April Music Lesson Resources
Who’s ready for some free music games!
I’ve been so happy to share some of my practice sheets with you all the last couple of months. I hope they have been of good use to you, or have sparked some inspiration for other ideas that could work for your students. But get ready for something different! Because this month I will be sharing not one, not two, but FIVE mini music games! I’ve created a Puzzle Packet filled with fun activities addressing different musical areas including note identification on the staff/keyboard, rhythmic notations, and so much more! There is even an instructions page for each game included in the packet. Keep reading for a bit more info/fun tips, and you will find the pdf download at the bottom!
Moon and Earth Puzzles
- Identifying same notes in different octaves
In honor of the total eclipse we had earlier this month (and for my space-loving kiddos) we’ve got some puzzles in the shape of moons and Earths, with each puzzle piece having the same note written in a different octave. The goal of this game is to review what the same note looks like in different octaves. Though there are 7 puzzles total (one for each note family) there are only two puzzle image options (earth and moon) so that the focus truly is on the note identification rather than “what piece would complete this image?” When I first introduced this to my students, they certainly thought, “this is easy, I know how to build this picture!” When I reminded them they had to have the correct note in addition to the correct puzzle piece shape, the motivation and determination kicked in. They more intentionally read each note, and even wanted to time themselves and repeat the activity to try and beat their score! For some of my younger students, this repetition element allowed them to recognize the note more quickly without even needing their lines/spaces pneumonics!
Ripe Rhythms Puzzles
- Exploring different ways to identify the same beat values
This game includes a green apple puzzle (each piece shows a combination of 4 beats total) and a red apple puzzle (each piece shows a combination of 2 beats total). However, there are extra pieces for each color that have random beat amounts to mix in so that students must decipher how many beats total are on each piece and should actually be used in the puzzle. I prefer using the expansion version of this game (mixing extra pieces in), but if using only the original pieces, it can be helpful for your younger kiddos, or those just beginning to learn about rhythmic notation.
Petal Bee Puzzles
- Identifying notes on the staff and where they fall on the keyboard
Could these “bee,” any cuter?? (Sorry, I had to for the Chandler fans out there). This puzzle set not only reviews note identification, but also includes matching notation to its corresponding key on piano. This has been a great support for my students who mix up octaves (i.e. may see an A2 written on the staff, but play an A3 on the actual piano). Throw some note name spelling in there, and the kiddos are ready to play! This also has different adaptation options. I personally prefer the expansion option (yes, I was inspired by my morning obsession- shout out to NYT Spelling Bee game!). I first have all my petals cut out individually, and have my student identify all the notes of one flower at a time. It’s helpful to write them on a white board or paper as they go, so that they have that extra visual when they are unscrambling the letters to make the mystery word. Once they have all five notes figured out, time to unscramble! Rearranging the letters to figure out the mystery word has been a fun little break from the theory concepts. What I really love about this puzzle is that it carefully targets matching the note to the specific key. The order of the letters in the mystery word won’t match the order on the keyboard, so the student must both read the note on the staff and figure out where it lands on the keys with intention, in order to match their flower petals to the correct stem. My students really have felt so accomplished using their detective skills to solve the “mystery”, and they have a pretty flower by the end of the puzzle too!
Umbrella Building Puzzle
- Identifying beat value of rhythmic symbols
Super quick and easy game for that few extra minutes you have at the end of a lesson. Arrange rhythmic symbols from least to greatest, OR use the blank version to use your own desired rhythm symbols for the same concept!
Above and Below! Puzzle
- Navigating “higher” and “lower” on the staff.
For my students working on understanding what “higher” and “lower” means on the staff, this has been tremendously helpful. This puzzle has different notes on each piece that must be placed on the board from lower to higher. The pieces themselves are different sea-themed images to assist in navigating up and down (i.e. it would make more sense for a bird to be higher up in the sky than a boat). As my one student pointed out, “a kindergartner could do this- I don’t even need to look at the notes!” That’s why there is an extra set of puzzle pieces with BLANK staves so you can reuse and customize! For this option, the puzzle pieces are already on the board. I give my students a fine tipped dry erase marker, and I point to 5 different notes on the piano. They then identify these notes, and determine which is the lowest, second lowest, middle, (and so on) and then write these notes on the staff of the pieces to reflect their order. This is tackling, key identification, note identification/writing, and again has that additional (and fun) visual or “higher” and “lower.” This one might be my favorite!
Please enjoy these five mini music games- they’ve been big hits in my lessons, and I hope they are a fun addition to yours! Don’t forget to check back in next month for more FREE teaching resources :)
Mikaila Vieyra, LPMT, MT-BC