This easy-to-use digital tool lets you design and download barred instrument visuals for your elementary music classroom. Perfect for teaching with Boomwhackers, glockenspiels, and xylophones, this visual generator helps with differentiated instruction, slides, or handouts in just a few clicks.
Watch How To Create Custom Barred Instrument Visuals
This post may contain affiliate links. I make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure.
Barred Instrument Visual MAKER
How to Make Barred Instrument Visuals
Choose your scale – C Major, F Major, or G Major.
Grey out unwanted bars by clicking on the bar, click again to bring the color back
Select a color scheme – Boomwhacker rainbow, wood tone xylophone, or silver glockenspiel.
Pick your labeling style – Letter names (C D E), solfège (do re mi), or numbers (1 2 3). I used a movable do system.
Zoom in using your browser for crystal-clear resolution (see tips below).
Take a screenshot and paste it into your Google Slides, PowerPoint, or printable PDF.
Paste it into Canva and add special images (fall, winter, spring icons)
What You Can Do with These Barred Instrument Visuals
Show students which bars to remove before playing
Create a player’s-eye view of the instrument
Tap individual bars to demonstrate an ostinato pattern or melody
Differentiate instruction by customizing colors and labels
Save time preparing lesson visuals for Orff activities
Zoom Tips for Clear Screenshots (for high resolution image)
On a Mac:
Zoom In:Command + +
Zoom Out:Command + -
Reset Zoom:Command + 0
On Windows/PC:
Zoom In:Ctrl + +
Zoom Out:Ctrl + -
Reset Zoom:Ctrl + 0
Zooming in before taking your screenshot increases the pixel dimensions and sharpness. For digital use, zooming to 150% or 200% often gives excellent results.
Why Music Teachers Love This Tool
No downloads or special software needed
Save time creating visuals for student presentations
Reinforce concepts from your Orff approach curriculum
Works great on classroom projectors, slides, and handouts
Use this free barred instrument visual generator to support your creative lesson planning and deliver better visual instruction in your elementary music room.
More Classroom Presentation Tools
One of my top favorite presentation tools is a clicker with a laser pointer. Kensingtons were my go-tos.
Can I print the instrument image? Yes! For small-scale printing like handouts or worksheets, just zoom in before taking your screenshot. For posters, consider using vector graphics.
Can I include this in my digital resources? Absolutely. It works great in slideshows, student instructions, or PDF lessons.
Can I request new features or color schemes? Let me know in the comments or contact me directly! I love feedback from music teachers.
Want More Resources Like This?
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This guide will help first year elementary music teachers start strong without the overwhelm. If you’re just starting your journey as a new elementary music teacher, welcome! We’ll create a first year elementary music teacher checklist of the essentials.
Whether you’ve trained for this or landed here unexpectedly, one thing’s for sure.
Your first year can feel like a whirlwind. It’s absolutely normal.
This post may contain affiliate links. I make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure.
Table of Contents
🎯 And hey — don’t miss the free checklist I made for you. It’s a one-page survival guide you can print or keep online. Grab it below and take a deep breath. You’ve got this.
You have a finite amount of time before the students’ day one. Setting up your space (NOT decorating), having an accurate calendar of concerts and events from your administration, and connecting to some key staff members are essential.
Set Up Your Space
🟢 Do NOW
Decide how you want students to sit-rows, circle, or something flexible.
Where is the Smartboard and your tech space? (computer, other connections) Think about how they will be able to view projected learning and your access to it.
Organize instruments and other resources so that using them will be efficient for you and the students. Give it your best guess and you can change later.
Think about where students will line up to leave and try to keep your desk away from that area. Kids love to touch everything!
🟠 Do LATER
Do NOT decorate your Pinterest Dream room! Trust me.
Would you rather spend your available time putting together a super cute bulletin board or writing out what you’re going to do with 400 students the first two weeks of school?
Calendars Before school starts, meet with your admin and go over your calendar. Many new teachers are caught off guard by concerts they didn’t know about but were assumed to be happening.
Ask about -scheduled performances -expected traditions (like a Veterans Day or Winter Concert) -other outside-of-class responsibilities
It’s much easier to clarify now than to be surprised later.
Personnel It’s often said that the front office people and custodians run the building. It’s true!
Get to know these people.
Front office loves a heads up if parents will likely be calling in about something. (e.g. concert attire, start time, etc.)
Help out your custodial staff by keeping your room as clean as possible. Talk to them about expectations for concerts, stage, riser setup, etc.
If you bring in snacks for your team, get some for the front office and custodians too. They appreciate being included.
You’ll learn what you need as time goes on but it’s essential to have some routines & procedures in place as well as a basic classroom management plan in mind.
Teach Routines & Procedures from Day One
The Basics
🟢 Do NOW Figure out some basic routines & procedures!
How to enter and exit the room-I always had assigned seats and students entered and went straight to that seat. To exit, I called by rows, “Row 3, walk to the door (or to line up).
How to sit-I used criss cross applesauce but would let older kids have one leg out or both legs curled to the side and similar, especially if we were sitting for an extended period.
