Now Available: Muscle Builder Book 6

January 28, 2015 Jennifer Boster

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Now available to purchase is the 6th book in the My Muscle Builder Book series! This book is a lot of fun and continues to build on the techniques learned in previous books.

In Book 6 we continue working on hands-alone two-octave major white key scales, this time adding in some interesting rhythms and articulations to help make our scales more even and musical. We begin working on hands-alone two-octave black key major scales as well, using our Sneaky Thumb and Finger Crossover exercises to achieve a nice, even scale.

Students will review chord inversions, playing some inversion exercises in all of the white key minor keys – these exercises include “walking up” the chords one note at a time as well as playing them in block chords.

Next, students will do some simple transposing into the keys of D-flat, E-flat, G-flat, A-flat and B-flat.

And who doesn’t love playing a good, fast chromatic scale?? In Book 6 we learn the right hand and left hand fingerings of the chromatic scale, and then practice each one several different ways – gradually speeding it up with a metronome, playing it in different rhythms – until we get to try and play it at lightning speed!

And finally, students will work on listening and identifying a few different intervals – minor 2nds, major 2nds, and perfect 4ths, 5ths and 8ths. Each exercise is accompanied by colorful diagrams of the notes in each scale and the correct fingerings, so students of any age will be able to become fluent in playing all over the piano.

As always, this product is in the format of a digital download. I recommend printing the Muscle Builder Book in booklet form, with 2 pages per sheet, then folding and stapling together. Each exercise has a little circle that students/teachers can check off or place a sticker on when the exercise is mastered.

Also available is the companion Muscle Builder Extras – Book 6, which includes 2 reference sheets: black key major scales (right hand fingering and left hand fingering) and chromatic scales (right hand fingering and left hand fingering). It also includes a 2-page “Book 6 At a Glance” sheet, a handy sheet where you can check off and keep track of your students’ progress.

Both resources may be purchased in this post, or in the Teaching Studio Store on the Muscle Builders page.

My Muscle Builder Book 6
42 pages, digital download

My Muscle Builder Extras – Book 6
4 pages, digital download

Now Available: Muscle Builder Book 5

December 31, 2014 Jennifer Boster

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Now available in the Store is the next volume of the My Muscle Builder Book technique series! I’m super excited about Book 5 and about all of the things students have learned once they have reached this level. In this book we are using our “Sneaky Thumbs” and finger crossovers learned in previous volumes to play two-octave major scales!

Students will learn the basic scale fingering patterns and put them to good use on and off of the piano. We review our minor triads and then use them to play some fancy, musical arpeggios on both ends of the piano.

We also start dabbling in full-octave arpeggios, using the black-key major keys of D-flat, E-flat, G-flat, A-flat and B-flat. Students will really have a fun time as they cross over and under and play all over the piano in 19 different keys! As always, this Muscle Builder Book is in full color and includes all of the colorful picture scales and arpeggios to help students of all ages become literate at the piano.

Also available to purchase is the companion Muscle Builders Extras pack, including 3 full-color picture scale/arpeggio reference sheets and a “Book 5 At a Glance” page, where teachers or students can keep track of their Book 5 technique progress on one handy sheet. I recommend printing the Muscle Builder Book 2 pages per sheet in booklet format.

My Muscle Builder Book 5 and the Book 5 Extras pack may be purchased in the Store or at the bottom of this post. Enjoy some preview page views below. Have a happy new teaching year!

My Muscle Builder Book 5
40 pages, digital download
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My Muscle Builder Extras – Book 5
4 pages, digital download

Now Available: Muscle Builder Pack 1 with Extras!

February 5, 2014 Jennifer Boster

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Now available in the Teaching Studio store is the Muscle Builder Pack 1 with Extras! This pack includes My Muscle Builder Books 1 through 4 (at a discounted rate when you buy them together), as well as some extras to go along with each level. One thing that readers have been wanting to go with the Muscle Builder books are some scale reference sheets that students can keep in their binders for a quick reminder of the notes in each scale. I have created reference sheets for each level, as well as some “At a Glance” sheets listing each exercise in each level – great for keeping track of each of your students’ progress through the Muscle Builder books! Here is what the Muscle Builder Pack 1 includes:

Contents:

Book 1
My Muscle Builder Book 1
Book 1 Extras: Book 1 at a Glance; Major 5-Finger Scales Reference Sheet

Book 2
My Muscle Builder Book 2
Book 2 Extras: Book 2 at a Glance; Major & Minor 5-Finger Scales
Reference Sheet; Chord Inversion Reference Sheet

Book 3
My Muscle Builder Book 3
Book 3 Extras: Book 3 at a Glance, includes Tonic & Dominant Chords
Reference Sheet

Book 4
My Muscle Builder Book 4
Book 4 Extras: Book 4 at a Glance; Black Key 5-Finger Scales

If you have already purchased the books and are interested in downloading the extras, they will be available for individual download shortly! (Like, once my children are napping – ha!)

