This is one of my students’ all time favorite activities. It’s a beautiful piano improv technique that’s easy enough for kids to master in just a few minutes.
Click play to watch a professional use this technique.
In this video tutorial, I show you how you can teach this piano improv technique to children. We use the C scale because it’s easy for the kids to grasp. Once they understand the concept, you can have them try it with other scales. It’s great practice!
When I taught this little trick to the kids in my studio, I first showed the Piano Guys video and pointed out when the pianist used this technique. They were really excited when I told them that they were going to learn it!
Want to play a fun game the week after you introduce the Snowflake Technique? Snowflake Chord Progressions is a fun way to teach students about chord progressions. This game works great in either private or group lessons. You can even use the Snowflake Piano Improv Technique (taught in the video above) with the chord progressions your student creates with this game. Click here to buy Snowflake Chord Progressions. Your students will have a blast!
Did you enjoy this piano improv tutorial? Here’s what you can do next:
First, Leave a Comment–we all benefit when we work together and share ideas.
How did it go when you tried out this activity yourself or with your students? Leave a comment below to share your experience and inspire the other piano teachers in our online community.
Second, Help Other Music Teachers find and use this piano improv tutorial.
1. Pin the title image that’s on the right
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Third, Start Teaching Piano Improv to give your students a lifetime of enjoyment at the piano.
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I am using this with my students and they love it sooooo much! My left hand progression is Octave C’s, down to octave A’s, then down to octave G’s and back to “home” up to Octave C’s. Thanks so much for this wonderful lesson!
I’m very glad that you shared your wonderful resource with amazing short videos and flash cards. It will help to make our lessons fresh. Sometimes I think how much I lost in my childhood because didn’t have this fun and interesting moments in my piano lessons. Thank you, Kristin!
Thanks, Kay! It made my day to hear that you enjoyed these activities. I agree with you that it can make such a big difference for kids if they have these fun moments during their lessons. Your students are lucky to have a teacher who cares so much about giving them these experiences!
You are a genius! I love all of your creative ideas. Thank you for sharing. If I ever get an original idea, I will share it with you!
Thanks, Debbie! I’m so glad that you’ve enjoyed these teaching tools. I would LOVE for you to share your ideas with me. I believe that we all benefit when we work together!
Thanks so much! I can’t wait to try this with my students!
Love your lessons. I always to improvise because I’m bored with the way I’m playing…just the chords with my left. Can you teach more hymns with simple left hand improvisations?
Thanks, Susan. I’m happy to hear that you’ve enjoyed my improv lessons. That’s a great idea to have some examples of improvising with the hymns. My to-do list is rather lengthy, so it may take a while, but this is something that I would really love to include on my website. Thanks for a great suggestion!
Thank you for sharing the Snowflake Technique. So much fun for my older students stretching for the octave. Love that you included an easy approach for PreK and Kindergarten, too! You’re the best!
Good stuff! I plan on using it with my students tomorrow.
hi .I am Soleil. I love your videos. I am 8 years old. sometimes i get bored doing my piano homework because i’m lerning the minuet in G for a long time. I love to improvise on piano and really love to do it with dance also. I like to see your fun ways!!!!!!!! I’m going to turn your snow flake lesson into a BLIZARD!!!!!
thank you.
Soleil
Hi Soleil! I’m so impressed with how hard you’ve been working at the piano. I’m glad that you like the snowflake improv. I hope you’ll come back and leave another comment after you’re finished and let me know all about the blizzard you created! I bet you’ll sound amazing!
Thank you for this method. This is new to me as well.
My background is classical. Grew up learning music as my Dad was a Jazz musician and he introduced me to piano at a very young age and I loved it. Hope my new little students will as well. Their parents and grandparents are excited about it as well. We’ll see how it goes!
Thanks again
This is wonderful! I can’t wait to motivate my students with this beautiful improv! They are going to love it so much!! Thank you!!!
Awesome! I love all your great and fun ideas! Thank you for sharing. I love introducing new and fresh material to my students. They love it when we Improvise!!! I record them and their faces light up! when they hear themselves. So cool! You Rock!
Thanks for sharing this fun improv! I taught this to my autistic student ( age 21) and the smile I got was overwhelming. I had heard it from the Piano Guys but didn’t know which song it was from. You helped me so much with this information.
This is the best resource I have found yet! Thank you. I taught piano lessons 10 years ago, I was doing great, sadly life took me away from it . I am determined to begin again and be as successful. I need music back in my life and helping kids gain enthusiasm for this life long gift is the most rewarding thing I have done. I Found this site and already have goals, guidelines, and fun things lined up to do! I am looking forward to all your future ideas !