Quiet Signal-This is for transition times when students have some informal talking/instrument play going on and you need to get everyone quiet and refocused on you. Teachers use the “clap, clap, clapclap, clap” pattern that students echo, or T: Class, S: Yes, or art teachers: Mona, student: Lisa. Most kids know the clapping routine so you could always start with that and see if you need something different.
Class Starters-I used Body Shapes (a slide deck of focus movements) or immediately began an opening routine of singing/signing a major scale. Some teachers start with a welcome song. (I found this too hard on my voice and a time suck as far as figuring out the songs for different grade levels, rotation, etc.)
Procedures-for instrument time, game, movement time, etc.-If you play a game on day 1, you teach a routine/procedure or two along with it. (e.g. how to make a circle, how to sit/stand in the circle)
Student Requests-Raising hands to be called on is the norm. Some classes need to stick with that and others can have more open conversational classes.
Restroom Rules
Should you let students go to the restroom during music? “We don’t use the restroom during music.” was my mantra and I explained to them that it was a very short period of time.
Exceptions: Kindergarten at the beginning of the year is brutal and I’d let them go 1 at a time. If 1 had to go, 15 will need to go so… Also, older kids would want to go and say it was an emergency and so I’d let them. If I noticed a problem with asking too frequently over the course of a couple of weeks, I’d start the next music class and ask, “How many emergency bathroom visits do you think someone could possibly need in a year DURING music?”
🟠 Do LATER
Tweak Your Rules-A routine/procedure isn’t working so you need to adjust and re-teach/practice.
Classroom Management Incentives, Games, Competitions-These might come into play later if you see that basic routines and procedures need some power behind them.
Instrument Use/Partner or Group Activities/Centers-Unless you do these the first couple of weeks of school, these will probably happen a little later but you’ll need to know in your head how you want this to look and have specific procedures in place.
Classroom Management Guidelines for a First Year Elementary Music Teacher
Some schools have school-wide behavior programs but many leave management up to the teachers. Some admins will look for Essential Agreements posted in your room. If you don’t learn about these in your beginning of the year meetings, ask your team teachers (PE, Art, etc.).
🟢 Do NOW
Have a plan for assigned seating and how you’ll handle classroom management.
Assign seats on day 1 (for all seating-rows, circles, etc.)
Begin learning names immediately. Name Games are great for you and the students.
Get to Know Your Students-Give them some info about you and then through culturally responsive teaching, get to know them.
Choose some basic rules such as
Stay in your assigned seat
Raise your hand to speak
Be kind and helpful
Be safe
Consequences-Here are some common consequences.
Talk privately to the student about the expectation or reminding to follow the expectation.
Send to a time-out spot-Give it a name such as Rest Area, Cool Down Corner, Think It Spot, Reset Zone, etc. You do NOT need to decorate it and provide fidgets, flexible seating, etc. I had a stool along a wall behind the other students that my kids loved. They were away from the group but could see everything going on and didn’t have to participate. Pressure was off.
If they are respectful in the time-out area, let them come back. If not, call home.
Lastly, do not be afraid to stop and re-practice a procedure. It shows you have a standard and it’s important.
🟠 Do LATER
As mentioned above, if needed, put deeper management pieces in place: incentives, class rewards, competitions, etc.
Re-Teach & Tweak routines and procedures as you see them start to be forgotten or lose effectiveness. This goes on throughout the year. It’s never one and done.
Lesson Planning for a First Year Elementary Music Teacher
Strive for activities that are fun, culturally responsive, and musically enriching the first few weeks. Then you need a long-range plan.
Want help with that planning?
The Oodles of Music Newsletter is full of the latest -YouTube videos (play alongs, movement, etc.) -seasonal tips -classic and new elementary music resources
Think about WHAT you’ll teach and then think about HOW you want students to behave in the process.
In the beginning, you might not know the answer to all the routines and procedures you need, but you’ll know when you see something that is NOT acceptable. That’s how you learn.
Some common problems -students interacting negatively with each other (touching, pushing, speaking inappropriately) -students not respecting the space (touching items in the room, handling instruments in an unsafe manner) -students talking and not listening (to each other, to you) -safety (running, pushing)
Fun, Get-to-Know You Music Activities
Fun Activities-games, songs, video activities, challenges
Get to Know Your Students Activities-Use Culturally Responsive activities. This is NOT about diversifying repertoire. It’s about providing activities that let kids draw on their personal backgrounds.
Students then feel connected and engaged.
Activities that show personality might include: –Name Games -Would You Rather? games -Four Corner games -Improv on drum (they’ll often play rhythms that they are used to hearing) -Freeze Dances (free dancing before the freeze) -Human Game Board (Grab a pre-made one here!) -Love It or Leave It –Thumball
Music Specific Activities-rhythms, singing, moving, creating, and instruments like drums and rhythm sticks work great at the start of the year.
Here are a couple of lesson plans for day 1 with the minutes for each activity and routines/procedures underlined.
