piano student's lap as she tries to practice the piano.

In order to keep focused and not be distracted by external noise sources, students can:

  • Use headphones while practicing (if they are using a digital piano).
  • Put pets in a different room.
  • Ask family members to use their devices in a different room.
  • Turn off machines that generate a lot of noise (dishwashers, fans, robot vacuums, etc.).

Spot the Distractions: What’s Stealing your Focus?

Last year, when my students and I worked through this four part performance practice series, they occasionally had a little extra homework beyond the performance practice strategies. Since external distractions are something students can easily recognize, the following activity empowers them to take control of their practice environment by identifying and addressing the specific distractions that interfere with their focus.

We drew a table and labeled the columns:

  • External distraction – If the student identified an external distraction, they would describe it here.
  • How did you manage the distraction? – The student would then explain what they did to eliminate/minimize the distraction or refocus on practicing (if the external distraction was beyond their control).
  • Did it work? – A simple yes or no answer.
Table of external distractions, a strategy to manage them, and whether or not the strategy worked.

It was very interesting to see the variety of distractions my students were facing (every home is different!) and the creative solutions they came up with to handle them. I was very proud of them!

Coming up next!

In the next post we will be talking about internal distractions – thoughts that pop into our heads – and strategies to calm the inner chatter and refocus our minds.

A piano student thinks about a cheeseburger while practicing the piano.

Explore more creative teaching ideas
  • Slurs & Ladders: The Recital Prep Game
    If there is one game my students beg to play year after year (and sometimes when we don’t even have a recital anytime soon!) is this recital prep game. It’s a great de-stressor and it shows students how prepared they are to perform while also injecting some fun and joy back into those recital pieces that may be sounding a little tired.
  • How to Bow at a Piano Recital
    You’ve just finished playing your piano recital pieces and now the audience is clapping, what do you do now??! It’s time to take a bow and enjoy the adulation for all the hard work you put into learning your pieces. Here’s the step-by-step on nailing the perfect piano recital bow!
  • Positive Notes: Recital Encouragement
    Spread some positivity and encouragement to your students this recital season with these adorable Positive Notes! They will help remind them of how hard they work and how much you believe in them.

Let’s stay in touch, join the list!

As a “toucan” of our appreciation download a free set of note flashcards (link in our Welcome email)!

By joining the list, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive updates from Toucan Piano. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Clover Craze: A St. Patrick’s Day Chord Game

You know you have a good game when your piano students end the game by saying, “That was so fun!” A parent even joined in to play during his son’s lesson (all three of us played). He had a blast!

The chord game Clover Craze is displayed on a wood table. A leprechaun-gnome holding a "Happy Be Lucky" signs lays next to the chord gameboards. Clover cards are organized in a clover-shaped bowl.

Clover Craze is a chord building game where students test their knowledge of major and minor chords (12 total) while trying to complete their gameboards. But there’s a twist – and players could end up with WAY more clovers than they bargained for! 

Clover Craze is available for purchase in the Toucan Piano Store.

The game starts innocently enough with each player drawing a gameboard. The teacher and student go over the notes that make up each of the chords. Then they take turns drawing Clover Cards to see if they can find the notes they need to complete their chords.

Two players play Clover Craze. A player draws a Clover Card from the clover-shaped bowl.

But there are wildcards mixed in with the notes and they’ve been touched by the mischievous leprechauns! The wildcards are meant to shake things up and bring the craze to Clover Craze.

A player draws another chord gameboard.

What I love about Clover Craze is that it has students working on multiple chords at once (players start with one but that changes quickly thanks to the wildcards!). They have to really think about each note that they draw and check every chord to see if it belongs to one of them. The record so far is a student working simultaneously with 7 chords (that student won the game and got a kick out of managing all their gameboards)!

What I love about Clover Craze is that it has students working on multiple chords at once (players start with one but that changes quickly thanks to the wildcards!).

My students and I played Clover Craze the entire week leading up to St. Patrick’s Day. Several students came back the following week asking to play again (which make me SO happy!).

A piano student completes his chord during a piano lesson, thus winning Clover Craze.

Clover Craze is available for purchase in the Toucan Piano Store.

