Piano lessons take time, patience, and concentration especially on the part of the student. If you’re finding it a challenge to keep your student’s interest up, read on to find out what are some essential piano lesson games that breathe more life into your discussions about music concepts and practices.
Are you having Piano LezzzZZZzzzons?
Are your students nodding off just thinking about piano lessons? Do their eyes glaze over or do they stare off into the distance and seem disinterested when you discuss music theory and note name lessons with them?
Maybe it’s time to try a different tactic.
One of the most effective ways for children to learn anything is through play-based learning. Piano lessons don’t have to be so boring and serious all the time. As numerous studies have shown, young children and teenagers benefit and learn a lot through the power of play. Remember that when something is tedious and uninteresting to them, they tend to become disengaged and their mind stops processing the information.
The Power of Fun and Games
Using game-based learning can help your students in many ways. It helps with their socialization, emotional management, strategic/critical thinking, and problem-solving skills which will benefit other areas of their life too. Some of the other advantages though positively affect your piano lessons more directly, including:
- Improved Memory Capacity
Learning to play the piano (and studying music in general) requires a lot of memorization. So boosting their ability to remember things will definitely help them store and easily recall all the things they need to learn to play the piano well.
- Better Hand-Eye Coordination
Card, hand or board games are especially great at developing hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills because participants have to watch what’s going on while moving their hands quickly.
- Increased Ability to Focus
The available literature on the subject shows that playing games lengthen a child’s attention span. This will help your students to concentrate on the lessons so that they are able to fully absorb in the long-term the concepts you’re teaching them.
We’ve selected 10 essential piano lesson games that will help you inject some fun and creativity into your sessions.
This game is excellent for exercising basic rhythms. This is definitely an efficient way to teach children how to practice the piano in a more productive manner. One of the best parts is you get to have unlimited reprinting options so you and your child(ren) can have as much fun as you want while doing treble or bass clef note names and piano finger numbers. Included are 10 activities that will help build the skills of young music learners:
Ladybug, Ladybug
This activity is the ideal level for pre-readers. The setting is in a garden and the players need to touch each flower, using the prescribed finger, as the players go flying through the beautiful garden during the game.
Bumblebee, Bumblebee
Ever wondered what it’s like to be as busy as a bee? This activity will surely answer any curious mind. The gameplay is done by making a clockwise motion of your finger and instructing the student to make a dive as they touch the note with the prescribed finger. This is a good worksheet that will help develop the student’s skills and recognition.
Note Name Brush-Up
Ranging from 10 to 40 notes at a time, students are instructed to draw their best image of a treble or bass clef given a limited amount of time.
Piano Practice Tic-Tac-Toe
This activity helps develop the student’s focus. Begin by selecting nine measures in which the student requires the most practice. Each measure is assigned a square, and the students pick one square at a time. Whatever measure corresponds to the square that they fall on, the student will need to practice that measure 3 times to earn an X for the square. Otherwise, an O is given if the performance of the measure is done incorrectly.
Rhythm Maze
This one-of-a-kind maze can be solved only when students are able to clap basic rhythms. Before the game begins, students are allowed to practice using a worksheet at the bottom part
Music Symbol Swat
Learn musical symbols with a fast-paced game for two piano students. Use the worksheet as is and swat with fingers, or make a larger version to swat with hands or a flyswatter. The teacher will call out a musical symbol on the game board. Two students race to swat the correct symbol and record a tally point. The first student to correctly identify ten symbols is the winner.
Rhythm Tic-Tac-Toe
This tic-tac-toe can be won by doing the right clap for a given rhythm provided on the worksheet.
M&M Note Name Challenge
A sweet game using M&M’s candies, where students will put the treats on the right line or space of a given treble or bass clef staff. Winners get the candy!
CodeBreaker
Students are instructed to identify each given note and once they do, they must write the corresponding letter assigned to that note. A secret word is revealed once all the notes are identified properly.
