Keyboard Geography Games: Alphabet Pieces

In Lesson 5 of Yellow Arrows, 2nd Year students are ready to create their Alphabet Pieces and use them for fun games to learn the white keys on the piano.

Making the Alphabet Pieces:

1. Cut the rectangle of alphabet letters from your Yellow Arrows Songbook. Yes, cut it!

   
   

2. Trim adhesive foam to match the size of the letters. You can fit three rectangles on an 8"x12" foam sheet. Affix the letters to the foam. (If you skip the foam, just brush the pieces off toward you to keep them from falling between the keys.)

   
   

3. Cut the C strip apart and place each letter on its corresponding piano key. Repeat for each letter and store the pieces in a container on your piano.

Need a replacement printout of the letters? Download this: Alphabet Pieces Game

LPM Students Learn Piano Keys with Alphabet Pieces

Here’s a video on how we use the Alphabet Pieces game to help students learn the names of the white keys on the piano in a fun and engaging way! This method is perfect for beginners to enhance their piano skills, and is specific to Yellow Arrows, Lesson 5.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW1daD3IC-c

After the first time you play, you'll play like this every other time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXn4CyeWXYw

Making Repetition Fun

Once this becomes routine, begin every practice session with a 2-minute Alphabet Pieces game. Use the variations below to keep the repetition fun!

Alphabet Race:

Pick a letter from the box and quickly place it on the correct key. Time yourself and try to beat your record.

Take a Second:

Choose two letters, place them on the keys, and identify the interval between them. If it’s not a 2nd, try again!

Alpha-frogger:

Imagine each letter is a frog hopping across the keyboard. Sing the letter on pitch when the frog lands on its lily pad.

Hiss:

Place one letter on the keyboard as the starting snake. Take turns adding letters to grow the snake. Once a snake has 8 segments, remove it and score points (1 per segment).

Go Fish:

Each player starts with 3 alphabet tiles. Ask the other player for matching letters by playing the note on the piano. Keep playing until all the tiles are gone.

Silly Songs:

Line up 5–10 alphabet notes and play them with your right hand in C position. Use hand slides for B or A. It may turn into a wacky tune!

Super Skippers:

Choose a letter and check if it can skip up or down from a starting key. Keep taking turns until someone makes a 7-letter skip chain and wins!

Parking Lot Cars:

Draw a letter and place it on the corresponding white key. Continue until you run out of "cars" (or whatever counters you're using).

Cops and Robbers:

Place two tiny figures at opposite ends of the keyboard. Draw a letter and move each figure to the corresponding key until they meet and "battle" or "shake hands."

Got a Game Idea?

We’d love to hear your ideas for Alphabet Pieces games! Share them with us and we’ll feature them on our blog.

Keep playing to get better at identifying the white keys and have fun!

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