Explore more creative teaching ideas
  • St. Patrick’s Day Piano Games
    Bring the luck of the Irish into your piano lessons this St. Patrick’s Day with fun and engaging music theory games that make learning feel like a celebration!
  • Musical Madness – A Basketball-Inspired Music Appreciation Competition
    Your students will experience the thrill of the competition as composers are pitted against each other in a March Madness-style showdown! This interactive approach not only introduces students to classical music and composer but also fosters critical listening skills and helps develop personal musical preferences.
  • Prac-Tris: A Videogame-Inspired Practice Challenge
    Music teachers often wish their students would to step up their practice game. So why not turn it into an actual game? And not just any game, but a videogame-inspired practice game? Prac-Tris will have your students stacking practice days as they work their way to the top… of the board and their musical mastery!

Let’s stay in touch, join the list!

As a “toucan” of our appreciation download a free set of note flashcards (link in our Welcome email)!

By joining the list, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive updates from Toucan Piano. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Nailing Piano Technique: The Fingernail Dilemma

If you mention fingernails to any piano teacher, you will be greeted by exasperated sighs, rolling eyes, and a myriad of strong emotions. This is because piano teachers across the board share a very complicated relationship with this seemingly innocent part of the hand…

Piano student holds out hands to display their beautiful, Christmas-themed fake nails.

You may hear stories about teachers keeping fingernail clippers on their piano to clip their students’ fingernails if they are too long. Or of a piano teacher who sends students home because of their nails.

It’s a pet peeve… and it’s not unfounded! Long fingernails are a real problem for learning to play the piano.

My hope is that this post will help guide conversations between teachers and parents about this important topic. Any conversation of this nature, in my opinion, should be approached with compassion and understanding.

On the one side, fingernails can represent more than mere vanity; they can serve as a form of cultural expression, personal identity, or even a reflection of one’s creative or professional journey.

For the piano teacher, on the other hand, long fingernails can be an impediment to their job of teaching a student to play the piano with proper technique. Teachers are professionals who know the challenges of the instrument and the path to achieve mastery; their opinions and advice on the subject have weight and value.

All the discussions in this post provide a high-level overview. For a deeper dive into body mechanics and proper technique I recommend the following books:

Two books about body mechanics and piano playing sit on top of a piano bench.
  1. Why are Long Fingernails so Bad?!
    1. Nail Clicking
    2. Hand Posture
    3. Movement
    4. Injury
  2. How Long should Fingernails Be?
  3. What if a Student wants to Keep their Long Nails?

Why are Long Fingernails so Bad?!

Long fingernails are not inherently bad. On the contrary, as I mentioned, they can be a powerful and beautiful form of self-expression and can even boost self-confidence. However, for piano students, this beauty and artistry come with a hidden cost.

The truth is that long fingernails inhibit the development of proper piano technique, which limits what a student is capable of playing and could eventually lead to injury.

But let’s break it down:

Nail Clicking

When fingernails are long enough they will make a tapping or clicking sound on the keys as the fingers strike the keys. And they don’t have to be very long for this to happen; in the video above I measured my nails to be about 1 mm long, which is very, very short by most people’s standards.

In a world where fingernail tapping is all over social media, it really has no place in creating music at the piano. A student should be developing their ear and listening intentionally and deeply to their playing. The constant clicking gets in the way of that and is just a big distraction.

Hand Posture

Proper hand posture at the piano resembles a hand at rest: fingers gently curled inwards towards the palm of the hand, thumb slightly bent. If one were to freeze their hand in this position and place it on the piano, the fingers would touch the keys on the padding close to the fingertips, but not the actual fingertips (if this happens, the fingers are too curled).

Student demonstrating proper hand posture plays the piano.

When fingernails are too long, the fingers sit on the keys in a more stretched-out position. The point of contact with the keys is now the full pad of the finger, encroaching on the 2nd joint of the finger (the distal inter-phalangeal joint, DIP joint, to be more precise), if the nails are long enough.

The knuckles also flatten out, which causes the natural bridge of the hand to collapse. As we will see next, this is going to have serious consequences on how the student will be able to navigate the piano.

Movement

Long fingernails will restrict the range of movement the hand can execute at the piano.

Outstretched fingers will cause the student to lift the fingers from the knuckle, putting unnecessary strain on the tendons of the hand. This up-down motion of the fingers will cause tension in the thumb, which could start to curve outwards.

