Curated OER
Piano Lessons
Playing the piano takes a lot of work, even before you touch the keys! Use a reading passage about learning to play the piano before answering five comprehension questions.
Curated OER
Exploring Pentatonic Scales
What better way to teach pentatonic scales than to have them playing while you define them? This slide-show includes simple yet correct descriptions of five note scales in C, G, and F major as well as examples for learners to hear.
Special needs in Music
Silent Practice
Don't have a keyboard in the classroom but still want to teach piano theory? No problem! Learners engage in "silent practice" as they play classic songs like "My Country 'Tis of Thee" on a printed keyboard image. Use the images on the...
Curated OER
What's the Difference?
Students explore the differences between acoustic and digital pianos. In this music lesson, students listen to an acoustic piano and digital piano. Students play both types of pianos and discuss the differences.
Curated OER
Dynamic Fun!
Students explore musical dynamics. In this music lesson plan, students define musical terms that relate to dynamics. Students sing "Little Bunny Foo-Foo" and apply the written dynamics to their singing voices. Students use specific...
Curated OER
DO YOU REMEMBER?
Young scholars explore where a melody and melody fragments enter different voice parts, and adjusts dynamically to enable the listener to perceive these events. Each student uses a rubric to make critical evaluations of the performances.
Curated OER
KEYBOARDS
Second graders become familiar with appearance and characteristic sound of piano, identify piano as part of percussion family, find middle C on the keyboard, observe scale, chord, and "broken" chord, and listen to a well-known classical...
Curated OER
Performing Gospel Music (Keyboard or Piano)
In this music worksheet, students learn to play a piece of gospel music called "Siyahamba" on the piano or keyboard. Students examine the musical notes written on the staffs and read the helpful hits in the margins. Piano knowledge is...
Curated OER
Melody
Pupils identify what melody is and the different value and pitches in songs with similar notes previously sang in class. Then they apply this knowledge to a new song learned by echo singing. Students also listen for a starting pitch and...
Curated OER
The Muffin Man!!!
First graders distinguish between the musical terms crescendo, decrescendo, piano and forte. They interpret and analyze when music is getting louder and softer. Students sing "The Muffin Man" song. They are introduced to loud and soft...
University of Michigan
U.michigan: Keyboard Temperament Analyzer
Features a downloadable spreadsheet for analyzing keyboard temperaments. Requires a bit of physics knowledge.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: How to Make a Piano Sing
The renowned pianist Vladimir Horowitz once said, "The most important thing is to transform the piano from a percussive instrument into a singing instrument." In this lab, you will learn about sympathetic vibrations, a method used to...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Comparing Vocal Ranges: How High and Low Can You Go?
What is the highest note you can sing? How about the lowest? Do you think males and females can reach the same notes? How about children and adults? Find out the answers to all these questions in this "note"-worthy science fair project.
Music Theory
Music theory.net: Keyboard Trainer
A fantastic resource for music teachers and students learning to play the piano. This online quiz can be customized to test students on specific keys. Students can click "Toggle helpers," to check answers along the way.
Other
Tb on Web: Alternate Temperaments Theory and Philosophy
Explanation of various keyboard tunings, and why modern Western music uses "equal temperament."
Other
Islandnet.com: The Gottfried Silbermann Legacy
Excellent site describing Silbermann's work on the organ as well as the development of the piano. Many interesting links to musical societies which also have musical worth.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids
This interactive site offers students resource for learning about composers, their works, the logistics of orchestra seating, the functions of different instruments, and the like.
Other
Player Piano Group
Includes pictures of player pianos, player music, player history, reproduction of pianos, and much more.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Forte and Piano
Lesson plan where students learn what forte and piano mean and idenitfy them in music and pictures that represent sounds. Students also will demonstrate forte and piano while singing a song that they learn from a video.
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Musical Instruments
Homepage for a hypertext about the different families of musical instruments. From this page, users can retrieve information on a the acoustics of a variety of specific instruments: stringed instruments, woodwind instruments, brass...
Yale University
Yale Collection of Musical Instruments: Keyboard Instruments
Learn about keyboard instruments from the collection of Yale University in this image gallery with descriptions of each piece, including pianos, harpsichords, and organs.
Scott Alexander
The Red Hot Jazz Archive: James Fletcher Henderson
Biography, discography, suggested reading, and links to Fletcher Henderson's contemporaries.
Text Project
Text Project: Fyi for Kids: Vol. 4, Issue 9: Pianos:the Loud and the Soft [Pdf]
Read this magazine article to learn about the piano including what the word means and how it works.
PBS
Classics for Kids: Musical Instruments
An A-to-Z directory of all the instruments and tools of the orchestra. Each entry includes a description, a picture, and a sound sample.