K-2 Lesson Plan (35 minutes)
Enter-sit in front of screen, random order. (1 min)
Introduce myself (short slide show) and practice saying my name. (my last name is difficult) (5 min)
Essential Agreements & safety in the music room(3 min)
Assign seats in columns/rows (8 min) They will forget but after a couple of weeks they’ll have it. Criss cross applesauce
Make a circle (eventually this will be an assigned circle)(2 min)
Stepping-step around the room to a drum beat that stops and changes tempo. Before playing, T walks around the room pointing out instruments, resources, etc. and asks “Is it ok to touch this?” Don’t touch anybody. Don’t touch any thing. (6 min)
Back to assigned seats-Have them sit after the stepping activity, and to help them remember their assigned seat, read their names by row. (3 min)
Slide Show-Introduce myself, hobbies, etc. (4 min)
Assign Seats–This is for columns and rows. (If you are seating your students differently, figure out how to do it efficiently with little down time.) The back of the room should be empty so begin calling out assigned seats for the back row, then work your way to the front. (5 min)
Essential Agreements–I read down my list and after each one ask students to raise their hands if they agree. If they don’t, I ask why, address it and thank them for sharing. You’ll get a majority on most all and boom we’re done. (5 min)
Head & Shoulders Baby–Make an assigned seat circle. Mine was in ABC order so I just quickly called the names. Echo the song and motions. Play the game. This involves partners so we got into tapping a partner’s hands on day 1. (15 min)
Would You Rather Game– (5 min)
More Grades 3-5 activities or the beginning of the year.
Long-range plans give you a roadmap to what you’ll be doing the entire year.
If you continue to write plans week-to-week without a long-range plan, you begin to look for random activities to fill the time.
Combine grade levels your first year.
K-1, 2-3, and 4-5 is a nice grouping or you can do K-2 and 3-5. Instead of writing 6 grade level plans, you’re writing 2 or 3. Then the next year you can diversify. (or not) This process takes time.
Learning Goals & Songs
Jot down just a few learning goals for each grouping-rhythm and pitch mainly.
Then take take a calendar monthly format (Google Sheet, Word, written in a notebook) and put in your concerts and the learning goals.
Add in heritage months and special events you want to highlight. Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, Veterans Day, Valentine’s Day, etc.
Then begin to look for songs and activities that you can use the first few months.
Now you can write specific weekly plans from that general framework that you’ve created.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. There are tons of ideas out there, but start with just a few trusted places so you don’t get overwhelmed. Choose a couple of songs, games, or routines and really get to know them. Then teach them confidently.
Here on Oodles of Music, you can find answers to most all of your questions.
In the sidebar at the top, use the SEARCH feature or the CATEGORY dropdown menu.
Experienced Teachers-Quick List for a New School
For those of you who are going to a new school and are more experienced, these suggestions are what I found helpful whenever I moved.
I taught in 9 different schools over the course of about 40 years. Half were moves because of my husband being a college football coach and we moved around a bit and half were me choosing to switch with one being a school closing.
Get to know the staff as quickly as possible.
I’m assuming you’ll have meetings with your team but if not, make it a point to get to know them quickly.
Eat lunch in the teacher’s lounge. You and other teachers can more quickly get to know each other.
If you don’t have a morning duty, hang out in the halls occasionally and chat with teachers as they welcome their students.
Grab doughnuts for the front office and custodial staff and chat with them a bit. It’s a chance to connect.
Ask Questions About the School Community
Know about your PTO/PTSA, parent liaison, etc.
Ask about past programs/events (not necessarily music) that are traditional or well-loved.
Make Music Decisions
Following a much-loved teacher can be challenging.
Decide how you’ll approach, “Ms. B didn’t make us do that” and similar.
Concert extravaganzas from the former teacher but you like more of an Informance style. Making drastic switches in that direction are something to consider carefully.
I followed a much-loved teacher only one time and it was HARD! My mistake was trying to steer the boat in a different direction too quickly. I should have taken the first year and eased it slowly to my style and kept some of her style in there. But I was relatively young and inexperienced.
Final Thoughts + Free Checklist
It’s the norm for a first year music teacher to feel unprepared. You’ll learn by doing, adjusting, and asking for help when you need it. Be patient and give yourself grace.
FREE Checklist
Ready to take a shortcut? Download the free checklist and get guidance on how to start your journey as a new elementary music teacher!
It’s got the essentials you need to start strong and feel a little more confident each day.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to introducing and teaching the recorder to your students using basic techniques that work for all students.
Knowing how to teach the recorder involves ordering lots of small but important steps such as note reading, instrument care, routines & procedures, and the ever important sound production, then putting it all together and playing songs.
Originally published January 11, 2025 Latest update August 20, 2026
💡 You’ll find lots of tips and tricks whether you’re a new teacher introducing the recorder for the first time or looking to refine or shake up your recorder teaching approach.
How Do You Begin Teaching the Recorder and Recorder Units?
There are 4 main phases to beginning a recorder unit: 🔹 introduction or review of the treble clef and basic rhythms 🔸 introduction to the instrument 🔹 introduction to playing techniques 🔸 playing songs
Recorder Brands! Let’s Share!
Table of Contents
A condensed lesson plan outline is at the bottom of this post. The top is to use with your students as you teach.
Introduction to Music Reading
Learning about the treble clef and the note names is a long game. Students don’t learn it instantly or retain it without lots of practice. And let’s face it, the frequency we see our students isn’t conducive to learning notes and retaining the information. Besides this TedEd introduction, you can use lots of other vehicles for learning treble clef notes.
Knowing these notes is not a pre-requisite to beginning the recorder.