For those of you who are new to the Muscle Builder books, here is a little description of these fun technique books!

My Muscle Builder Books are illustrated, step-by-step piano technique booklets
designed to help even your youngest students learn correct piano techniques and
become fluent in playing chords and scales all over the keyboard. Emphasis is placed on
playing the exercises with a musical purpose, and many articulations and techniques are
introduced. Each scale or exercise is clearly illustrated using colorful circles on a
keyboard, making it possible for young students to use the books beginning at their very
first lesson! The booklets are attractive and colorful and include spaces to pass off each
exercise with a sticker. These booklets will give students a sound foundation in their
piano technique and their understanding of keyboard fundamentals.

Print out the books in booklet form and staple or spiral-bind and distribute to the
students in your own private studio for a fun way to learn, practice, and pass off piano
technique exercises. Students and parents will appreciate the simple, step-by-step
instructions included on each page that will ensure your students are practicing
correctly at home. Also included in this pack are some extras to go along with each level.
You may want to print out the “At a Glance” sheets to keep in your teaching binder to
keep track of each individual student’s progress, and the scale reference sheets are great
for your students’ binders as quick reminders of the notes in each scale.

Purchase the Muscle Builder Pack 1 here, or on the Muscle Builder page. Happy scale-playing, y’all!

My Muscle Builders – Pack 1 (Books 1 through 4 plus extras)
Price: $27

*Post Edit: Extras are now available for Books 1 through 4!

Book 1 Extras
(Includes Book 1 At a Glance and 5-Finger Scale Reference Sheet. 3 Pages.)
Price: FREE
Download here

Book 2 Extras
(Includes Major/Minor 5-Finger Scale Reference Sheet, a Chord Inversion Reference Sheet, and Book 2 At a Glance. 5 Pages.)
Price: $1.99

Book 3 Extras
(Includes Book 3 At a Glance and a Tonic & Dominant Chords Reference Sheet. 1 Page.)
Price: $1.99

Book 4 Extras
(Includes Major Black-Key 5-Finger Scale Reference Sheet and Book 4 At a Glance. 2 Pages.)
Price: $1.99

My Muscle Builder Book 4 now available!

September 5, 2013 Jennifer Boster

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My Muscle Builder Book Level 4 is here! I love how it turned out and I’m so excited for it (and the other levels that are also in the planning stages…).

Level 4 of the My Muscle Builder Books builds on piano techniques already learned in books 1 through 3. In this book the student will learn the black-key 5-finger scales, finger cross-overs, the blues scale and more!

Many have asked why I did not introduce the black-key scales in a previous level. I have used these books with students as young as five years old, and I wanted those little fingers to get a chance to get used to the trickier fingerings before diving into the black keys. I am excited to now have all of the major five-finger scales covered in the Muscle Builder Books, and I think students will excel in these black-key scales that contain a lot of thumbs crossing under and fingers crossing over, especially after the material covered in book 3.

In this book, students will also play their scales in many various articulations to encourage expression at the piano. As always, it is in downloadable e-book format. Level 4 contains 22 pages. You will receive a link for instant download following payment.

I recommend printing this as a booklet with 2 pages per sheet, and stapling it together.

Here is a little preview of what you will find in Book 4:

Here’s what other teachers are saying about My Muscle Builder Books!

“The illustrations make it almost impossible for a child to practice errors! The students enjoy seeing their progress and becoming very familiar with the curriculum by the time they are midway through.”

“I like that it’s a book I can distribute to my students without making them buy another book. It has most of the technique things I’d really like them to know and my students like that it’s fast and repetitive. They really like activities that give them opportunities to earn many stickers. I like that they’re more visual with pictures of keyboards rather than notes on a staff.”

“I like that it is colorful without being babyish and the instructions are simple and clear making it “easy” for children to learn.”

“You have done a great job putting this together and made it attractive.”

“I love, love, love your books. Thank you so much.”

You may purchase My Muscle Builder Book 4 here, or you can find it here in the Teaching Studio Store.

My Muscle Builder Book 4
Price: $10.00

Find the other My Muscle Builder Books here:
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3

Muscle Builder Giveaway Winners!

March 11, 2013 Jennifer Boster

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Today I’m pleased to announce our giveaway winners!

Winner of the Muscle Builder Book 2 is:

Shannon!

And our winner of the Muscle Builder Book 3 is:

Tonya Dirksen!

Congratulations, Shannon and Tonya! Please contact me and let me know what email address I should send the download link to.

Thanks to all who entered the giveaway and had such good things to say about the Muscle Builder Books! I really appreciate all your feedback and questions.

Happy Monday!

