Homeschool Music Resources

Homeschool Music Resources

Mr. Rob

When it comes to homeschooling, parents understand the need for instruction in subjects like language, math, science and history. Music can fall by the wayside, frequently because homeschooling parents don’t have a background in the subject.

Studies indicate that students can benefit from music instruction in a variety of ways such as:

  • Better social skills
  • Improving performance in language, math and science
  • Building self-confidence
  • Cultivating Discipline

Clearly, learning about music is critical. If you’re wondering how you can add music to your curriculum, take a look at the following resources. Whether you’re musically inclined or not, these resources will help you chart an exciting course.

1. Zebra Keys

At Zebra Keys, piano students have access to more than 50 free lessons. These lessons range from quite basic to advanced, so there is something for everyone. Mainly designed for students age 13 and over, adult beginners also will find these lessons appropriate and engaging.

Subjects such as basic music notation, the piano’s layout, music theory, chords, technique, improvisation and more all are included. Each lesson features animation that makes new information accessible and memorable.

2. FreeDrumLessons.com

If you have a budding drum enthusiast in your household, then you’ve got to let them know about FreeDrumLessons.com. This website has everything from a first drum lesson to introductions to drum beats and fills.

The video lessons on the website are well-produced and informative. Students have an opportunity to explore the rudiments of drumming as well as dynamic drumming, theory, notation, play alongs and more. Serious fans may want to gain access to Drumeo.com, the paid section of the website where thousands of additional lessons are available.

3. GuitarCompass.com

With step-by-step video lessons, it’s possible for anyone to learn how to play the guitar at this website. A free trial is offered to new students, so you’ll have an opportunity to sample the offerings before paying anything.

In fact, there are quite a few free lessons on the website including subjects such as lessons for beginners and genre subjects such as acoustic, blues, electric and country. Each category features numerous lessons, and enthusiasts may want to upgrade to a paid membership to get access to tons of additional content.

4. MakingMusicFun.net

If you’re helping a younger child to get familiar with music, then this resource is ideal. In fact, the name of the website really says it all. You’ll find worksheets, sheet music and a wide variety of lessons, many of which are geared toward little ones.

Browse sheet music by instrument including:

  • Piano
  • Violin
  • Flute
  • Trombone
  • Recorder and much more.

Available worksheets cover subject matter such as note naming, flash cards, color-by-note, music theory games and several others. In the Music Academy section, kids have the opportunity to take fun and informative piano lessons while the Meet the Composer page groups composers by era to make it easy to find the individual you’re looking for.

5. PianoNanny.com

Here is another wonderful resource from which piano students can gain plenty of free lessons. Three categories are available. Called Starter Studies, Intermediate Studies and Advanced Studies, there are several lessons in each category.

While each lesson is designed to require about 35 minutes, it’s possible for students to go at their own pace and repeat whatever they would like. Piano Nanny cautions that it’s important to go through each lesson sequentially as each one builds on the previous lesson.

6. 8Notes.com

In the Music Theory section alone, you’ll find almost 50 free lessons. They cover subject matter that ranges from Staffs, Clefs and Ledger Lines to an Introduction to Triads. In between, students will have the opportunity to explore Degrees of the Scale, Instrument Ranges, Common Chord Progressions, Major Scales, Key Signatures and much more.

If your student’s interests go beyond music theory, then it makes sense to explore some of the other areas on this free website. Guitar Trainer, Brass Trainer, Note Trainer, Interval Ear Trainer and many more help to give your child a well-rounded education.

7. MusicTheory.Net

The free section of this website contains three main sections: Lessons, Exercises and Tools. In the Lessons, students are introduced to The Basics such as Note Duration, Rest Duration, Measures and Steps as well as subjects that cover Rhythm and Meter, Scales and Key Signatures, Interval, Chords, Chord Progressions, Neapolitan Chords and more.

The Exercises category is a rich resource that contains all sorts of activities regarding Note Identification, Scale Identification, Chord Identification, Note Construction, Interval Construction, Keyboard Note Identification, Fretboard Chord Identification, Note Ear Training, Keyboard Ear Training and much more.