Lots of beginning recorder playing is echoing, creating, improvising, and playing from non-standard notation such as numbers, colors, and letters.
Can All Students Learn to Read Music Notation?
From my own experience, I’d estimate that 10% will become proficient treble clef readers, 40% will have moderate ability reading from a staff, 30% will have limited ability meaning they can do 3-5 note songs, and 20% will never be able to make the note/instrument connection. In a class of 30, that’s 3 super readers, 12 moderate, 9 needing limited notes, and 6 that won’t make the connection.
Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment below.
But guess what? We all can still learn together as we play, create, and make beautiful music!
How to Read Music from TED Ed
StaffWars App
StaffWars is my favorite app for iPads that kids ADORE! Play as a class, in centers, or if you have the ability, individually.
Introduction to the Soprano Recorder
Recorder History & How It’s Made
The Recorder Family
Now’s a great time to get out your recorder collection and show it off during class. There’s nothing like seeing and hearing them in person. You can invest in lower cost plastic models and still find great quality.
Hear Low to High Recorders
Hear the bass, tenor, alto, soprano, sopranino, & garklein (aka sopranissimo or piccolo)
Recorder Consort
How Low? A Sub Contrabass Recorder
How to Play the Recorder
Recorder Hand Positions
Left Hand Relay
To solidify the left hand goes on top, have students sit in two lines with their right hands behind their backs. Give a recorder to the first person in each line. Students have to pass it down using only their left hand on top. The winner is the first line that passes the recorder correctly to the end.
Articulation & Breath Control
The Feather Game
Put a small feather in your hand and your hand in front of your mouth. Echo rhythms on tu or du without blowing the feather off your hand.
What are Some Fun Recorder Games?
Recorder games can be simple competitions and challenges based on rhythms, treble clef notes, identifying note fingerings, and playing simple melodies. Popular recorder games include Poison Pattern, Guess the Melody, Four Corners, Kaboom, Melody Roll (Composing with Dice), Blooket (identify fingerings), and Doggie, Doggie (on recorder instead of sung).
Rhythm Kaboom
In teams, instead of pulling sticks, Recorder Kaboom uses a spinning wheel that displays a rhythm. You can choose the note that the team will play the rhythm on. If they get it correct, 1 point. There’s always the chance that you’ll land on KABOOM and lose all your points!
Song Playing Ideas & Techniques
What Notes Do You Begin With?
Years ago almost all beginning instruments began with ONE note that you played with a variety of rhythms. So for recorder it was B. Then you’d added A and had B-A songs. Thankfully, we have gotten away from that way of learning!
What notes do you begin with when teaching recorders?
BAG, GE, CA? Pros & Cons
Now the question is whether you begin with BAG, GE, or CA. I’ve tried them all and each has their pros and cons!
BAG is easier to get some initial good sounds but then that pesky right hand is (even though you tell them to put their right thumb on the back) everywhere but where it should be. By the time you’re ready for E they’ve gotten into some bad habits.
Beginning with GE means those hands are beautifully set in place. YAY! But getting that E out means you have to have SIX holes covered really well. That can initially be frustrating plus there’s a serious lack of anything musical sounding with only G and E.
Starting with C and A has lots of sound success because only one finger needs to move. Also, it teaches C early on which is so handy to come back to after learning lower notes. You also can play in F (add some ukuleles), C pentatonic, and Am. The cons are that again you have the bottom hand not being engaged as quickly and high C is HIGH. Of the 3 choices, it comes in last for me personally.
In the end, I don’t think it matters. Just pick one and go with it!
The below Recorder Orff Pack has a BAG song and a GE song so that you’re starting notes don’t matter. Take a look!
BAG E Warmup Trick
Here’s a little trick. If you start with BAG, have them learn E sooner rather than later so that they learn to set that hand. Here’s an echo play warmup using numbers that’s loads of fun and accomplishes that hand set.
Recorder Orff Pack
Your students will love recorder playing with Orff activities, games, movement, and fun accompaniment music genres!
This resource GUIDES you through the teaching process!
Tone Tracker
A Game Changer! Evaluate EVERYTHING they play as a class in a FUN way! We’re looking for a pleasing tone. (see below for more info)
Mary Had a Little Lamb or Hot Cross Buns
I love starting with these time-honored favorites! Begin with NO playing but articulating (too, doo, etc) as you move your fingers on your recorder.
Practice & Assessment
Give students practice time with a partner. Talk about what it means to be a good partner. Partners can take turns playing for each other and offer advice. A partner can see if your finger isn’t covering a hole. Voila! Squeak fixed!
As partners are practicing, call up students 4 at a time or walk around the room and ask students to play Mary for you in small groups. Make finger adjustments and offer verbal advice.
Assessing at a very early stage can help students tremendously and get them going in the right direction.
Sound Trick
You can turn a recorder BACKWARDS so that YOU can finger it as the student plays. I would often do this when kids were SURE there was something wrong with their instrument and that’s why it kept squeaking. 😊
Deedle Deedle Dumpling (G & E Song)
Echo speak and clap the rhyme. Students clap the rhythm as they think the rhyme. Students articulate (too or doo, tu or du) as they think the rhyme.
Play the rhyme using G on the black words and E on the red words.