Long fingernails also collapse the knuckles which ends up restricting the movement of the wrist. The importance of the wrist in piano playing cannot be overstated. The wrist allows for fluidity, control, and expressiveness. Compromising the wrist’s freedom is like putting casts on the legs of a runner and asking them to run a marathon… a student’s playing will be stiff, limited, and their movements will be inefficient.

With all these restrictions on its natural movements, the body will then try to adapt and find ways to play the notes the brain wants it to. This is when the hand starts twisting in odd ways and the elbow juts out away from the body (something I like to call “Chicken wing”).

The result of these awkward movements can be heard in the music in the form of unevenness, limited speed, unintentional accented notes, uneven articulations, and the list goes on and on…

Injury

And all of the above could ultimately lead to injury… Practicing the piano is a task based in part on repetition. And a lot of it! Students will often have to practice passages over and over again to eventually work out all the problems and difficulties.

When movements are unnatural to the body and cause the body strain, sooner or later pain starts to creep in. Oftentimes students will power through the pain, choosing to abide by the “no pain, no gain” mentality.

A hand in a wrist brace sits on the keys of a piano

But pain is a sign that something is wrong and needs to be addressed. If left unchecked, a student could end up with: carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, muscle strain, repetitive strain injury (RSI), neck and back pain, among others.

Another potential injury that can occur is when the fingernail gets caught between the keys of the piano. Because it happens so quickly, we usually do not realize that the nail is trapped until the finger tries to follow through with the motion it started. The trapped nail could end up breaking or pull at the at the hyponychium (the point where the nail meets the fingertip) and potentially causing a tear and bleeding. Although not as serious as other injuries, it is definitely annoying and can be quite painful in the moment.

How Long should Fingernails Be?

I have lived by the advice of one of my favorite piano teachers growing up: if the nail is peeking over the fingertip, it is time to cut it.

Arrow points to fingernails growing beyond the top of a finger.

A student can also pay attention to their playing and ask themselves if anything feels off or if they are hearing a clicking sound.

What if a Student wants to Keep their Long Nails?

Like most things in life, choices are compromises. We gain one thing but also have to come to terms with the reality that we may be giving up other things.

The reality here is that choosing longer fingernails will limit what a student will be able to play.

The vast majority of piano students will be hobby pianists. Very few will make music their profession and even fewer will have concert careers.

A hand with white fake press on nails is outstretched over the keys of a piano

My advice is for teachers, students, and parents to talk about long fingernails and their drawbacks.

I always reiterate my thoughts on fingernails around recital time. I want my students to be able to perform with confidence and having long nails will affect their playing.

Ultimately, though, it is their choice. My job as a piano teacher is to educate. My hope is that, by providing them with all the information, they will be able to make a decision they are comfortable and happy with.

And this can take many forms… some students have chosen to get a manicure after a recital as a reward, others opted for shorter manicures (but still a bit long for my personal liking for the piano), while others go short, not wanting to tempt the fates at the recital.

For serious students, this tends to be a one-and-done conversation. They are committed to the piano and learning to play well is the priority.

For all the others, it will most likely come down to personal preferences and sometimes special events (like dance competitions, weddings, or graduations). And at the end of the day, everyone is entitled to their choices in life and we must respect that. And that respect should be extended both ways as a teacher may choose not to teach students with long nails.

As mentioned previously, for more information on proper piano technique and body mechanics, check out these books:

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  • Positive Notes: Recital Encouragement
    Spread some positivity and encouragement to your students this recital season with these adorable Positive Notes! They will help remind them of how hard they work and how much you believe in them.
  • Slurs & Ladders: The Recital Prep Game
    If there is one game my students beg to play year after year (and sometimes when we don’t even have a recital anytime soon!) is this recital prep game. It’s a great de-stressor and it shows students how prepared they are to perform while also injecting some fun and joy back into those recital pieces that may be sounding a little tired.

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St. Patrick’s Day Piano Games

I love bringing some green and rainbows into March – when the weather teases us with hints of spring only to turn around and blast us with more ice and snow! And let’s be honest, kids love St. Patrick’s Day! There’s something about those little mischievous leprechauns and their tricky antics that sparks their imagination and gets their creativity flowing.

