Musical Pit! | Free Music Theory Game

Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Objective: To help build sight reading skills by reviewing notes on the staff and learning to quickly recognize note names.  A player wins when he/she has a full set (6 cards) of a note.

This is based off of the popular game of Pit – an exciting, fast paced, competitive game that just about anybody can play!

 

 

 

 

Materials:

• Music note flashcards (sign up for PianoTel’s emails for a free PDF set of cards for this game)
• Bell (Or anything that a person can use to declare themselves the winner.  You could even have an object that they grab when they win, although a bell is fun because it helps get through the bedlam of all the “bidding” of the other players.)

 

Players needed: works best with at least 3 players, more is better

 

Game Set-up:

 

This game can only have as many sets of cards as there are people.  For example, if I have three players,  you play with three sets of cards (such as the set cards for A, B, and C).  The determined sets of flashcards are mixed up.  Each player is given six cards.

Bell, or similar object, is placed in the middle of the players.

 

 

Game Play: 

 

With the ring of a bell,  the game begins!  Each player is wanting to get a full set to win the round.  In order to do so, players can “bid” off their cards and switch them with other players who are bidding.  You can only bid same card sets.  So, if I have 3 of the A set, 2 of the B set, and 1 of the C set, I can bid two of the B set and call out, “Two!  Two!  Two!”  with switch my cards with any other bidder who is bidding off two cards.  I then evaluate which new cards I have and which cards I may still need to get.  You continue to bid until you have the whole set.  Since others are likely to be getting a set just as quickly as you, you will want to be the first one to declare yourself the winner by hitting the bell or grabbing the selected item.

This is a fun, fast paced game, and it can get a little noisy too!  It is easy to get into this game.  Beginner players will take a little longer figuring out their cards (which gives them a little bit of a disadvantage if you are playing with a mixed crowd of beginners and intermediates).  It certainly gives motivation for learning your notes and identifying them quickly!

 

 

 

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