Snakes Piano Sheet Music for Beginners"Snakes" piano sheet music for beginners makes reading notes easier by focusing on just one question: which way does the note go? It can only go up, down, or stay the same. And it doesn't matter where they start!"Snakes" is the next step after Wormies, another piece of free kids' sheet music. Pick any key on the piano to be the starting note, use only your pointer finger, and you're off to the races! This piano sheet music for beginners makes reading notes easier by focusing on just one question: which way does the note go? With no clef sign or time signature to muddy the waters, students only need ponder, "Line note? Space note? Moving up -- or down? Or the same!" Kids like a challenge that calls on a single skill. No finger numbers to worry about -- just use the pointer finger. And you can pick any key to be the starting note! So this is an easy exercise to get perfect. It makes them feel smart, and tells me instantly if there's comprehension in their note-reading. Writing big fat notes (an exercise we do frequently as part of learning to read notes) on a whiteboard is one thing -- somehow the notes don't look the same printed small on a page.
With older kids, I might suggest that each day they do a different Snake. This way, they don't quickly memorize the way each exercise sounds. (Memory, though a wonderful asset in itself, can work against sight reading.) Sometimes I ask students to play these exercises with the metronome, giving them a Slow, a Medium, and a Fast speed to try. (Tell them NOT to count four beats for each note even though the notes look like whole notes -- but as beginners, they probably won't think of doing that unless their mother is helping them! Just one tick for each note. And set the speeds slower than you might think.) When I ask for solos in a group setting, kids frequently wish to play a Snake. The other kids and I will follow along (keeping their attention from wandering) by calling out, "Start," (that's what we call the first note, as this is an exercise only about reading steps and not real staff notes), "up - up - up - down, up -" etc. When kids have mastered these exercises, they are usually ready to go on to "Snakes Go for a Walk," which introduces skips into the mix. The skips are "hidden" -- that is, I don't tell them where they are. It can be surprisingly hard to spot them for beginners, so I start it slow; #1 has 1 hidden skip, #2 has 2 hidden skips, etc. I'd like to thank a teacher I know only as Martha Beth for the concept of Worms and Snakes. She has a wonderfully helpful website filled with suggestions on the substance of piano teaching, from how to set up a studio, to piano technique, to piano repertoire. Her site is well worth multiple visits. I hope your students enjoy this piano sheet music for beginners!
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THANK YOU! This website is a God-send! :D I took piano lessons as a kid, a little music theory, and now I'm a homeschooling mom hoping to pass on anything I can to my kids about music. It is such a gift, for so many reasons!
I have been slowly giving my oldest daughter whatever my memory can dredge up, scouring the internet for free music she can do, but your website with its instructions AND tips on how to teach pieces are going to help me SO much in this endeavor. I just wanted to tell you thank you. Really really! THANK YOU!
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I've just found your website and I think I've died and gone to heaven. I've just taken up the piano again after 35 years absence... buying sheet music was getting expensive/a luxury. The tips are great too. I also live in the middle of nowhere so buying from a shop is not really an option unless I fancy a 120 mile round trip for a piece of sheet music! Thank you for your wonderful site. I look forward to having a thorough look...
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Kim in Washington:
My son is hooked...I've been introducing piano to my son on and off for a year or so, but he's not had much interest. Then I gave him "Monsters Everywhere". He loved playing it with the organ sound on our piano. He memorized it that week and I'm printing off the other Halloween songs to keep him going. I love the detailed instructions on teaching since he is my first student! Thanks so much.
Dana:That is so neat that your son has experienced the magic and mystery of music through this little song. That is so exciting to me. Thanks for writing, Kim!
Helpful Piano Sites
Cantorian.orgFreePianoLessons4Kids
Martha Beth's Piano Site
MusicLessonsPlus
MusicInMotion.com
MusicMattersBlog
Musicnotes.com
Piano Music for Boys
Piano Adventures Forum
Sheetmusicplus
Susan Paradis Teacher Resources
TCW Resources
YouCanPlayPiano.com
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Marta:
Thank you for the free downloads! I'm a private teacher and I teach piano and beginner voice as well. :) I've been running my studio for about a year and I've come across the same issue; I don't want my students to have to purchase an entire supplemental book for only a couple of songs. So thank you for this site...some great downloads!!
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Thank you so much. I know this will be a big help to me and my students.
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