Try a new music composing activity with your piano students!

Composition Cut-and-Paste makes composing more fun by offering a “multiple choice” for each measure, and allowing students to get crafty along the way.

A New Music Composing Activity for Kids

I’ve created a unique curriculum designed to help students of all ages and stages create a song of their own–a song they can claim, and a song they can play!

I wanted to come up with a way to make composing on the piano more accessible and fun for my students. My goal was to invite creativity from those students who may freeze up when they hear the words: “Play whatever you want.”

We all have creativity inside us. But sometimes open-ended composition assignments leave students thinking, “I don’t know where to start.”

Enter Composition Cut-and-Paste! These leveled workbooks allow students to choose from a few options to literally paste together a song they can call their own.

When to Use This Music Composing Activity

Whether you are a piano teacher looking to encourage creativity and reinforce music theory in your private lesson studio, or looking for a class curriculum or summer workshop idea, Composition Cut-and-Paste works great for individual and group settings.

Use Composition Cut-and-Paste with:

• a private piano student at subsequent lessons
• a group composition ongoing weekly lesson
• an elementary or middle school music/piano class
• a 3- or 4-week summer composition class

Going through a Composition Cut-and-Paste workbook is an involved process and cannot be done in one sitting. Plan to revisit the workbook several times to complete the composition(s).

How Does Composition Cut-and-Paste Work?

Here’s How Composition Cut-and-Paste Works:

1. Print the workbook double-sided and put into a 3-ring binder.

2. Students will work page-by-page with a keyboard handy to decide which combination of notes/measure they like best.

3. Once a favorite measure is chosen, the student will cut out the corresponding labeled measure on the Cut-Out page and glue or tape it to the corresponding blank measure on the Paste page.

4. By the end of the workbook, students will have at least one full original composition to call their own!

Note that each level works slightly differently, so be sure to check out the full instructions included before diving in.

What Age is Composition Cut-and-Paste for?

There are six levels of Composition Cut-and-Paste workbooks to choose from.

Very, very beginners (like even at the first lesson!) to intermediate students can be served with the right level of Composition Cut-and-Paste.

The earlier levels are very “craft project” oriented. They involve lots of cutting and pasting, drawing, imagining (as well as playing).

The later levels are more intellectual and less crafty. Older students will be identifying chord progressions and using their pencils more.

What Are the Levels of Composition Cut-and-Paste?

Level A

Composition Cut-and-Paste Level A is for very beginning piano students. This is a Pre-Reading level.

Students do not need to read any notes on the staff, name any white keys, or even know their finger numbers!

Level A students will be composing five songs using black key group pictures. They can use any finger to play their songs.

Because of this, even a first-lesson student can try Level A!

Check out Composition Cut-and-Paste Level A Workbook here.

Level B

Composition Cut-and-Paste Level B is also a Pre-Reading level. Level B uses the white keys.

Students are still creating songs using key pictures. White keys are labeled on every page and color-coded.

In this way, Level B teaches and reinforces the white key names.

Students completing Level B do not need to know 5-finger hand positions. Teachers may guide students to use specific fingers, but finger numbers are not dictated in the workbook.

Check out Composition Cut-and-Paste Level B Workbook here.

Level C

Composition Cut-and-Paste Level C is perfect for very early readers, Primer level students, and student learning the Middle C Position (thumbs share Middle C). Level C uses only off-staff notation (no staff reading). Students use the five notes of the right hand (C-D-E-F-G) and the five notes of the left hand with thumb positioned on Middle C (C-B-A-G-F).

Level C students will create five short songs using quarter and half notes. They will be reading note names (off-staff) and finger numbers.

They can play their compositions with confidence in Middle C Position using all 10 fingers, both right and left hand separately.

Students currently working through the Primer Level of Piano Adventures (middle to end of the book) will enjoy the freedom and consistency of this level for their cut-and-paste creations.

Check out Composition Cut-and-Paste Level C Workbook here.

Level 1

Composition Cut-and-Paste Level 1 is perfect for students with some familiarity of notes on the staff.

Level 1 students will create two songs in C Pentascale and will work only with the 10 notes on the staff associated with that hand position (5 treble clef notes, 5 bass clef notes).

Level 1 students will not need a lot of hands-together capability or perfect left hand note recognition to easily play their song.

Students currently in Piano Adventures Primer Level (late) or Level 1 will likely be comfortable with the Level 1 workbook.

Check out Composition Cut-and-Paste Level 1 Workbook here.

Level 2

Composition Cut-and-Paste Level 2 is appropriate for students in Piano Adventures Level 2A or 2B or the equivalent.

Music theory and note reading are strongly enforced through Level 2 of the Composition Cut-and-Paste workbook. Students will need a good working knowledge of notes on the staff and be able to play hands together in Middle C Position, C Pentascale, D Pentascale, and F Pentascale. (No sharps or flats added at this level.)

Students will need to be comfortable moving from 5-finger position to 5-finger position during their song.

Level 2 students will do a fair amount of cutting and pasting, and some music copying/writing on the staff.

The result at the end of the workbook will be a compelling 24-measure composition they will be proud to play!

Check out Composition Cut-and-Paste Level 2 here.

Level 3

Composition Cut-and-Paste Level 3 is perfect for students working their way through Piano Adventures Level 3B or 4 (or an ambitious 3A).

Some 3A students may find the chord analysis too advanced to understand. And many Level 4 students would enjoy working through this workbook, so be sure to check out the preview pages (coming soon) to determine which level is right for your students.

In Level 3, students will be doing less cutting and pasting, and more analyzing, playing, and writing.

Level 3 students will be learning about Roman numeral chord symbols and common chord progressions, and then choosing a chord order of their own!

By the end of the workbooks, Level 3 students will have a beautiful composition they will absolutely love to play and share!

Check out Composition Cut-and-Paste Level 3 here.

Composition Cut-and-Paste Bundle (All Levels)

Save 40% buy buying all six levels in one bundle!

The purchase of this bundle comes with a studio license for a single-teacher studio or classroom. Print and reprint for student after student…year after year.

Other Music Composition Activity Options?

If you don’t want to conduct a workshop or work through an involved multi-week workbook, you may be more interested in my one-page music composition activity for kids:

COMPOSE WITH DICE!

Compose With Dice sets come with eight individual one-page song projects that can be completed in one sitting. There are several seasonal sets to choose from.

Check out this page for full details, examples, and instructions on how to use Compose With Dice!