What kinds of activities do you use to help your students get focused at the beginning of a lesson?
I saw this question recently in a Facebook group and realized it was time to share an activity I started using this year.
After attending a workshop by Melody Bober a couple of years ago, I was inspired to create a simple warm-up routine to use at the start of each student’s lesson.
Not long after that, I was listening to an episode of the All Keyed Up Podcast featuring Marvin Blickenstaff. At one point, he described warm-ups as a way of “stimulating circulation.” I loved that phrase, and it was another element that pushed me to develop a fun, simple routine of my own.
Why Use a Body Awareness Warm-Up
Including a short routine like this at the start of a lesson can:
- Help students transition from their day into lesson time
- Encourage physical awareness and readiness at the piano
- Reinforce elements of good posture and technique, such as arms at tabletop level, forearm rotation, relaxed shoulders, and a natural hand position
A Simple, Flexible Routine
While this was developed with piano students in mind, it can easily be used with students of any age and instrument.
My goals in creating this routine were for it to:
- Feel comfortable and approachable for students of all ages (delivery and tone make a big difference here!)
- Be easy to remember and take less than one minute to complete
- Work whether students are sitting or standing
- Include movement for the key areas involved in piano playing: head, back, shoulders, arms, wrists, hands, and fingers
As a bonus, the wording flows in a chant-like rhythm. The first few lines are:
Look to the left and right;
Tilt your head side to side.Gentle twist, from the waist;
Body circles, that’s the way.
Here is a 0:15 snippet of the 0:50 routine.
Final Tips and How to Use Purchase
A couple of things to keep in mind when incorporating a routine like this:
- Consistency is helpful, but it doesn’t have to happen every single week. Sometimes students come in eager to play and are ready to dive right in—and that’s okay.
- Don’t force it. If a student doesn’t enjoy it or it doesn’t seem to serve them well, feel free to skip it. While it’s designed to work for all ages, it doesn’t have to be used with every student.
This product includes a printable PDF of the full warm-up chant, along with a video demonstrating the movements.
Add it to your shopping cart now or from the Piano Pantry shop.
Do you have any favorite warm-up/focus activities you use in your studio? Share in the comments!
