See how quickly your students can put together a word once you call it out!  Played alone or with a group, this game really makes sure you know the names of the notes — and be quick about it, too!

Level: Beginner

Objective: To be able to identify the note names on the staff

Materials:

• Note cards on the staff, or use your own, or subscribe to our emails for a free set

Players needed: 1 or more

Game Set-up: 

Have a list of words they can put together with the musical alphabet.  Here are some to get you started:

bag, baggage, face, be, cab, bead, fade, deed, bee, ace, babe, cafe, facade, fed, dad, faded, gag, bed, bad, age, cab, cabbage, aged, bade, badge, beef, beg, cage, dab, dead, edge, egg, feed

Game Play: 

Easiest Version

Begin by mixing up the treble clef.  Call out a word, and see how fast they can put together the word using the note cards to create the word.  For example, if the word is ACE, then they must find an A, a C, and and E.  They put them in the right order and they are done!  First one to get it wins that round.

Do the same with the bass clef.  You can use the same word, or mix it up and use a different word.

A Little More Challenging Version

This time, mix the treble and bass clef together.  It will be a little more challenging for them to read both bass clef and treble clef at the same time, but it allows them more flexibility too!  So when they get really good at this, they will find this version easier (or at least faster) to do than the first version!

The Most Challenging Version

Only include cards that have ledger lines.  These cards are ones that they are not exposed to as often, and thus it makes it more of a challenge to play!

I love giving the students a little variety in how they look at their notes, and this game does the trick!  It’s amazing how quickly they pick up on the notes they are “weaker” on when they do it over and over.

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

PianoTels

Tel loves her life as a piano player, a piano teacher, and a mom. Amid piano blogging, piano teaching, and piano playing, she loves a chance to fit in a good exercise class, volunteer at her kids’ school and at her church, and go on long dates with her husband. Full bio at About Tel.