homeschool music lessons · music flash cards · music theory arcade games

Alphabet Grab | Music Note Name Game

It’s a race to win the game! Each player tries to fill their Alphabet Grab game board with seven musical alphabet cards before their opponents. The game is for 2 to 4 players, ages 6 and up.

The game includes one Alphabet Grab game board, 32 note cards, 3 wild cards, and instructions.

Alphabet Grab™ | Music Note Name Game

To set up the game:

  1. Print one game board and eight note cards per player (e.g., for 3 players, use 24 cards).
  2. Cut out the note cards and wild cards.
  3. Place the note cards and three monkey wrench cards upside down in the middle of the table, arranged like a grid similar to the game of Memory.

The goal of the game is to be the first player to fill their Alphabet Grab game board with all seven notes, matching the notes to the letters.

Instructions How to Play:

  1. The first player draws a card.
  2. If they correctly name the note, they place it on their Alphabet Grab game board.
  3. If they name the note incorrectly, they return the card to its original position.
  4. If the player draws a note they have already added to their board, they must return it to its original position.

The deck also includes three monkey wrench cards to add excitement:

  • “Read ‘Em or Weap”: The player who draws this card must name all the notes on the opponent’s card to the right to avoid losing a card. Miss one note, and your opponent may take one of your cards to fill their game board.
  • “Wild Card”: The player who draws this card can use it to fill any space on their Alphabet Grab game board. It can be moved to any letter throughout the game.
  • “Wipe Out”: The player who draws this card must draw a second card and correctly name that note to stay in the game. If they name the note incorrectly, the game ends for this player.

Modified Game

For younger players, you can modify the game by limiting the cards to treble clef notes, bass clef notes, or a select set based on the notes in their music book. This makes the game easier and more suitable for their skill level.

homeschool music lessons · music lessons · piano sheet music · video lessons

Meet Andrew Lloyd Webber – Composer Biography for Kids (Video)

Want to teach your kids about music theater composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber? This all-in-one post will guide you to the best free and paid resources on the web. Included below is a video introduction created just for kids, free worksheets and piano sheet music to give them a hands-on music making experience.

Andrew Lloyd Webber – Composer Biography for Kids

Meet Andrew Lloyd Webber from the MakingMusicFun.net Piano Academy highlights Lloyd Webber’s early interest in theater and four of his most popular productions for the musical theater.

Phantom of the Opera – Title Song

This video features a clip from the 2004 film version of The Phantom of the performed by Emmy Rossum as Christine and Gerard Butler as The Phantom.

Get the Lloyd Webber Study Guide

Print this accompanying free Meet Andrew Lloyd Webber video study guide. It will help your kids get the most out of the lesson.

Meet Andrew Lloyd Webber Study Guide Worksheet

Andrew Lloyd Webber Crossword Puzzle

This crossword puzzle worksheet will help your kids review the facts presented in the Meet Andrew Lloyd Webber video lesson. Print away! It’s a FREE resource.

Andrew Lloyd Webber – Crossword Puzzle

This free word search worksheet is designed to help your kids review the facts about Andrew Lloyd Webber and build reading skills. Print the Hey Kids, Meet Andrew Lloyd Webber composer biography and the worksheet on MakingMusicFun.net. Your kids will be searching the biography for keywords. The keywords are the words they will be searching the worksheet for.

Andrew Lloyd Webber – Word Search Worksheet

Beginner and Easy Piano Sheet Music for Kids

The following beginner and easy piano sheet music arrangements are perfect for kids in their first year of piano lessons and throughout grade school. Providing arrangement like these to your piano teacher will give your kids a connection to the Andrew Lloyd Webber that far surpasses simply reading about him. His music also tends to encourage a higher level of excitement about learning a new piece.

All of these arrangements are available on MusicNotes. You can print the first page to give it a try. You can also listen to the first page of the arrangement to give you an idea as to what the music sounds like.

The Phantom of the Opera – Beginner Notes Piano Sheet Music

The Phantom of the Opera – Easy Piano Sheet Music

All I Ask of You (Phantom of the Opera) – Beginner Notes Piano Sheet Music

Any Dream Will Do (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) – Easy Piano

Memory (Cats) – Easy Piano Sheet Music

homeschool music lessons · music history · music lessons · video lessons

Brahms – Composer Biography for Kids (FREE Video + Worksheets)

Want to learn about German great composer, Johannes Brahms? Get started with this popsicle stick theater production for kids from the MakingMusicFun.net Music Academy. If you’d like to dive in even more, I’ve included a collection of resources below the video to help you create a fantastically fun and engaging unit for your kids or music classroom students.

