Piano Safari Method

Nov 16, 2023 | App Features, Teaching Tips and Tricks

Do you use the Piano Safari method in your studio?

Check out the SproutBeat Methods section to see a curated list of games and worksheets that correspond directly with each unit within each book. Just head to the main screen of the web app, and click the “Methods” heading. Then select “Piano Safari” from the list. From there you can choose which book and which unit within that book.

Select 'Piano Safari' method from the drop-down list.

Select the Piano Safari Book and the Unit you'd like to view.

Here are just a few of the games and worksheets that can be used right away with brand new Piano Safari students. Have fun with the rhythm words for Charlie Chipmunk, Kangaroo, and Zechariah. Explore the different rhythm patterns from the sight reading cards. Supplementing with SproutBeat during the week can really solidify students’ learning and help them progress faster, setting them up for even more success later.

A list of SproutBeat games and worksheets that correspond to Piano Safari, Book 1, Intro unit.

Learn more about the Piano Safari method here.

Leah Drake of Vibrant Valley Music Studio

Oct 15, 2023 | Studio Spotlights, Testimonials

Leah Drake of Vibrant Valley Music Studio

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Say hello to Vibrant Valley Music Studio

Leah Drake is a SproutBeat power user!

Since her studio is mostly group classes, you might think it’s hard to incorporate SproutBeat into lesson time. Not so! Through parent education and fun practice incentives, she has her students trained to regularly complete their SproutBeat assignments during the week.

To do this, Leah creates individual student accounts inside her SproutBeat student section. She then helps students (and parents, if needed) learn how to access the website. On their own time, students visit the SproutBeat app site to play any of the theory games or fill out the digital worksheets that show up in their Assigned section. They love that the games are short and fun, and they can choose to play them as many times as they want.

Leah says:

I love how this lets me personalize assignments and award points to each student. I have an incentive program that allows students to exchange their SproutBeat points for prizes. I also occasionally print out worksheets to use for assessment throughout the year.

Check out this fun practice incentive her studio participated in during the first semester of 2023:

About Leah

Leah Drake is an independent studio owner in San Jose, California. She teachers primarily in groups with both same level and multi-level formats and loves to incorporate technology into her teaching and business admin.

Visit Vibrant Valley Music Studio’s website

Follow Leah’s music studio on Facebook

Identifying major and minor triads

Oct 15, 2023 | SproutBeat Games, SproutBeat Worksheets

We often hear that introducing concepts using multiple sensory modes (sight, sound, touch, etc.) can help cement long-term learning. When you pair games that work on ear training with worksheets that involve writing things out and identifying what they see, students really get a chance to build comprehension.

These games and worksheets can help you music students really understand major and minor triads.

Game IDs #3263G and #2570G - Major and Minor Triads

Once students have learned the definitions of major and minor, these games help music students connect the terms to what they sound like.

How are these games played?

Game #3263G – Students click on one of seven play buttons to listen to a major or minor melodic chord, followed by the harmonic chord. Then they drag that circle to the cute animals at the bottom labeled “minor” and “major”.

Game #2570G – This game looks different, using a honeycomb and honeybee theme, but functions almost the same. When clicking on one of the honeycomb, students hear the blocked version first, then the triad broken apart, and then drag it to the honeypot labeled “minor” or “major”.

Who is this game a good fit for?

It is helpful if students can read so they can tell which choice at the bottom is major or minor. But teachers and parents can easily explain to readers who struggle.

These games align very well to method levels that cover melodic and harmonic major and minor triads, such as Piano Adventures 2A and 2B.

How do I find these games?

To find these games and assign them to your students, use the search icon in the top left of the app site and search for either 3263G or 2570G.

Worksheet IDs #3256W , #1621W, #1622W

In these worksheets, students break down major and minor root-position chords into their individual parts.

What concepts are covered?

In Worksheet #3256W, students compare several piano keyboard positions and identify if the marked keys comprise a major or minor triad.

In Worksheets #1621W and #1622W, only the notation for the chord is provided, and students then identify if the notes shown represent a major or minor triad.

What do students need to know before using these worksheets?

The first worksheet (3256W) is great for students who are playing the triads by ear, since no reading on the staff is required.

The second and third worksheets, however, do require students to be able to read root position triads in melodic form on the Treble Staff (1621W) and Bass Staff (1622W).

How do I find these worksheets?

As with the games, just type in the Worksheet ID# into the search bar on the top-right corner of the web app.

Enjoy!

Collage of Worksheets 1621W, 1622W, and 3256W

Comparing Two Sounds

Oct 14, 2023 | SproutBeat Games

Game ID #2002G - Same or Different

This interactive music theory game helps beginning students compare two sounds, an essential skill for developing strong ear training skills.

How is this game played?

In this game, students don’t have to label or describe what they hear; they just notice if the pairs of sounds are the same or different.

Then, they drag the outline of the owl they clicked on to either the two owls that match (bottom left) or the two owls that are different (bottom right). Students can choose to turn on or off the 50-second timer and can play as many times as they wish.

Who is this game a good fit for?

This is a great game to use with assessing ability at the very first lesson, with early beginners who aren’t reading text yet, or for any students who struggle with hearing the difference between high and low sounds. It works nicely with any primer or preschool method series.

How do I find this game?

To find this game and assign it to your students, use the search icon in the top left of the app site and search for “2002G”.

Enjoy!

Reviewing Major Triads

Oct 13, 2023 | SproutBeat Worksheets

Worksheet ID #2491W - C Major Triad

If you’re looking for a worksheet to review the C major triad, look no further! Build a triad with letter names, mark where it belongs on the keyboard, and write where it lives on the Bass and Treble Staves.

Ready to review other major triads?

Here are all the worksheets in this series:

A Major – #2496W
B Major – #2497W
C Major – #2491W
D Major – #2492W
E Major – #2493W
F Major – #2494W
G Major – #2495W

What do students need to know before using these worksheets?

This series of worksheets is helpful for students who have learned almost all the notes on the Grand Staff and are familiar with major scales that start on a white key. It correlates well with students in Piano Adventures Levels 2A and 2B, but any student can use them.

How do I find these worksheets?

Quickly find one at a time by using the search icon in the top left of the app site to enter the ID number you’re looking for. Or you can view them all at once by visiting the category Chords and then filtering for Worksheets and Major Triads.

Enjoy!

Identifying Chord Sounds

Oct 13, 2023 | SproutBeat Games

Game ID #3247G - Same or Different

Part of setting up our students for success with chord theory is teaching them to listen to what they hear and to notice if two blocked chords match or if they are different.

How is this game played?

In this game, students don’t have to label or describe what they hear; they just notice if the pairs of sounds are the same or different.

Then, they drag each play-button circle to either the frogs that are the same or the frogs that are different—no reading required!

Who is this game a good fit for?

The chords students hear are major and minor triads in Treble Clef, making this a perfect fit for those in Piano Adventures Level 2A or other similar methods.

How do I find this game?

To find this game and assign it to your students, use the search icon in the top left of the app site and search for “3247G”.

Enjoy!