My Muscle Builder Book: Level 3!

March 4, 2013 Jennifer Boster

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I have been so pleased with my students’ progress in my other two Muscle Builder Books (and have gotten great feedback from you readers, as well!), and I am so excited to be offering level 3 of the My Muscle Builder Book, available now in The Teaching Studio Store. (If you haven’t had the chance to check out Level 1 and Level 2 yet, I recommend it! My students have really excelled in their understanding of chords and scales using these books!)

Book 3 builds on the foundation of successful completion of Books 1 & 2. (So by now, students should know:

• how to play all 7 white-key major and minor chords, arpeggios, and 5-finger scales, both hands

• how each white-key major chord is spelled by memory

• how to listen and identify major vs. minor chords

• how to transpose simple songs from one five-finger position to another

• the 7 major chord inversions in broken chords (walking up the keys) and block chords, right hand

• how to play staccato and legato scales

• how to play five-finger scales in opposite motion

• how to listen and identify 2nds and 3rds)

In my studio, I have had young students who have taken lessons for about a year, and are in the Faber “My First Piano Adventures” Book C who are totally ready for My Muscle Builders Book 3. They are super confident in playing major white-key chords and arpeggios and are ready to move onto some more techniques!

Here are some previews of Book 3:

We learn some thumb preparation exercises to get ready to play full scales (one octave, hands alone):

We learn five full scales (one octave, hands alone):

We do some tonic/dominant chord exercises in 7 major keys:

We review the major chords, this time using an Alberti bass pattern in the left hand:

…and more!

Like the other two Muscle Builder Books, this includes lots of fun, colorful “picture scales” so even students in lower levels of music-reading will be able to play these, no problem. Each technique is broken down into short and manageable exercises, and there is a place to pass off each individual exercise with a sticker or check mark. I have found that, generally, students can work on and master a couple of exercises per week. Of course, some may go quite a bit faster and some may need more time!

This book is 28 pages long and is in downloadable e-book format. I recommend printing it in booklet format (double-sided with two pages per sheet – so when you fold it the pages are in the right order!), so check your printer settings before printing! That way it can be folded and stapled into a nice little booklet. I often use small round stickers to pass off exercises, and to place on the circles of the picture scales. The price is $10.00 and it is available to purchase here in this post, or over in The Teaching Studio Store under Teaching Resources For Sale.

And, what’s an exciting new teaching resource on The Teaching Studio without a GIVEAWAY to go with it???

I want to give away a Muscle Builder Book to TWO lucky readers! Leave me a comment on this post for an entry into the giveaway! I will give away one copy of My Muscle Builders Book 2, and one copy of My Muscle Builders Book 3! (Remember, Book 1 is available as a FREE download – check it out!) Receive one extra entry by sharing about this giveaway via Facebook, Pinterest, etc. Giveaway ends this Friday, March 8 at 10:00 pm, Central Time. Have a great day!

Upside-Down Compositions

April 26, 2012 Jennifer Boster

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Sometimes my best (and most successful) teaching ideas are the spur-of-the-moment ones that I just sort of think up at the last second. Today I had a student arrive without her books (and she had not practiced much this week), so I grabbed my staff flannel board and some black felt notes.

I first had her review the notes in a C Major five-finger scale (a great note-reading review as well as a review of her scales!) by building the scale on the flannel board. I then had her build a C Major chord as well (my students surprisingly mix up chords and arpeggios all the time – I tell them to sing “ar – pe – ggio!” while playing the three notes of the arpeggio, and to sing “chord” when playing a chord – it seems to help a bit!).

I then allowed her to make up her own short song with any notes in the bass clef. She LOVED this (I have found that most young children LOVE making up their own music….let’s take that and run with it, shall we??) and came up with this song:

I then had her play it on the piano (an EXCELLENT note-reading exercise – and she did very well considering she is in level 2 of Faber’s My First Piano Adventures…barely into note reading!). I told her afterwards that we were going to do something super cool with her song. I added an upside-down treble clef at the end of her song…

…and then flipped the whole thing over!

She was excited to see that this had created an entirely new song in the treble clef! We had fun playing it and seeing what it sounded like (naming all the notes as we went…great review!).

I decided to send her home with some blank staff paper and I assigned her to write a short song (using the notes of a predetermined five-finger scale, to keep it simple and easy to play in one hand position), and then to flip it over and play the upside-down version!

Here is one we did in the C Major five-finger position:

You flip it over and you’re in a nice F position – easy for small hands.

Voila – a fun and simple note-reading/five-finger scale/composition exercise! Goodnight all!

New Printable: Beginning Muscle Builders Booklet

March 6, 2012 Jennifer Boster

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I am super excited about this new printable! Today I want to share with you my technique program for my young beginners.