✅  Get the FREE Meet Brahms Study Guide

Get more out of this FREE MakingMusicFun.net Music Academy video, Meet Brahms | Composer Biography for Kids, print the free study guide. It provides a series of questions that will keep your kids listening and learning all the way through.

Click the following link to print the worksheet:

Johannes Brahms Video Study Guide

🔵  More Brahms Composer Resources

The Hey Kids, Meet Brahms composer biography from MakingMusicFun.net is a printable version of the composer video. Your students will find it useful for completing the worksheets.

EXCERPT: Johannes Brahms was born in Hamburg, Germany on May 7, 1833. Johannes’ father, a town musician, gave him his first musical instruction. At the age of seven he studied piano with Otto Friedrich Willibald Cossel. Young Brahms gave concerts in Hamburg and worked playing piano in restaurants and theaters to help support his family. Read more on MakingMusicFun.net.

Want to give your kids a hands on music-making experience? Print the sheet music below and provide it to them or their music teacher. Don’t have a music teacher? Give the FREE piano lesson a try. All you need is a piano keyboard with full-sized keys!

Beginner/Easy Piano Sheet Music

Brahms’ Lullaby (Cradle Song) Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 3
Lullaby and Goodnight Beginner Piano Sheet Music/Level 1
Waltz in Ab for Piano Solo by Johannes Brahms
Hungarian Dance No. 1 Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 5
Hungarian Dance No. 5 Beginner Piano Sheet Music/Level 1
Hungarian Dance No. 5 Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 5

Free Easy Piano Lesson for Kids

Brahms’ Lullaby | Easy Piano Lesson for Kids

Beginner/Easy Guitar Sheet Music

Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Johannes Brahms for Beginner Guitar Solo (Tab)
Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Johannes Brahms for Easy Guitar Solo (Tab)

Band and Orchestra Sheet Music

Brahms’ Lullaby FREE Easy Flute Sheet Music
Brahms’ Lullaby FREE Easy Clarinet Sheet Music
Brahms’ Lullaby FREE Easy Alto Saxophone Sheet Music
Brahms’ Lullaby FREE Easy Trumpet Sheet Music
Brahms’ Lullaby FREE Easy Violin Sheet Music

Brahms Worksheets and Board Game

Brahms | Crossword Puzzle
Brahms | Word Search Worksheet
Meet the Composer Job Application Worksheet
Brahms | Coloring Page
Beethoven at Bat™ | Music Composer Board Game

Homeschool Music Lesson Plans

Johannes Brahms | Homeschool Music Lesson Plans

Play the Meet Brahms Soundtrack

The Meet Brahms soundtrack features FREE and premium piano sheet music from MakingMusicFun.net. Click the links below to listen to and print the piano sheet music.

Brahms Lullaby | Easy/Level 3 Piano Sheet Music


Hungarian Dance No. 1 Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 5

Hungarian Dance No. 5 | Easy Level 5 Piano Sheet Music

free coloring pages · homeschool music lessons · music lessons · piano sheet music · video lessons

Scott Joplin | Ragtime Composer Biography for Kids (Video)

This one of several popsicle stick theater productions that MakingMusicFun.net has been creating to enhance their great composer biographies and music academy lessons. This video features Scott Joplin, an American ragtime composer and pianist. It’s a fun resource to share with your kids as a music appreciation lesson or to include in a music classroom lesson.

Begin with the Meet Scott Joplin video. Next, check out the supporting resources provided below, including a FREE Scott Joplin composer study guide, Scott Joplin coloring page, Scott Joplin word search worksheet, and piano sheet music arrangements of his most popular rags.

Learn About Scott Joplin | Ragtime Composer

Get the Meet Scott Joplin Study Guide for FREE

Get more out of this MakingMusicFun.net Music Academy lesson with this free study guide. Click the link below to print this worksheet.

Meet Scott Joplin | Free Study Guide Worksheet

Print More Joplin Worksheets

Scott Joplin | Free Composer Word Search Worksheet

Scott Joplin | Free Composer Coloring Page

Play the Soundtrack

The Meet Scott Joplin soundtrack features MakingMusicFun.net beginner and easy piano sheet music arrangements that celebrate the music of Scott Joplin. Click the links to print the piano sheet music.

Maple Leaf Rag (Joplin) | Free Easy Piano Sheet Music

The Entertainer (Joplin) | Beginner Piano Sheet Music

The Entertainer (Joplin) | Easy Piano Sheet Music

Easy Winners (Joplin) | Easy Piano Sheet Music

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Creative Resources for Elementary Music Education | MakingMusicFun.net

homeschool music lessons · music lessons · piano sheet music

Johann Sebastian Bach | Composer Unit for Kids

Want to teach your kids about one of the greatest composers of all-time?

Johann Sebastian Bach certainly qualifies as one of the greats, and with some of his being compositions being over 300 years old his works are still just a popular.