Holiday-themed music theory games are such a great way to add some variety to lessons while also reinforcing important concepts. Whether you’re working on rhythm, note reading, composing or more, these fun St. Patrick’s Day activities will have your students feeling lucky as they learn. So grab your shamrocks, turn the keys green, and let’s bring a little Irish charm into the piano studio!

  1. Pot of Gold Rhythm Game
  2. Two Sides of the Same Coin
  3. Mystery Note
  4. Magnetic Note-Naming Game
  5. Clover Craze: Chord Game
  6. Rainbow Manuscript Paper

Pot of Gold Rhythm Game

Students love this easy rhythm game for beginner/elementary level students. The value of each rhythm note or rest will determine how many gold coins go into the pot. Who can fill their pot the fastest?! With the mini-cauldrons this game can be played at both St. Patrick’s day or Halloween (just swap out the gold coins for Halloween themed mini-eraser or spiders!).

Check out the blog post on how to play.

Two Sides of the Same Coin

Two Sides of the Same Coin is an extremely versatile game about enharmonics. It can be played at least three different ways with many different combinations of coins to put your students’ knowledge of sharps and flats to the test! Check out the blog post for all the details.

Mystery Note

Mystery Note is another way to use the Two Sides of the Same Coin game pieces.

The teacher chooses a key on the piano but does not tell the student which one it is. The teacher then sets a timer for 1 minute (I love this timer by Teach Timers on YouTube). The student has 1 minute to pull coins out of the Leprechaun’s pot and play the corresponding keys on the piano to try to discover the mystery note. For example, the student pulls out an A-sharp, so the student must play the A-sharp on the piano in order to pull out another coin. If the student finds the mystery key, he/she must then name that key’s enharmonic in order to win! For example, the mystery key was C-sharp. The student pulls a C-sharp coin out of the container and plays the correct key on the piano. The teacher then says, “You’ve found the mystery note, what is the enharmonic of C-sharp?” The student must then say D-flat to win. For this version of Two Sides of the Same Coin, I would suggest using a smaller set of note coins depending on the student’s level and ease in naming notes on the staff.

Magnetic Note-Naming Game

This is by far one of the most popular games at my studio! All you need to play are some magnetic rocks (I have 2 sets) and a grand staff print out (available as a free download in the Toucan Piano Shop).

Players take turns placing rocks on the grand staff and naming the line or space as they go. But here’s the twist—if their rock connects to others, they must pick up the entire group and add it to their pile! Whoever gets rid of all their rocks first wins! It’s a game of strategy, skill, and suspense… it is SO fun!! And there is something so satisfying about fiddling around with those magnetic rocks while you play.

Plus, you can make it a St. Patrick’s Day game (or any other holiday for that matter!) by just adding a couple of stickers!

Clover Craze: Chord Game

Clover Craze is a chord building game where students test their knowledge of major and minor chords (12 total) while trying to complete their gameboards. But there’s a twist – and players could end up with WAY more clovers than they bargained for! Check out the blog post for all the details.

The chord game Clover Craze is displayed on a wood table. A leprechaun-gnome holding a "Happy Be Lucky" signs lays next to the chord gameboards. Clover cards are organized in a clover-shaped bowl.

Rainbow Manuscript Paper

We are in the season of hearts and rainbows – Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day – and what better way to show your love for someone than with an original piece of music! The rainbow manuscript paper is available in the Toucan Piano shop as a free printable! Print as many as you like for your students. You can read more about how I use the rainbow manuscript paper with my students here.

Piano student composes an original song on a piece of rainbow manuscript paper.

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  • Top Practice Tools Every Piano Student should Have: #2 Manuscript Paper
    No matter what type of manuscript notebook or journal you choose, one thing is always true: a manuscript notebook is an essential tool for effective, goal-oriented practice! It can serve so many purposes… it can be a communication tool for students and teachers, a practice journal, a troubleshooting tool, a place to be creative, and so much more!
  • Music Friendship Bracelets
    Colorful friendship bracelets make great student gifts for your next recital or they could be a craft for your students to make at a group lesson or studio event! They are colorful, easy to make, and show off our piano pride!
  • Three-Chord Dash
    Boost your students’ chord skills with this fun, fast-paced game! In Three Chord Dash, students race to build their chords quickly and accurately. Who will be the fastest?! On your mark, get set, go!

