Number Finger Puppets - Free Printable to Teach Finger Numbers to Music Students!

I'm so excited for this post! I have a new printable that is so stinkin' cute, I just can't handle it!

These finger puppets are so cute and just perfect for teaching young students the finger numbers for their instrument. They could be used for any instrument, really. I included numbers 1-5 so they can be used for piano or other instruments that use five fingers, but instruments that use fewer finger numbers, such as strings, can simply use the ones they need.

I have two sizes of these finger puppets - small for the student and large for the teacher/parent - and there are both color as well as black and white options for each size.

Click below to download:

Small Black and White

Small Color

Large Black and White

Large Color

I recommend printing your own set on cardstock, cutting them out, and then laminating them for durability. You can then fasten them with a staple, or perhaps there's a glue out there that will stick together laminated surfaces. If you choose not to laminate, of course glue or tape would hold the back together.

I had in mind that the student could perhaps use the black and white version to color and make their own.

So how exactly could these be used?

Finger Taps. I like to do a game called Finger Taps. For violin, since we use 4 fingers, I have the student tap the appropriate finger against their thumb as I call out a number. For piano or other five-finger instruments, you can have the student tap the piano, a chair, or tabletop. I mix it up and get faster as we go. Sometimes, I give the student a chance to call out the numbers and we both tap together. You could slowly remove one finger puppet at a time until they don't have the extra help.

Copy Cat. This is actually the same as Finger Taps, but a little more advanced.

Basically, you will do a series of finger taps while saying the finger numbers out loud. For example, "Four-one-three", tapping each finger as you say its number. The student will then have a turn to copy what you do. Then you can make it more difficult as the student progresses by increasing the speed and/or the number of fingers you do in each sequence.

These are only a couple ideas for how to use these finger puppets to teach finger numbers to your music students. How would you use these? What other games could you play with these to reinforce finger numbers? What other uses can you find for them? Please leave a comment below!

Violin String Names for Young Beginners | Printable Coloring Page

I've recently started to make some fun coloring pages for my young beginners as a take-home reenforcement for what they have been learning in the lessons. These are partly just for fun, but there is some educational benefit as well.

I'd like to share a free printable coloring page with you today. This coloring page helps teach the letter names of the violin strings using animals for each string, as follows:

G: Giraffe

D: Dolphin

A: Ape

E: Eagle

I chose these particular animals because I thought they would be familiar to most young kids. (I decided against using an eastern quoll.)

I also chose animals with beginning sounds similar to how the name of the actual letter sounds. For example, I chose giraffe (instead of gorilla) because it has a soft "G" at the beginning, similar to the way the name of the letter "G" is pronounced. I chose eagle (instead of elephant) because the beginning sound is a long "E", like we would pronounce the name of the letter. This seems to pose less confusion to very young pre-reading students who are not as familiar with alternative sounds that letters can make.

Additionally, I chose animals that might be useful in explaining the size relationship of the strings. For example, giraffes are very big and tall! Just like the G is the biggest string. Eagles are the smallest of those four animals, and E string is the smallest string. Also, Eagles fly way up high in the sky, and the E string note is way up high.

I hope your students enjoy this as much as mine have. I don't know any young kids who don't love coloring, and this is a great way to reenforce what was taught in the lesson and help the kids remember the names of the strings. Click here to download your own violin strings coloring page!

Enjoy!

DVD Case Wipe-off Boards for Music Group Lesson Activities

I really enjoy teaching group lessons.  It's really fun for kids to learn about music theory and composers and other topics in a group setting.

I just finished making these awesome Wipe-off Boards out of old DVD cases.  These "boards" have so many possibilities for the classroom or group lessons.  I think they are super rad!

There are so many ways to use these!  Just swap out the liner inside to fit your needs.  I printed the insert double sided, so its easily interchangeable.

So to make one yourself, just print out the sheets below, cut them to size, and insert in an empty DVD case.  Then give yourself a high five because you're done!  Best teacher award goes to you.

DVD Case Wipe-off Board Printable Insert 1
DVD Case Wipe-off Board Printable Insert 2

Then you can use the inside of the case to store the markers and eraser.  Love it!

I hope you have fun with these!  Feel free to share any ideas you have for learning activities and games to do with these.  Leave a comment below!

Introducing Note Reading to Pre-Reading Students, Part 2

Well, life has been totally crazy, but I want to quickly share a NEW (FREE) printable piece of sheet music!  This particular piece is written for an easy, simple violin duet.  Which piece is it, you ask?  Hot Cross Buns!  It doesn't get much simpler than that.  The first violin part uses fingers, while the second violin uses open strings only, and both parts stay on the A and E strings.

I have two versions available: one with staff lines, and one (even simpler and easier to read) without staff lines.  How does that work without staff lines?  And why?  Just check out my post about a simple step you can take in teaching note reading so it's not overwhelming.  The no-staff-lines approach is meant to be a temporary stepping stone for very young, pre-reading students who are transitioning to note reading.

So, here you go!  Enjoy!

Hot Cross Buns With Staff Lines
Hot Cross Buns Without Staff Lines

You may also be interested in a similar arrangement of Mary Had a Little Lamb With Staff Lines or Mary Had a Little Lamb Without Staff Lines.

Free Staff Paper Download

This post was inspired by my days as a poor undergrad student.  I was too cheap to actually pay for manuscript paper, so, trying to be resourceful, I created my own.  So I thought I'd share it with you so you can use it for yourself or for your students.

Free Printable Manuscript Paper

As with all the downloads, these are for your personal use, meaning don't go trying to sell them or claim them as your own work.  You may download and print them in small quantities for your own use, but please don't sell.  Thanks!

There are three sizes of downloadable, printable manuscript paper:

• Regular size music staff paper
• Landscape regular size music staff paper
• Large music staff paper

I especially love the large staff for young students.

Now go compose some music or teach some music theory or something!