Recorder Composition Units & Projects
There are so many ways to get students composing on recorders. One of the easiest ways is to give them a poem/rhyme and have them compose a melody for the rhythms. You give them the available notes they can use. Common ones would be GAB, EG, EGAB, DEGAB, CBAG.
Partner composing is helpful because the collaboration supports both students musically and creatively. I’d have everyone use the same poem to see all the creative variety that will happen.
Composition Lesson Plan
A lesson order for EGAB might be:
Introduction
Introduce the rhyme/poem
Clap it, speak the rhythms.
Compose a Melody as a Class
Explain home tone/key of Em so their song needs to begin and end on E.
Use a whole-class example to show them exactly the process.
Should you use staff notation or letter names below the rhythm? I think notation would complicate the creation process so I’d begin with letter names. When complete, I’d have students add notation on the staff.
This is a great time to talk about the power of repetition in song writing. Give your piece a title!
Partner Composing Process Begins
The composing process begins with teacher circulating.
Hand out the rhythm of the poem using paper/clipboard or dry erase sleeve so that they can write the letter names below each note.
Partners raise hand when finished for you to hear and check if rhythms are correct and that it begins/ends on E. Give a time limit.
As you circulate, if some are having trouble, remind them to use repetition.
All share their song (and title).
Have a few students share which song would get 5 stars from them and why.
Performance
Accompany the pieces using an E-B drone (or whatever fits with your chosen set of notes) on barred instruments.
Your whole-class song example from early in the process could become your A section and you could have it return between all the duets for a super RONDO form!
Writing Notation
Take the whole-class example and put the notes on the staff. Add composer name, date, and a title.
Partners then transfer their piece to a staff. I’d hand write them but if you wanted to then try writing them using Noteflight or similar, that would be a further extension. These final copies would make an AMAZING bulletin board display.
LESSON PLAN: Recorder Unit Multi-Day
This is one possible order of activities to begin a unit on recorders.
The activities at the top loosely follow this outline.
Introduction to Music Reading
Introduction to Music Reading
Treble Clef Notes-Introduce or review the notes of the treble clef
Rhythms-Review basic rhythms
Introduction to the Recorder
History of the Instrument & How It’s Made
The Recorder Family
Listen to Fun Examples of Recorder Performances
How to Play the Recorder
Hand positions, finger numbers, indentations on fleshy part of finger.
Articulation, tonguing
Echo speak 4 beat rhythms on articulation syllable too, tu, du, doo, etc.
Discuss warm air, cool air
You want your birthday candle to barely flicker NOT blow out. You may even want to say, “You are NOT blowing into the recorder as much as whispering our special articulation word for every note.”
Recorder Routines
Discuss how to get recorders
Discuss how to put them away
We practiced putting the instruments into their cases and placed across their laps by the time I counted to 10. I’d say, “Please put your recorders away in 10, 9, 8, etc.” We practiced until the entire room did it correctly.
I always had them hold the foot and put them head first into the case. That protected the mouthpiece from being touched.
Have a resting position during play/instruction time (across lap, hold on shoulder) I never had them put them on the floor to prevent being stepped on or accidentally grabbed by the person next to them.
Get Your Recorders
Students FINALLY get their recorder and practice the routines above.
Practice making indentations with left hand thumb and 1, 2, 3
Echo Time (using a 4-beat rhythm such as ta ta ti-ti ta) and thumb and 1 (B)
Whisper with articulation syllable
Play
Continue echoing different patterns with syllables and then playing
The Tone Tracker
The Tone Tracker-Use a visual chart that indicates their tone as a class. You can use dynamics where piano is a top score and forte is bottom. Other possibilities could be rainbow/thunderstorm, cat/lion, Black Panther/Hulk. Almost every time they play, adjust the chart to reflect how they just played. All classes in a grade level were on the same chart so they could compare how other classes were playing. When I started doing this it drastically reduced silliness, on-purpose loud sounds, and indifference to their personal quality of sound.
Playing Songs
Start with (Mary Had a Little Lamb (or Hot Cross Buns) if you start with BAG)
No Recorders
Begin with echoing and articulation warmup like above.
Echo speak Mary
Echo play Mary
Get recorders & repeat no recorder activities
Partner Practice-partners check for holes covered and correct fingerings
Play as a class and use a Tone Tracker
Practice Time & Assessments
Using partners and quick assessments is essential. I sometimes partnered students up with someone of similar abilities and sometimes a high/low mix. The variety of partners kept things interesting and valuable for all.
Storing Recorders
How should I store a set of classroom recorders?
I have enough for a full set for each class but no cases and need a way to number them or put names on them also. I keep them in a plastic drawer but I want a way to keep the mouthpieces from laying on each other. Any ideas, cost effective is a plus!
Cases
Use plastic bags
Gallon bags, easy to write on, put a paper towel inside to absorb moisture.
Sew cases
Costly in time. I made them from fleece (fun colors but hard to use Sharpie on) or muslin (super cheap).
Purchase
Purchase cloth bags from West Music (bulk buy for $0.93 each)
Storage
I’ve used wine boxes from Trader Joe’s, cardboard mailboxes to keep them sorted, Sterilite plastic boxes, and shoe or stuffed animal organizers.
