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Category Archives: music teaching
Pick a Bale of Cotton
The group tunes for this term’s Big Fat Music Party were all tunes recently rediscovered from my past. ‘Pick a Bale of Cotton’, a work song from the deep south made famous by Leadbelly, is a great one that I … Continue reading
End of term = Big Fat Music Party!
I held my 7th Big Fat Music Party the other week. These are my concerts that don’t feel so much like a concerts. I want to get away from the feelings of dread which seemed inseparable from performing to other … Continue reading
Posted in guitar, music teaching, singing, ukulele, violin
Tagged Big Fat Music Party, easy songs, fun music concert, music teaching
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Percussive Piano Tunes
Knocking and Clapping in ‘Popcorn’ and ‘Short Legged Benjy’ There are two tunes in ‘Fun, Games and Party Pieces for Beginner Piano‘ with a percussive element where the pupils get to create a rhythm by a combination of knocking on … Continue reading
Posted in Fun Games and Party Pieces Beginner, music teaching, piano, ukulele
Tagged beginner piano music, clap, Fun, Games and Party Pieces, kids, knock, piano, Rosa Conrad, ukulele
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Chinatown
For everyone who uses my book, ‘Fun, Games and Party Pieces for beginner piano‘, here is an extra tune which fits perfectly with the third tune in the book, ‘Chinatown’. Download the PDF ‘Chinatown’ is proving popular with my pupils, … Continue reading
Popcorn: Ideas and Lyrics
I have been made really happy by the response from my students to the first tune in ‘Fun, Games and Party Pieces’: ‘Popcorn’. They love knocking on the piano and clapping, and take to the rhythm immediately with wide grins … Continue reading
Paul Harris and Taking the Time to Learn Well
Thanks so much to Frances Wilson for her clear and comprehensive notes from ‘The Virtuoso Teacher’ seminar with Paul Harris. It is so good to hear from a music teacher who through his teaching has explored all the many aspects of … Continue reading
Posted in music teaching, piano, theory
Tagged music teaching, Paul Harris, Simultaneous Learning, teaching well, The Virtuoso Teacher
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Entries open for the fourth annual Dulwich Piano Festival
It’s so important that music students have regular opportunities to perform to others in a friendly environment, and have the chance to be inspired by hearing others perform. Especially for piano players, who can often have quite a solitary musical … Continue reading
Posted in music teaching, piano
Tagged dulwich piano festival, performance, piano tecahing
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Oh Christmas Tree: the Form of (Almost) All Music in a Nutshell
I was asked for this song by two sisters; one a piano student and one on the ukulele. They are big fans of Swiss Family Robinson. ‘Oh Christmas Tree’ turned out to be such a good one for beginners, as … Continue reading
Posted in charts, Christmas, music teaching, piano, sheet music, singing, theory, ukulele
Tagged chords, christmas, Christmas Tree, easy, Oh Christmas Tree, piano, sheet music, ukulele
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Jingle Bells: the Perfect Place to Start Harmonising
I’m well into Christmas Carol territory with most of my students now. Carols are great tunes to start people off with harmonising, as they are so familiar. The melody is already there, deep in the player’s subconscious. I don’t know … Continue reading
Posted in charts, Christmas, guitar, music teaching, piano, sheet music, singing, theory, ukulele
Tagged chords, guitar, jingle bells, piano, sheet music, ukulele
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Mele Kalikimaka
For music teachers, Christmas is just around the corner (you have to have time to learn a tune if you want to impress everyone with it at Christmas) and Conrad’s Chords has had a request! A Christmassy duet for piano … Continue reading
Posted in charts, Christmas, music teaching, piano, singing, ukulele
Tagged chords, christmas, Mele Kalikimaka, Robert Alexander Anderson, sheet music, song, ukulele, ukulele and piano duet
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Conrad's Chords 