In the Tools area, students will find helpful calculators for Intervals, Scales, Chords and more as well as a Tempo Tapper and a Staff Paper Generator.

8. ToneSavvy.com

This fun website has a wealth of ear training and music theory exercises. Suitable for all but the youngest music students, the content here is really engaging. Students can complete exercises in which they identify notes, name intervals, build chord and identify the notes on a staff via a fingerboard among many other activities. The ear training exercises are particularly accessible and well-designed.

9. SquiltMusic.com

If you are homeschooling your children and don’t have a musical background, then you can rely on Squilt to provide all of the basics for your little ones. Squilt is an acronym that stands for Super Quiet Uninterrupted Listening Time, and the content here is directed toward kids who are curious and enthusiastic about music.

Colorful, accessible and engaging, the content on Squilt includes self-guided PDF volumes where students can search for information by era, season or composer. With flash cards, listening maps and live lessons, there is something on this website for every learning style. Emphasis is placed on subjects like rhythm, tempo, instrumentation, mood and dynamics.

10. Exploratorium.edu

This is the perfect forum for any parents, teachers or students who don’t have a background in music but still want to interact with and get more familiar with the subject. The Exploratorium is a museum located in San Francisco, but they have fascinating exhibits that you can tour online. Several of these are in the Science of Music Accidental Scientist section where you can explore syncopation, how opera singers hold notes for so long, why songs sometimes get stuck in your head as well as many others.

When you’re done discovering the music section, be sure to check out other areas of the website where you can encounter all sorts of science-related subjects.

11. ClassicsforKids.com

This is a go-to resource for many homeschooling parents, and there are various reasons why. Classics for Kids is rich in content. Whether you’re a dedicated music student or don’t know a treble from a bass, you’ll find plenty of interesting information and lots of engaging activities. Study composers, play music-related games, complete worksheets and listen to some of the most famous compositions ever created. It’s all here at this fun website.

12. KidsGuitarZone.com

If you’ve got a kid who’s wild to play the guitar, then this may be a good place to start or be an effective supplement to his current lessons. The website was created by Andrew Keppie, a teacher who has been playing guitar since he was 12. In addition to being an accredited teacher in Australia, Keppie has played with bands around the world.

On this website, he offers lessons and insights at no cost. Parents and kids further may be interested in the other content on the website, much of which consists of videos in which Keppie covers subjects like what kind of guitar to buy.

13. SchoolofComposition.com

Kids who are interested in writing their own tunes will fall in love with the lessons on this website. Read the informative blog, take a free e-course or visit the bookshop to pick up titles covering the essentials of music theory and how to read music.

14. ColortheClassics.com

Homeschooling parents who want to introduce music history will fall in love with the Color the Classics series. Each of the six books includes big coloring books with several illustrations and a CD. Accordingly, each lesson is a multi-sensory experience with information to be read, illustrations to color and music to hear. With so many of the senses engaged, learning about music has never been more fun, immersive and memorable.

15. YouTube

The diversity of videos on YouTube is always astounding, and the vast majority of the content is free. YouTube provides an easy-to-search platform on which you can find an incredible array of music-related content. Of course, some of the content is more worthwhile and better produced than others, so it may be a good idea to preview the videos before showing them to kids. Additionally, be sure to subscribe to YouTube posters who are consistently sending out enriching content that’s of interest to music students.

52 Minute Music Lesson & Song Collection on Youtube

Let Prodigies Music Lessons Help You Get Started

Bringing music instructions to your homeschool environment doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. You don’t even need to have a musical background to create an incredible experience that both you and your kids will enjoy.

Use the resources listed above and some basic instruments like deskbells, recorders, piano and others so children can start playing music. Moreover, it’s smart to use Prodigies to make the experience even more memorable.

Prodigies Music Lessons offers a huge collection of video lessons, worksheets and other learning materials that are fun, colorful and informative. They engage kids right from the beginning, introducing them to a life-long love of music and learning that will serve them in all areas of life.