Here’s the organizer in my classroom and a similar one on Amazon with 24 pockets.
I kept the recorders sorted by rows (so 4 slots) and had row leaders get the recorders for their row and pass them out. (saves SO much time)
I used over the door shoe holders. One slot for each row. If you don’t have a door, you can hang them with sturdy hooks or nail into wood.
Numbering
I used a silver Sharpie on dark recorders and a black Sharpie on light recorders and cases made of plastic or fabric.
Recorder FAQs
What are the best classroom routines for teaching elementary recorder as a new teacher?
For first-time teachers working with 3rd–5th grade, success starts with three core procedures: Establish a Resting Position: Prevent accidental “squeaking” by requiring a consistent resting position, such as placing the recorder across the lap or resting it on the shoulder when not playing. Focus on Sound Quality: Explicitly teach articulation (using “tu” or “du” syllables), breath control, and volume management from day one. Diverse Song Selection: Keep engagement high by moving beyond traditional folk songs to include a variety of musical genres.
How do you scaffold recorder lessons for diverse learners?
To build skills smoothly across different ability levels, use a dual-track approach: Multimodal Instruction: Blend traditional notation with rote learning. Incorporate echo playing, reading by letter names, and short “riffs” alongside standard treble clef reading. Student Composition: Allow students to create their own melodies early on. This builds ownership and reinforces fingerings without the pressure of sight-reading. Varied Grouping: Move away from constant whole-class instruction. Use partner activities, games, and integrate recorders into Orff arrangements where students rotate between recorders and barred instruments.
Your room is too small for all your resources and the large class sizes at your school! How will this ever work? Or maybe you’re a new teacher with a big beautiful room but don’t know where to begin. Let’s look at some best practices along with tips and tricks for elementary music room setup ideas that work!
Originally published August 11, 2024 Latest Update July 25, 2026
Elementary music classroom essentials and must-haves will be determined by your teaching philosophy, teaching space, budget, and students. Let’s look at how these factor into your decision-making, some of the most common choices among music teachers, and then a basic list of must-haves!
The Playlist
What Factors In?
#1 Your Teaching Philosophy
The best essentials are the ones that match your teaching philosophy. If you’re a first-year or newer music teacher, this will change over time. If you student taught and used lots of rhythm stick learning and your classroom doesn’t have them, that’s a great resource to obtain. Here’s how to proceed.
Make a list of what you know and want to use in your teaching. (i.e. folk songs, movement, barred instruments, non-pitched percussion, recorders, etc.)
To your wishlist, add the equipment needed to teach them. (i.e. for movement-scarves, parachute)
Write down what you want to learn about. (barred instruments, ukuleles, movement, curriculum)
Add the equipment/resources needed for this new learning to your wishlist.
#2 Existing Equipment
Look at the existing items in your room and determine what you’d like to use in your teaching. For example, if you have a class set of ukuleles and have never played before, you need to research how to teach with them or store them for the next teacher. If you have a bunch of broken rhythm sticks and you want to use them, figure out a way to fix them or put them on your wishlist. Go through the entire room this way.
If you are a new (er) teacher and you inherit a room of what you think is not useable, I suggest Marie Kondo-ing the budget-minded music teacher way. Three piles: trash, not sure, keep.
Trash would be damaged beyond repair, worksheet copies that are for who knows what, and outdated equipment such as giant computer screens, etc. The “not sure” group might be your biggest and I’d take a year to digest these items. I’d suggest hopping on a Facebook music teacher group and running items by the members. You’ll get a consensus pretty quickly if it’s worthy.
Do not, I repeat DO NOT throw out all old textbook series with CDs. I’d keep one copy of each textbook and all the CDs. Yes, there are some really crappy songs on some of them but also some JEWELS! AND, they come with accompaniment tracks. If you want to get a song for a concert, you can buy the music and an accompaniment mp3 on a music site for $50 or more. But the textbooks may contain lots of songs with accompaniments for FREE! You will have to get an external CD drive to get them on your computer, but if the school doesn’t have one, they are less than $50 on Amazon.
#3 Your Teaching Space
The size, location, and hardware in your room matter SO much! You can’t buy a huge parachute in a long, narrow room. If you are on a stage by the gym or next to classrooms, I wouldn’t put drumming high on my list. If your room has no sound system, that might need to go to the top of your list. Your teaching space dictates a lot of your decisions.
#4 Your Budget and Fundraising
A yearly budget varies widely from school to school. It can go from $0 to hundreds of dollars. Sometimes schools will get a year of an extra bump or be renovating and get several thousand dollars.
Then there’s your decision to fundraise or not. The big national entity is DonorsChoose and then there are local and regional opportunities. No matter what, it takes time, persistence, and more time.
#5 The Students
What you need will depend on the grade levels you teach. K-8, K-5, Prek-2, 3-5. You want to offer a diversity of learning to ALL students but maybe a community has a particular cultural interest that you want to pull into your teaching. Your resources might reflect that interest. Perhaps you will be teaching a lot of students with special needs and accommodations so certain resources will provide better participation for those situations. The school environment can create situations where classroom management necessitates less student movement in the room. All of these situations and more can have an impact on what you need.
Commonly Used Elementary Music Classroom Essentials
Here are the most common item choices you will find for music rooms.