This post includes FREE music lesson resources to share German composer, Johann Sebastian Bach, with your kids or in the general music classroom. Start by watching the Meet Bach popsicle stick theater lesson video that covers all the highlights, and follow by diving into the worksheets. If you kids are piano students, I’ve also included links to beginner and easy piano sheet music below.

Print the FREE Meet Bach Study Guide to get more out of this MakingMusicFun.net Music Academy video lesson. Click the following link to print this worksheet.

Meet Bach FREE Study Guide Worksheet

Print More Bach Resources

Hey Kids, Meet Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Biography

Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany in 1685. As a child, Bach’s father taught him to play violin and harpsichord. His uncles were all musicians, serving as church organists and court chamber musicians. One of his uncles, Johann Christoph Bach, introduced him to the art of organ playing. In 1707, Bach married his second cousin Maria Barbara Bach. They had seven children. In 1720 Maria died, and Bach married Anna Magdalena Wilcke in 1721. Bach had 13 more children with Anna Magdalena. He was a father to 20 children in all. Read more on MakingMusicFun.net.

More Free Johann Sebastian Bach Worksheets

Have fun completing the following free worksheets. Put on a recording while your kids color. It’s a great way to keep them focused.

Bach FREE Word Search Worksheet

Bach FREE Composer Coloring Page

Print Johann Sebastian Bach Piano Sheet Music

Make learning about Bach an hands-on experience by learning a few of his compositions.

Minuet in G Beginner Piano Sheet Music/Level 1
Musette in D Beginner Piano Sheet Music/Level 1
Aria from Suite in D Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 3
Toccata in D Minor Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 3
May the Sheep Freely Graze Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 4
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 5
Minuet in D Minor Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 5
Minuet in G (1) Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 5
Minuet in G (2) Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 5
Minuet in G Minor Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 5
Musette in D for Intermediate/Level 5 Piano Solo
Siciliano Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 5
Toccata in D Minor Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 5

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Related Piano Sheet Music Posts

Free Easy Piano Sheet Music | Level 3
Free Easy Piano Sheet Music | Level 4
Free Easy Piano Sheet Music | Level 5

homeschool music lessons · music lessons · video lessons

Meet the Orchestra with George – Featuring the Sydney Youth Orchestra

Want to introduce your children to the musical instruments of the orchestra?

This lesson follows a young boy named, George, who chats with players of the Sydney Youth Orchestra. They teach him about the four families of the orchestra, including the strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. It’s so adorable and and easy lesson to understand.

This music lesson is perfect for kids ages 3-9. For at home learning or something to share in the general music classroom.

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More ‘The Piano Student’ Resources

Music Memory Game | Treble Clef Note Names
Flash Frog™ | Music Flash Cards for Beginners
Music Flash Cards for Kids | Treble and Bass Clef

homeschool music lessons · music lessons · practicing · Tips for Practicing

5 Beginner Piano Student Mistakes (and How You Can Fix Them)

Beginning piano students make the same mistakes. I’ve see it a thousand times. You’re kids can avoid them with a few easy steps!

Beginner Piano Student Resources

Want to start to drill skills that will help you child achieve more and enjoy the learning process? Below are links to printable resources that are sure to crank up the fun.

M&M Challenge | Note Name Worksheet – Quiz students by placing plain M&M candies on the treble or bass staff lines or spaces. If they correctly identify the notes, they win candy.

Color That Note! | Note Name Worksheets – Grab your crayons and color your way to success. Complete this worksheet by first choosing 5 crayons. Color each of the first 5 whole notes with a different color. Then complete this worksheet by naming each note correctly, and by coloring each note the same color as it was colored at the top of the worksheet.

Princess-Themed Color-by-Note/Rhythm Worksheet Pack – Make learning note names and rhythms fun with this set of six professionally designed princess-themed color-by-note and color-by-rhythm music theory worksheets.

Piano Games for Kids | 10 Skill Building Games – Ramp up the fun with games that drill piano finger numbers, treble and bass clef note names, and basic rhythms. There’s even a game that teaches kids how to make piano practice more productive.

Free Piano Practice Records/Sticker Charts – Music practice charts are a wonderful way to encourage practice time. Kids love to be recognized for their effort. It could be for specific things like practicing scales, or stuff like meeting daily practice goals. Whatever the reason, practice records help and these are FREE!

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Related Beginner Piano Resources

Free Beginner Piano Sheet Music | Level 1
Free Beginner Piano Sheet Music | Level 2
10 Beginner Piano Pieces Kids Love to Play
MMF All-In-One Piano Book | Level 1A
Nursery Rhyme Piano Sheet Music for Children

homeschool music lessons · music lessons · Tips for Practicing · video lessons

Rhythm Made Easy for Kids – Get Instant Success!

