Play Games! New Playlist Game Ideas
Found in: Accompaniment, Practicing & Playlists
Cheri S., Utah
I’m just launching the Playlist Management program in my studio and absolutely loving the simplicity and clarity it bring to the whole playlist process. Besides the engaging and straightforward training in how to use these new playlists, the training was also packed with lots of great management and teaching tips.
One thing I’m not sure I quite picked up in my listening and note taking was Accompaniment games. It says on the playlist, “PLAY GAMES!” And the first thing my intrigued teens asked was “what games?” I remember one where you time them playing chords and challenge them to improve their time each week. For example, if they’re working minor chords, they’d play every minor chord going up the chromatic scale from C to C. And I remember ideas on how to have more fun drilling, like changing up the order: all the white note chords first, or all the triangle chords first, etc.
What else do teachers do to keep chord practice more fun?
Pamela M., Canada
In my group lessons I play X’s and O’s and Snakes and Ladders (small version the kids draw) with the kids. Draw both on the white board and they compete against each to find and play the Chords on the piano and “Name that Tune.” Also do this with Hangman and the answers are the names of the song of the levels they have completed and are currently in.
Of course I leave the game portion until the end of the lesson as a reward for good listening and coming prepared for their lesson .
Sheri R., California
So glad Playlist Management has added simplicity and clarity to the playlist process for you and your students. As far as games, I’m sure everyone would love to hear from anyone who has more ideas, so thanks for asking!
Here are a few more things beyond what you are already doing and they would work in the context of a shared or individual lesson as well as transferred to home practice, possibly with support from a life coach. The ideas below are appropriate for various stages of learning chords.
- Play all the triangles, then the lines, then the curves.
- Name a chord, ask for the shape or name a shape, ask for a chord.
- Name the modification by asking for the chord name, ie: “middle finger down a half step” is clue, answer would be “minor”.
- Conversely, name chord, ask for definition (reverse of above).
- Play a tricky chord on every octave of the piano, up and down, all the while saying it aloud. (Often B and Bb need this extra work.)
- Name a chord. Have students find the IV and V. Or trickier, ask students what is the I chord if D is the V, etc.
- Play a chord, ask if it’s major or minor (no peeking). Further in, can they hear the 7th, the sus, etc.?
- Have class equi-distant from piano, not too far so they run to piano, but just a few feet. Name a chord, ie, DbM7. First one to make it accurately gets a point. I always make sure everyone else figures it out too before calling out another chord.
- Elizabeth Gaikwad’s finger workouts for learning chords are fantastic if you had a chance to get to a symposium this year.
Thinking aloud here, I wonder if more students would more readily compose and improvise if we said, “let’s play the improvisation game!” Have students pick 3 or 4 random chords, or start with I, IV, V. Also pick the type of chord for each chord picked. Then see what happens!
In a shared environment you can create teams (or not!), get creative with how to play the games, involve parents so they can know how to help at home.