Ah, the internet . . . a wonderful playground of cutting-edge technology for music teachers, tools to make teaching easier, more fun and more creative! From enabling remote teaching (online lessons anyone?) to putting music theory drills in the hands of students, to the live harp performances on YouTube, the internet has changed how we teach music. Here are a few of my favorite tech tools for music teachers.
Online Theory & Practice Tools
Nowhere has the internet revolutionized teaching more than in the practice of music theory. If you haven’t taken advantage of the newest technology for music teachers available in this area, you and your students are missing out on some amazing resources.
Not only can students reads about thorny topics from every angle, but they can practice their skills in a way that is more effective–and much more fun–than the traditional flashcards, worksheets, and note spellers. One caveat: I think the traditional methods are still crucial, as they involve writing. I encourage my students to drill music skills in multiple ways to “make it stick.”
Here are some of my favorite wonders of technology for music teachers in the music theory and practice category (all links open in new tab or window):
MusicTheory.net, a comprehensive resource with lessons and drills. (And for those with smartphones or tablets, there is a companion app called Tenuto). Another comprehensive site for theory: Teoria.
The Music Counting Tool, an ingenious device that allows a student to enter the notes of a tricky rhythm and hear it counted and played back for them.
A favorite site for explaining how to count rhythms, courtesy of Total Guitarist.
Metronome Online and Piano Online, terrific tools for the student without real (or smartphone) alternatives.
How about a one-stop shop for all sorts of musical tools? Check out this free Suite of Music Tools and Resources from the Australian Music Teacher Network.
Interactive Circle of Fifths allows students to see keys with their chord and scale families in action; it’s a software version of the classic chord wheel.
This source for Blank Sheet Music allows all kinds of customizations (clefs, key signatures, time signatures) in printable sheet music, available to freely download.
Have I missed your favorites? Please tell me about the best tools of technology for music teachers (and students) you’ve discovered.