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Rhythm Relay: A Fun Group Rhythm Game

Rhythm is the foundational element of music. Even if a student hits all the right notes, if the rhythm is off, the music will not sound right… That is why I tend to spend a lot of time working on rhythm with my students. I always incorporate one or two rhythm games into our bi-annual group lessons. This year was no different!

Rhythm Relay is a no-prep rhythm game that can be used in group lessons or in a classroom setting. It helps students actively apply their rhythm skills by practicing rhythm notation (both notes and rests), recognizing and internalizing rhythm patterns, hearing rhythm sequences in their minds, and accurately writing them from memory. It’s a well-rounded way to reinforce rhythm fluency in a fun and engaging way!

To play, all you will need…

are a dry erase board and a marker for each player. You could also just use sheets of paper or students’ notebooks. For my group lessons I use these dry erase keyboard/staff sheets (they are made from a cardstock-like material and are double-sided: one side is blank and the other has a keyboard and staff). They are so versatile and I use them for a wide variety of tabletop games (because they are flexible I had students place one of their piano book underneath them when writing since we were not at a table).

How to Play

  • Start by giving everyone a dry erase board and marker.
  • Have students spread out around the room.
  • The teacher writes out a rhythm sequence and shows it to Student 1.
  • Student 1 has 10 seconds (or less!) to memorize it. Students should be encouraged to hear the rhythm sequence in their heads (without making any sounds!) and look for patterns.
  • Student 1 then runs over to Student 2 and writes out the rhythm sequence from memory on Student 2’s dry erase board.
  • Student 2 has 10 seconds to memorize it.
  • Then Student 2 goes over to Student 3 and repeats the procedure.
  • Keep going until the last student is reached.
  • The last student should tap out the rhythm sequence. The other students should follow along by reading the rhythm sequences on their dry erase boards.
  • Do they have a match?! Students should try to correct any mistakes on their boards based on what the final student tapped.
  • Compare everyone’s boards to the original board.
  • If they got it correct, the students win the round. If there was a mistake on the dry erase board and the student corrected it upon hearing the rhythm sequence tapped out, it counts as a match.

Make the game more challenging by making the rhythm sequence incrementally longer and more complicated each round. Make sure to rotate the students each round so everyone eventually has a chance to be last and tap out the rhythm sequence.

For General Music Classrooms

If you are playing this game with a large number of students in a classroom setting, you can divide them into teams. Let’s say there are 3 teams. For Round 1, the teacher will create 3 different but evenly-leveled rhythm sequences.

A piano teacher writes out a rhythm sequences of quarter notes, quarter rest, and half notes on a dry erase board.
  • Team 1 is up first. Teams 2 and 3 should receive a dry erase board and a marker each.
  • The teacher shows the rhythm sequence to the first student on Team 1.
  • The game follows the same instructions as above.
  • When it comes time for the last student of Team 1 to tap out the rhythm sequences, Teams 2 and 3 should try to write out what they hear on their dry erase boards.
  • If Team 1 correctly relayed the rhythm sequence to the last student, they win 2 points.
  • BUT if Team 1 got it wrong, Teams 2 and 3 have a chance to steal the points. If they correctly wrote down the rhythm sequence that the last student tapped, each team gets 1 point. If only one team wrote it down correctly, that team gets 2 points.

Please note, in the case of stealing points, the rhythm sequence will be different from what the teacher originally wrote. The dry erase boards of Teams 2 and 3 should be compared the dry erase board the last student was using to tap out the rhythm sequence.

Then it is Team 2’s turn, followed by Team 3. If playing multiple rounds, the teacher can make the rhythm sequences incrementally longer and more complicated!

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  • Rhythm Olympics
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  • Don’t Miss a Beat!
    This fun, multi-level game grows with your students as they learn more and more rhythms. Students will have to use their knowledge of rhythm note and rest values as well as time signatures to fill in the missing rhythms on each card. It can be played in private or group lesson settings!
  • Snowball Rhythm Game
    Who will be able to make the longest rhythm train before the dreaded “Busted!” stick is revealed?! Kids will practice their rhythms while also practicing their aim in this fun toss game.
  • Sky High Love
    The rhythms get longer as the heart towers get higher! Whose tower will remain standing in the end?! This adrenaline-inducing rhythm game is a great way to kick-off a lesson and get the energy up.

