#12: Every Piano Teacher Needs to Know this Japanese Warm-up Game
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BLOG: The warm-up activity packed with real musicianship skills - for every age, every level, every setting.
Let me tell you what happened in Paul's studio last week.
He tried a new activity with a group of 8-year-olds.
By the end of it, they were buzzing. Walking out like they'd just done something extraordinary.
They had.
And the week before that, Paul ran the same activity with a room full of experienced piano teachers at Top Music Live in Sydney.
Same result. Adults - accomplished, experienced music educators - laughing, losing the beat, finding it again, and having the kind of fun that reminds you why you fell in love with music in the first place.
The activity is called Omochio Tsukimasho.
It's a traditional Japanese clapping game, beautifully modernised for today's students. And it might just be the most useful thing you add to your teaching toolkit this year.
What Is Omochio Tsukimasho?
At its simplest, it's a clapping game with words, rhythm, and a backing track.
Students learn a short phrase - a little at a time - while keeping a steady beat. Then a second layer comes in. Then the coordination between the two parts. Then the laughter, the mistakes, the catching the beat and jumping back in.
It sounds simple. It is simple!
And it is absolutely packed with musicianship.
What's Actually Happening Musically
Here's what I want you to notice when you watch Paul run this activity, when you watch the video above.
He doesn't start with the music. He doesn't put words on a screen or ask anyone to copy him. He doesn’t even use any words to explain what he’s doing!
He gets everyone feeling the beat first - and then teaches the words a little at a time, with the beat already underneath.
Watch his body. His hands move - knees, shoulders, head - and the whole room follows without even realising they're learning.
Once the beat and the words are locked in, he layers in the second part.
That's where the fun really begins.
And here's what's happening underneath all that fun:
Beat. The most fundamental musical skill there is. You cannot make this game work without a steady beat.
Coordination. Keeping one thing going while something else is happening alongside it. Sound familiar? That's what every piano student does every single time they sit at the instrument.
Focus. The kind of sustained, active attention that is becoming increasingly rare and increasingly precious in our students.
Listening. Really listening - not just to yourself but to the people around you.
Mind-body connection. That’s what builds real musicianship.
Anticipating section changes. The exact skill students need for memory work and performance.
And perhaps most importantly of all - locking in with a backing track that won't slow down or speed up for anyone.
Why the Backing Track Changes Everything
This is the part Paul feels most strongly about.
When we use backing tracks, students cannot rush the track. They cannot drag the track. They have to listen, feel, and focus.
That is a foundational musicianship skill - and it pays off in everything your students do at the piano afterwards. The student who has learned to lock in with a track is the student who listens while they play. Who feels the pulse rather than just counting it. Who makes music rather than just producing notes.
If you haven't listened to Episode 5 of the podcast yet - where we talk about using music to learn music - this activity pairs beautifully with those ideas. Go back and have a listen.
The Best Part About this Clapping Game
It doesn't matter if anyone makes a mistake.
Think about that for a moment.
In a piano lesson, we are often so focused on getting things right. The right notes, the right fingering, the right rhythm. And that focus on correctness - however well-intentioned - can quietly teach students that mistakes are something to be afraid of.
In this activity, a mistake is just a moment. You laugh, you catch the beat, and you keep going.
That is such a freeing experience for a student to have. And it's a powerful one. Because the skill of recovering gracefully - of not falling apart when something goes wrong - is one of the most important musical skills there is.
And the only way to build it is to practice not stopping.
When to Use Omochio Tsukimasho
This activity works beautifully as:
- A warm-up at the start of any lesson
- An ice-breaker for a new group
- An energy reset when focus starts to wane
- An end-of-term activity
- A summer camp staple
- A group lesson highlight that students will ask for again
It works for beginners. It works for advanced students. It works for adults. It works for everyone!
How to Get Started
In Episode 12 of the Piano Teaching Success Podcast, we walk you through the activity so you can try it yourself before you bring it into your studio, so be sure to watch the full video above.
We have also put together a free movement guide with everything you need to run it straight away.
🎁 Free Download - Omochio Tsukimasho Movement Guide
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🎵 Want the backing track?
The actual backing track Paul used is available inside The Studio - our membership for private piano teachers, packed with lesson-ready resources, backing tracks, and practical whole body learning strategies.
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