One of the downfalls of many beginning method books is that students are often confined to learning only a few hand positions. They get really good at playing in C or G position, and then when trickier keys like E or B Major are introduced (finally), students are usually not as confident.

I like to get my beginning students playing in many different keys all over the keyboard as soon as possible. I want them to be familiar with how these different positions (which include sharps and flats) feel, and I want them to learn that just because there are flats or sharps, it doesn’t mean it is hard.

I also want my students to learn chords as soon as possible and be confident spelling and playing many different chords – this is an awesome help in learning practically all of their pieces, and also lends to opportunities to teach harmonization and other creative keyboard skills.

This little booklet guides young students through learning all of the white-key major five-finger positions, including scales, arpeggios and chords.

Each key consists of the following:

a colorful “picture scale” to show which keys to play and the names of the notes
reminders on good piano technique
various hands-alone practice directions for five-finger scales
instructions on how to play arpeggios and chords, including technique tips & a fun way to remember the difference between arpeggios and chords (you wouldn’t believe how many of my students mix the two up!)
a chord-spelling review to help students remember the notes in each chord

Each item has a little circle next to it that can either be filled in or checked off (or better yet, use a fun little sticker!) when the student has completed the assignment. I usually draw a circle around the printed circle of each assigned item for the week, and we pass it off with a sticker the following week.

The colorful circles on the picture scales are just the right size for a standard round sticker (these ones fit great and are super cute – a fun incentive for youngsters!) – and after the student has learned the scale, I love to put stickers on the three notes used in an arpeggio and chord. It is a great visual reminder!

I often add other assignments to the ones in the booklet, such as playing any of the scales or arpeggios in a technique you’d like to work on (staccato or legato, for example). I have also taught students about the damper pedal (by opening up the piano and showing them how it all works), and then we have fun playing our 4-octave arpeggios with the damper pedal for a fun and “fancy” sound. Some of my students tend to scoot on the bench a lot, so I also used this as a way to practice leaning to reach the high or low notes.

Another wonderful thing you can do once the student has learned a few of the keys is to have them practice some simple transposition. Take a song that can be played in a five-finger pattern from their method book (for instance, one that is written in C position) and have them transpose to any other key that they have learned! A great song for this is “Ode to Joy,” by the way!

I have been so pleased with the progress of my young students as they have worked their way through this booklet and learned so many different scales and chords. I hope you can get some good use out of it in your studio as well!

I like to print this in booklet format, which you will have to choose in the “Print” settings. Be sure to select the double-sided booklet option – then all you need to do is fold it all in half for a fun little technique booklet. You may download the booklet here, and you can also find it on my “Printables & Downloads” page. Enjoy!

Find Muscle Builder Book Level 2 here, and Muscle Builder Book Level 3 here!

Introducing Curved Fingers to Young Children

March 24, 2011 Jennifer Boster

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At our preschool piano camp we wanted to teach the kids about curved fingers – but how can you make that a fun and understandable concept for 3- and 4-year-olds? I decided to take my usual bird’s nest analogy and add in a fun little visual to help them understand the concept. I found the idea for these cute little fuzzy birds on this blog (which actually is written by a fellow-piano major of mine from BYU) and decided they would be perfect for teaching about curved fingers!

The kids LOVED holding their little birds (which are made with the really BIG pom poms, so they fit perfectly in a little hand) in their curved-finger birds nest. They could easily see that if they flattened their fingers, their poor little bird would fall right out of the nest! We had a lot of fun with these little birds.

In what ways have you taught important piano concepts to young children in fun and creative ways?

What I Want My Young Students to Know

July 22, 2010 Jennifer Boster

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If you were to teach a beginning student for maybe a few months or a year, what would you hope that they would know by the time they stopped taking lessons from you? In order to feel like you gave them a great foundation to build on, and that their new teacher will be able to pick right up where you left off without needing to reteach concepts, what would they need to know? Even if they will be continuing to study with you, what would you like them to know and learn early on in their study to lay a great foundation for their piano study over the course of the rest of their life?

Here’s a little list I came up with of skills & knowledge I would want my students to have. These are pretty basic, but sadly a lot of young students don’t really know these basic things. If I got a young transfer student who knew and really understood all of these things and was able to play them well, I would be thrilled!

Technique

*good hand position – curved fingers, no collapsing knuckles, plays on the fingertips instead of flats of fingers
*legato playing – able to play nice legato phrases, including lifting of the wrist at the ends of phrases
*staccato playing – able to play nice, short staccatos – see my “basketball analogy” 🙂
*dynamics – plays good, contrasting forte and piano

Theory

*knows all the notes on the grand staff – and really knows them – not just by finger numbers or by playing in C or G position
*basic understanding of intervals and primary chords
*knows and understands the rhythms of basic notes – quarter, half, whole, eighth
*knows and understands sharps and flats

What would you add to this list?