Finger Tap Twister!

Free printable finger tapping warmup

This activity I'm sharing today is an excellent warmup for building finger strength, coordination, and fine motor skills.

Younger students can begin with just the left hand. Mark the fingertips with corresponding colored dot stickers or washable markers. This button glove idea would also be great!

Older students should do these activities with both hands simultaneously. Tapping along to recordings of Suzuki Book 1 or other music will make this activity reinforce beat motions as well. Students can change fingers every eight beats, four beats, two beats, and eventually on each beat. Once a student can perform all exercises quickly and accurately, try tapping different patterns on each hand simultaneously. (For example, the left hand will tap pattern #1, and the right hand will tap pattern #2 simultaneously.) Start slowly at first! This exercise will be challenging for most students at the outset, but once they grasp the concept, it is an excellent tool for training the hands to work independently.

What other finger tapping activities do you like to use with your students? Share in the comments below or join Violin Club on social media and continue the conversation.