Want to play rhythms perfectly every time?

Teaching rhythm to kids is the most challenging thing every music teacher is confronted with, and the traditional counting system doesn’t make it any easier. There’s a complex notation system to learn to read and a counting system requires years to master. The best students will only be able to master enough to understand most of what they are asked to play in their lessons, but far from understand how it all works.

The result is kids don’t often play rhythms correctly and steady beat suffers greatly. Band and orchestra student do far better at maintaining a steady beat. They have to learn to play with a steady beat in order to play together in their school ensembles. Piano students struggle the most. They rarely play with other students, so playing to a steady best is often not considered a priority. Even in competition situations piano students prioritize correct notes over maintaining a steady beat and correct rhythms.

It doesn’t have to be hard.

Playing rhythms correctly and playing to a steady beat doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it can be relatively simple if you apply the counting method taught in the following video lesson.

Rhythm Made Easy – Play Better Instantly!

Lesson Summary

The rhythm counting system taught in this lesson assigns spoken phrases to simple note values. If kids say them as they are performing their piece, they are far more likely to to play the rhythms in their music correctly. It’s often a dramatic difference.

Quarter Notes – Say the letter name to drill note names as the student plays.

Half Notes – Say the two beat phrase “Half Note” to drill the rhythm name and count the value.

Dotted Half Notes – Say the three beat phrase “Dot-ted Half” to drill the rhythm name and count the value.

Whole Notes – Say the four beat phrase “Hold-That-Whole-Note” to drill the rhythm name and count the value.

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Related Music Theory Resources

Music Memory Game | Treble Clef Note Names
Flash Frog™ | Music Flash Cards for Beginners
Music Flash Cards for Kids | Treble and Bass Clef

homeschool music lessons · music lessons · Tips for Practicing · video lessons

Beginner Piano Technique Made Easy – FREE Video Lesson

Getting the most out of your child’s piano lessons typically only requires a few modifications to their practice habits and techniques. Sometimes the changes have to do with what they are doing with their time. Sometimes the changes have to do with what they are doing in terms of piano technique. The later is the focus of the video lesson included in this post. The video lesson limits the number of tips to just three. When your kids master them, they’ll have a much greater ability to master the lesson materials they’re given each week.

Beginner Piano Technique | Learn to Play More Expressively and Tons Faster – FREE Video Lesson

Main Points of Piano Lesson (Transcript)

Keep your wrists relaxed and level to the keyboard. Keep you fingers rounded with your finger tips on the keys. Practice with a quarter on the back your hand until it doesn’t fall off anymore. When you can do these three things successfully you’ll be on your way to playing more expressively and tons faster.

Are You Just Getting Started with Piano Lessons?

The following links from the piano student blog will point you to free beginner level piano sheet music and free music theory resources for the beginning student.

Piano Sheet Music

Free Beginner Piano Sheet Music | Level 1
Free Beginner Piano Sheet Music | Level 2
10 Beginner Piano Pieces Kids Love to Play
MMF All-In-One Piano Book | Level 1A
Nursery Rhyme Piano Sheet Music for Children
More Nursery Rhyme Piano Sheet Music for Children
Famous Composers for Little Fingers

Music Theory Worksheets

Color-by-Note | Treble Clef Note Names Worksheet Bundle
It All Adds Up! | Rhythm Worksheets (Music Theory)
Free Music Theory Worksheets for Kids (Note Names)
CodeBreaker! Free Note Naming Worksheets
Color That Note! | Free Note Name Worksheets (Music Theory)

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Browse More Beginner and Easy Piano Sheet Music Posts:

Music Practice for Kids: How to Get the Most Out Of It
Free Beginner Piano Sheet Music/Level 1
Free Beginner Piano Sheet Music/Level 2
Free Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 3
Free Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 4
Free Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 5

homeschool music lessons · music lessons · practicing · Tips for Practicing

Essential Music Lesson Tips You Can Learn from a Toy

Sometimes the best teaching strategies come from the wackiest places.

Many of us have played the electronic game, Simon. You turn it on and a light lights up along with a corresponding sound. In the following rounds Simon adds a single color & sound combination each round. Red. Red-Green. Red-Green-Blue. Dynamite!

When you start to consider how Simon is designed you find an amazing teacher. One that makes it easy for kids to learn, and meets the needs of every type of learner.

Want to know more about how Simon teaches and how you can use these strategies in your lessons too? Check out the following video.

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Browse More Beginner and Easy Piano Sheet Music Posts:

Music Practice for Kids: How to Get the Most Out Of It
Free Beginner Piano Sheet Music/Level 1
Free Beginner Piano Sheet Music/Level 2
Free Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 3
Free Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 4
Free Easy Piano Sheet Music/Level 5