It’s time for our fifth Teaching Tactic! Teaching our students to recognize the feel of intervals is key to developing fluid readers. Our idea today is to take an “interval trip” with our students, by dictating intervals for them to find. I start by having a student find a five-finger position, say C, and then have them play the tonic. Then I say “Up a third, down a second, up a fourth, etc.,” so with this pattern they’d play C – E – D – G. You can continue for as long as you’d like! This works best with intervals between a second and a fifth so they can stay in one hand position, but you could try larger intervals with more advanced students. It’s also fun to have the student close their eyes and try only by feel!
Author: Spring
Spring Seals, NCTM, teaches 60 piano students ranging from age 3 to 70 in Fort Worth, Texas. She also serves as the Director of Certification for TMTA. She is passionate about helping teachers become more effective in their studios through professional development, new resources, and fresh ideas.