Ever used aqua rocks or glass gems in your studio? Ten years ago when I picked up a bag of aqua rocks, (the ones used in fish bowls and floral arrangements; you can find some here (link)) I had no idea how much my students would enjoy using them and how versatile they would be in lessons! Students of various ages enjoy using the gems. Maybe students like the gems because they are shiny and have a nice, smooth texture. If you are in need of a new resource to refresh your teaching, I highly recommend purchasing a bag of glass gems at your local craft store. These gems are an inexpensive resource and come in a variety of colors. Here are five ways you can use those new gems in your studio.
Learning Key Names
When students are first learning the names of the piano keys, using gems and a set of letter cards is a great way to practice the key names. To play, shuffle a set of musical alphabet cards and place them on the piano bench next to a selection of glass gems. Have the student draw the top letter card and place a gem on the correct key. Play continues until all the letter cards are gone, or at least one key of each letter in the musical alphabet is covered.
The Ultimate Game Token or Bingo Chip
Gems are my students’ first choice when it comes to game tokens and bingo chips. Anytime you are playing a game that requires students to cover a space on a game board, gems can easily be used and add some extra fun to the game. If your selection of gems is different colors, you can also use them for game tokens.
Listening Activities
Aqua rocks can be used when implementing listening activities with students such as discerning major or minor intervals, high or low notes, or other listening skills. Provide a worksheet for students, and instead of writing their answer, provide aqua rocks for them to place on the example you played. Since aqua rocks are round, they make great notes.
Melodic Dictation
This game goes well with the above listening activities. If your students need to practice melodic dictation by listening then writing the notes they hear played, this method is a great way to isolate identifying notes by ear.
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Provide students a piece of staff paper with lines and spaces large enough for the aqua rocks to represent notes. As you play a melody for the students, ask them to place the gems on the correct places on the staff to represent the melody you played.
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Remember you should tell students what note you started on to provide a reference point.
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After students have placed the gems on which notes they think you played, instruct them to check their work while you play the melody again. By using gems to mark notes, students can easily change the notes without time consuming erasing.
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Once students have determined the correct notes with gems, instruct them to write the notes on their staff paper, notating proper rhythm.
Counting Aid
Working with your students on a particular section of their piece? Aqua rocks are a fun but simple way to keep track of repetition in practice. For each time a student plays a section correctly, have them place a gem on the music stand to keep track of their progress. (Remember studies show that keeping repetition to 4 or 5 times is more effective than excessive repetition.)
Teaching Form
Gather a selection of different colored aqua rocks,and use them to teach form or to identify and practice different sections of a piece. For example, if you have an ABA form, instead of giving each section a letter, give it a color. Put multiple gems of each chosen color in a cup, such as three blues for the A section and three greens for the B section. Have students close their eyes and select a gem. Whichever color they select is the section they will play. Continue instructing students to close their eye, select a gem, and play the section selected until all the gems are gone. This method is very effective in helping students gain confidence in playing pieces from memory.
