Music Note Twister | Free Piano Teaching Game (Digital Print)

This game is one of the best go-to’s for beginners or advanced!  Active, fun, and interactive, it works for large or small groups.

 

Level: Beginner – Advanced

Objective: To review note & rest names and values (more advanced students will review note & rest names and values in different time signatures)

 

 

Materials:

• Click here to download Music Note & Rest Cards (you may want to print out multiple sets of these cards depending on the size of group you are playing with)

Music Notes & Rests (6573 downloads)

• One die (try out these amazingly fun dice that will certainly add some spark to the game)

 

Game Play: 

 

Spread out the music note and rest cards all over the floor face up.  Roll a die.  Whatever number is rolled, they need to touch notes on the floor to add up to that number.  For example, if a 2 is rolled, they can step on a half note, or 2 quarter notes, or 1 quarter note and 2 eighth notes, etc.

Watch out, because as they touch the notes, they will find themselves losing their balance as they work around the notes and around each other!  It’s hard to play this game and not end up on the floor laughing.

 

Try it this way too! 

 

After playing the game in that style for about 5 minutes, then tell the students to pick up the cards according to the number you roll and they need to create a rhythm that totals up to that number.  For example, if you roll a 4, then they need to pick up cards to create a measure that has 4 beats in it.  That could be four quarter notes.  Or a quarter, 2 eighths, and a half note.  After they create their measure, then have them each present their measure and clap it out for the rest of the class.

 

For those up for a real challenge: 

 

For more advanced students who really have a grip on their rhythms (or think they do!), then change the time signature and play the game in the original way.

You can change the time signature to 2/2, 6/8, 3/2, 3/8 or another time signature that does not have a quarter note as one count.  It gets a little trickier as they think through this with the new time signature rule!

 

Have fun with this!  Make sure and laugh right along with them as they tumble over these notes and have a great time.

 

Click here for more really fun games and activities for teaching piano!