In my years of teaching piano, one thing I consistently encounter is a student who is more confident reading notes in the treble clef (right hand) than the bass clef (left hand). And since many of us are right-hand dominant, it makes sense that playing with the right hand would feel easier and therefore more comfortable. Many students end up with weaker bass clef familiarity and improving this is the goal of the November Music Challenge Monthly.
This month, we are getting another visit from our friend, Practice Poodle! This time, Practice Poodle wants to get to the playground. Your student will have to name the notes along the path to get there. All of the notes are in the bass clef, since these are notes with which we tend to be less familiar. You or your student can choose to try the Level 1 or the Level 2 worksheet included, or both.
My hope is that by using a fun game, your student will feel motivated to practice reading notes, and therefore become more confident navigating the bass clef when it comes time to practice their piano pieces. I’m always hoping to find creative and engaging ways to connect your student to music, musicians, and theory, because all of these are building blocks in becoming a skilled pianist.
Print extra copies of this download so your student can practice more than once, timing themselves to see if they can follow the path more quickly the second or third time. Perhaps try to test them on different days so they aren’t simply memorizing the order of notes. You’ll see a spot to record their times on the download.
If you’re a member of Busy Kids Do Piano, you’ll be able to access this Music Challenge Monthly activity in the “Printables and Worksheets” section of the website.