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Prac-Tris: The Videogame-Inspired Practice Challenge

As recital season barrels towards us, music teachers everywhere know it’s time for students to step up their practicing game. So why not turn it into an actual game? And not just any game, but a videogame-inspired practice game?

Prac-Tris will have your students stacking practice days as they work their way to the top… of the board and their musical mastery!

Giant colorful game blocks sit on top of a Prac-Tris poster.

Prac-Tris is available as a free digital download in the Toucan Piano shop.

You can use Prac-Tris as an individual practice challenge with the Prac-Tris printables or as a studio-wide challenge with the Prac-Tris poster and Prac-Tris logs… OR combine them both, like we did, for a true challenge!

Prac-Tris: Individual Practice Challenge

This version of Prac-Tris has students working on completing their own Prac-Tris printable board. For students who enjoy the thrill of a competition, Prac-Tris can be turned into a race to see which student will complete their board first (up to the point where no additional blocks can be placed on the board).

I was surprised to see some students putting in extra practice minutes in order to earn a specific block they needed!

Each student receives a blank Prac-Tris printable board. Each day they practice, they should log the duration of their practice session. When they have finished practicing, they should draw in the block that corresponds to the number of minutes they practiced.

Piano student fills in their Prac-Tris gameboard.

If a student practiced multiple times in a day, they should add up their total practice minutes for the day and draw the corresponding block on their board.

There are two versions of the Prac-Tris printable board in the digital download: the first one has suggested practice minutes and the second one is blank for the teacher to fill in (so the teacher can personalize practice expectations for students of different ages and skill levels).

Prac-Tris: Studio-Wide Challenge

This version of Prac-Tris has students working together to fill the Prac-Tris poster. Each block corresponds to the number of days practiced in a week. Students receive a Prac-Tris log to keep track of their practice days. When they come in for their lesson, they can place their block on the poster. My students were always so excited to see how much the block pile had grown from week to week!

Progress picture 1 of the Prac-Tris poster being filled up by students' practicing.
Progress picture 2 of the Prac-Tris poster being filled up by students' practicing.
Progress picture 3 of the Prac-Tris poster being filled up by students' practicing.
Progress picture 4 of the Prac-Tris poster being filled up by students' practicing.

As an extra incentive, you can reward the students who complete a line on the poster (with, for example, a piece of candy or a favorite activity). This will encourage them to work towards earning a better block or even being able to pick the block they place on the board (instead of leaving it to fate).

I gave any student who practiced 7 days a gold star sticker on their block. Students always wanted to know who had practiced 7 days (and who had practiced zero!).

Piano student places a Prac-Tris game block on the Prac-Tris poster.

If you have a smaller studio, you can block off part of the poster or divide it into milestones. This way students stay engaged for the long haul!

If you have a large studio or a multi-teacher studio, you can divide students into teams and each team can have their own poster. Which team will complete their poster first?!

The digital download includes a 24”x36” printable Prac-Tris poster (I had mine printed and laminated at my local office supply store), printable Prac-Tris logs, and printable blocks. I had my students use a small piece of tape to attach their blocks to the poster.

I had 25 of my students participate in Prac-Tris and it took us about 2 months to complete the poster. And looking back, it was one of my most successful practice challenges to date! My students still talk about it.

Explore more creative teaching ideas
  • Slurs & Ladders: The Recital Prep Game
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  • Top Practice Tools Every Piano Student should Have: Curiosity
    Curiosity is the catalyst that gets students to start learning the piano in the first place and can be exactly what’s needed to keep them going for the long haul. Why is it so important and how do we keep it going? What if I don’t play an instrument, but want to encourage my child in their practicing? Check out all the answers plus download a free printable for parents!
  • How to Bow at a Piano Recital
    You’ve just finished playing your piano recital pieces and now the audience is clapping, what do you do now??! It’s time to take a bow and enjoy the adulation for all the hard work you put into learning your pieces. Here’s the step-by-step on nailing the perfect piano recital bow!

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