The Room
Seating
My K-5 students sat on the floor in assigned seats and I never used sit spots. Some teachers always use sit spots. It’s up to you. Chairs were stacked along the side or in the hallway because I taught K-8 and I had them mainly for my middle school students. Stools (IKEA) were stacked against the wall and used for drumming, ukuleles, or sometimes learning centers. My goal was to keep things as open as possible for movement activities and to easily get out the barred instruments.
Classroom chairs
Stools
Flipforms
Rugs
Sit Spots
Audio/Visual
Teacher Computer
Teacher Piano
Speakers
Whiteboard & Projection System
Teacher microphone
Storage
Small containers for un-pitched percussion, mallets, folders, basics (pencils, crayons)
Ask 10 teachers and you’ll get 10 different answers. The quantities are what I like-heavy on the woods. One metallophone is VERY loud. You don’t need bunches of them. Zimbabwe-style pieces (Walt Hampton) are fabulous and dependent on having lots of xylophones. I taught in many different types of schools and I never EVER had a student not LOVE these pieces. I went heavy on xylophones.
Contra-bass bars (one set-C, D, E, F, G, A, B)
Bass xylophones (2)
Alto xylophones (8)
Soprano xylophones (8)
Alto/Soprano glockenspiels (8)
Alto metallophone (2)
If I was starting from zero, I’d start with soprano xylophones, then glockenspiels, a bass xylophone, altos, then the rest. This would give me a combination of lower cost instruments to get more kids playing. Studio 49, Sonor, and Peripole are the best. Suzuki and Rhythm Band should be avoided. (However, I bought a Suzuki xylophone on ShopGoodwill so if it’s super cheap, go for it.)
Un-pitched Percussion
Class Sets
Rhythm Sticks
Egg Shakers
Need 2-4
These instruments are great for sound stories. In a class of 24, you could have 4 groups (6 to a group) for Goldilocks. The groups could be Daddy Bear (wood blocks & tone blocks), Momma Bear (maracas & egg shakers), Baby Bear (triangles & finger cymbals), Goldilocks (rhythm sticks).
*Triangles
Tambourines
*Finger Cymbals
*Claves
*Maracas
Tone Blocks
Jingle Bells
Wood Blocks
*Guiros
*Cow Bell
Agogo Bells/Gonkogui
*My favorites & most used.
Just 1
Rain Sticks
Vibraslap
Slap Stick
Ratchet
Cabasa
Gong
Slit/Tongue Drum
Stir Drum
Wind Chimes
Shekere
Ukuleles
These are my favorite instruments in the music classroom. The learning can continue into adulthood. Kids can easily play along to songs they love. Here are all my buying recommendations AND an entire free ukulele curriculum based mainly on playing chords.
Drums
Hand Drums
Lots of teachers (me included) get a class set of the Remo tuneable tubano drums. They are sturdy, sound good, have feet and a hand grip. If I had it to do over again, I would have gotten a mix of djembes, congas, etc. too. I like the diversity of sound better and they can be a bit cheaper. The problem with them is that they have to be tipped when you play them so that would be a challenge for the K-3 crowd. Whatever you get, don’t get anything that isn’t tuneable. They’ll eventually lose their resonance and sound awful.
Bucket Drums
They are fun because of the drumsticks and the variety of sounds you can get but if you have a class set of drums, I think you can skip bucket drumming. If you don’t have hand drums or a budget, this is the way to go! You can petition Lowes or Home Depot to donate them to you.
Frame Drums
These hand-held drums are so great. I had a class set but rarely used them as a set. I think you could get 10 in a couple of sizes and be fine. Use them in combination with rhythm sticks and other un-pitched percussion or as a B section to a barred instrument piece. (but then again you could use hand drums for that too) I got the Remo Pre-tuned Fiberskyn and they worked fine although some eventually lost their zing.
Cajon
Cajons are so useful because they’re small, provide a great sound, don’t need a chair/stool, and are super portable. Two is a great number to have, for the teacher to use but also for students to use in ensembles, small group work, and as an accompaniment to a class song.
Recorders
Your two choices are to buy recorders for each student and keep them in your room or let the kids purchase their own.
Boomwhackers
The instrument I love to hate! LOL. BWs are so fun and kids love them and they serve several worthy teaching purposes. They are the perfect low-cost class set option if you don’t have much of a budget. Here’s a table to help with how many you need to order.
Student Keyboards
I had student full-sized keyboards (2 students to a keyboard) mainly because I taught middle school. Because I had them, I ran a mini-unit in 4th and 5th grade. They require a lot of storage space and accessories. (power source, extension cords, splitters, headphones)
A large class parachute is SO fun and you can pair movement with learning about high/low, pitch, form, and many music elements. I eventually got partner parachutes too and they are just magical. Here’s more about them.
Bean Bags
Bean bags are great for passing circle games, target games, and more.
Scarves
Scarves are magical for Prek-2 and maybe older depending on your students. They are great for using movement and hand/eye coordination, high/low, musical form, smooth/bumpy, beat/no beat, and much more. You can buy tulle or other light fabricd at JoAnn Fabric and cut it up into 2′ x 2′ squares or buy online at West Music or PE supply stores. I invested in some amazing, floating silk scarves.