Make-A-Match
Rhythmic values are strengthened during this activity. Students are instructed to determine the correct value for a given set of rhythms found on the left side. Afterward, students need to create their own rhythm set on the right side and it should have the same value as the one given on the left side.
If you are familiar with the classic game “Let’s Play Store”, this is the revised version of that game with a musical twist! Played between the music teacher and the student, where the student is assigned the role of the shopper and the teacher plays the role of the shopkeeper. The shopper is instructed to assess the value of each rhythm card and make a purchase based on the budget given. The shopkeeper will then receive the payment for the chosen item.
The package includes comprehensive Game Instructions, 17 Rhythm Cards, 9 Price Tag Cards, and the items to be bought/purchased can be any item from within the house the game is being played in.
One of the most interesting games with an exciting start and an even more exciting ending!
Using a game board, different and alternate paths are created where the student/s will get to choose their own fate and their own path by answering the questions along the way. Questions range from topics on simple rhythmic values to different time signatures.
Played by two students, each player is the other’s opponent, and a shark is hidden by both players during the game. When someone accidentally lands on a spot where a shark has been hidden, that player gets CHOMPED! This is a race of whoever gets to the docks first with the least number of chomps!
This is not just your regular Musical Theory Game! This is a Star Wars-themed activity where players get to practice musical notation and rhythm names in a much more fun way. If you have a kid that’s into Star Wars, get them to enjoy learning music theory with the help of Han Solo’s trusted Wookiee co-pilot and friend.
The package includes unlimited reprints so you can play as many times as you like and as often as you want.
This game is perfect for elementary graders who are interested in music but do not want to get bored in the process of learning it.
There’s only one thing to beware of in this game — BUMPS!
Using the classic dice for a game of chance, players are instructed to take turns and make a certain number of moves, based on the number given to them by the dice. Each advance can be a make or break point, and the game can make a big twist at any time since each player is allowed to bump their opponent’s advances and claim them for a win!
The package includes Game Prep and Rules, The Keyboard Game (Board for Each Player), The Notes Game/Treble and Bass Clef (Board for Each Player), The Rhythm Game (Board for Each Player), 16 Piano Bump Cards.
There are three games to be played in total, namely: The Keyboard, The Notes/Treble or Bass Clef, and The Rhythms.
Without a doubt, Carnegie Hall is one of the most prestigious music venues in the world where only the greatest artists have had the honor to play. Once you make it to Carnegie Hall, it’s pretty safe to say that you’ve made it in the music industry.
However, in this game, the phrase “made it to Carnegie Hall” is used loosely and figuratively. In this fun board game of musical terms and symbols, students enjoy a game of dice and cards as they familiarize with their music theory lessons.
Get ready for a rowdy game of flipping, slapping, and matching in this set of games and flashcards by Sing Play Create LLC. This activity requires the student to think on their toes and matching up notes and rest value. It’s a great way to introduce the topic of n or to review previous lessons
Shiver me timbers and Yo-ho-ho! Now you and your students can play swashbuckling buccaneers as you all get challenged with music terms from beginner to advanced levels. This printable game board and cards is a fun way to drill and build their music theory skills. It’s definitely a great activity to help the lessons stick to the students’ minds like barnacles.
9) Memory Game | Treble, Bass and Viola Clef Note Names
Want to help your students have a memory like an elephant instead of a goldfish when it comes to note names? Then use this elephant-themed memory/concentration game to help them familiarize and become experts at identifying note names of the trable, bass and viola. The goal is to have the most number of matching cards at the of the game to win.
10) Ultimate Music Theory Pack for Kids | Flash Cards and Games
This is a super cool collection of music theory games and flashcards to guarantee hours and hours of fun while learning. It combines several popular music theory activities that will allow you to teach the student based on their interest and whatever suits their imagination.
So as you can see, having fun is definitely serious business in a child’s world. Kids tend to thrive when they get increased brain stimulation through play. As a piano teacher and/or parent, you can maximize the use of these 10 Essential Piano Lesson Games to keep your young learners interested and engaged in your piano lessons.
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the piano student 
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