Ribbon Wands
Kids love ribbon wands but I think they’re a pain in the patoot. They are always knotting up or flicking someone in the head. Did I have them? Yes. Did I use them? Yes. But I didn’t use them that often. They wouldn’t be at the top of my wishlist.
Great children’s literature is very important to include in your teaching and there are so many options here. Many teachers buy their own books and then take them with them when they leave the school so classrooms may not have much that stays in-house. Use your local library to borrow books until you can acquire books you love and want to own. There are also many online versions of books on Libby and YouTube.
Curriculum
Your district may have a scope and sequence to use. Old textbook series usually have a really nice basic K-6 scope and sequence at the back of every teacher’s edition. Musicplay is the most affordable online option that is praised by many teachers. There are also curriculum purchase options from TPT and other music teacher content creators.
Sheet Music, mp3s, and Concert music
Finding music for classroom use and concert use can be a HUGE problem. Music with mp3s is costly to buy from sheet music companies. This is one of the most challenging elementary music classroom essentials.
Many teachers love Music K8 because you get lots of music (not all useable though) for not a lot of money. You can get a yearly subscription and then buy singles that come with the music and mp3s. The subscription by itself is not going to give you everything you need, though it will help.
Musicplay gives you tons of classroom curricular options and some concert options as well.
Dry Erase Boards/Pocket Sleeves
Dry-erase boards are so wonderful for quick assessments, composing and creating, and for use in learning centers. Pocket sleeves allow you to insert a paper for guided learning to be used multiple times.
HeadPhones
A couple of noise-cancelling earmuffs are great to have for kids who are noise-sensitive. Some kids will bring their own. Regular headphones are a must to have on hand for learning centers.
I used these headphones successfully:
Sony ZX models (aff) which were sturdy and didn’t have connection/wire problems after a few uses.
Koss TM602, (aff) smaller than Sony but very sturdy.
The Noot K11 headphones (pictured below) are the sturdiest, made for kids, but also the most expensive. (aff)
The BASIC List of Elementary Music Classroom Essentials
If I was starting with an empty room…
The Room
Basic: Teacher computer, sound system, projection system, teacher piano, stools/chairs for drumming, storage for percussion and other items. (Dollar Tree or IKEA)
Other Considerations & Next Steps: If you don’t have carpet, a large area rug is important. A teacher microphone can really save your voice.
Instruments
Basic: class set of rhythm sticks and Boomwhackers, a few small percussion instruments (sets of 2-4)
Next Steps: Barred instruments, drums, class set of egg shakers, ukuleles, recorders, more small percussion, cajon.
Movement Props
Basic: class parachute, scarves
Next Steps: partner parachutes, ribbon wands, bean bags
Learning Materials
Basic: Musicplay (or similar) and a class set of dry-erase boards or sleeves.
Next Steps: Children’s books, headphones, iPads
Final Thoughts
The biggest thing to remember is that it doesn’t matter what another music teacher is using, doing, or teaching. What matters is YOUR teaching philosophy and curriculum and what you need to implement them. As you gain experience, your teaching ideas will probably broaden and you can then add new items to your elementary music classroom essentials list.
If you’ve made it to the bottom, congratulations! Even though this post took a lot of thought, I know it’s going to still need some editing as I think of items that I’ve missed along the way. Help me out! What do I need to add? Thanks for your help! Laura
Music educators generally teach a wide variety of grade levels and a common challenge is engaging older students. Let’s look at how we can have better engagement in elementary music using small group music projects.
The Playlist
We’ll start with the reasoning behind small groups and their effectiveness. Then on to how to set them up. Or skip straight to the lesson plans to see if they will work for you.
The Challenge & the Solution
Music Schedules & Perceptions
Unlike a homeroom/classroom, music classes meet relatively infrequently so building relationships and trust with students takes more time.
Students often consider special area classes a “break” from the rigors of their other classes which can make engagement and classroom management more challenging, especially for grades 4-8.
“This is boring.” “My fingers hurt.” You often hear students new to the ukulele relay their frustrations about learning the instrument. Getting away from direct instruction and using easy Orff ideas for your ukulele curriculum is a great way to re-engage your students when they hit a plateau in their ukulele learning journey.
Or, add an Orff approach all along to prevent burnout in the first place.
Let’s add movement and speech to our curriculum along with play, imitation, improvisation, and experimentation.
You hear grunts and groans! Is it the WWE? No, it’s an elementary music class! How can we engage and motivate students and build learning stamina?
These reactions happen when kids are challenged or bored or scared and don’t have the learning stamina they need to remain open-minded and perseverant. Building stamina will help students engage and stay motivated.
In this blog post, I’ll explore a creative approach to motivate and engage students by asking for more than is actually needed.
Let’s get away from the smartboards and screens and learn about rhythm in a more intimate setting! We’ll explore the benefits of using a rhythm activities board in elementary music class and provide a step-by-step guide on how to create one without breaking the bank.
In the world of elementary music education, sometimes the simplest tools can create the most magical moments. One such tool is the low-cost, no-tech rhythm activities board, a versatile resource that fosters an intimate learning setting, encourages student interaction, and adds a touch of hands-on magic to rhythm lessons.
