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Marilyn V., Arizona

I wanted to share a game I created, (quite by accident, actually) that is extremely easy to make, well-loved by students and quite versatile.

I was wanting to make a grab bag for students as they were working on transposition – i.e. pull a chord symbol out of the bag and transpose the song to that key. I decided on triangle shapes, (mine are 2 1/4 x 2 1/2 inches), cut them out of sturdy paper and lettered them with the 12 chords. (I also brightened them up by outlining each with a bold marker.) It just turned out that the triangles fit very nicely on the keyboard keys with the “tip” of the triangle on the named key.

I used them awhile for the transposition game and then started to branch out. Here are some of the ideas I have used – you will likely think of more.

1. Identify the notes – It is amazing how fun children think it is to draw a triangle out of a bag and place it on the keyboard. Teachers and parents can take a turn, also. This works well for white notes only, or for sharps and flats after they have been introduced. I like the additional visual and tactile sensory input from the game piece.

2. Play the chord – Accom. review. This could be expanded once inherited chords have been introduced with a separate drawstack with minor, augmented, M7, etc.

3. Name the I IV V

4. Draw three, place them and then play that chord – whatever it may be.

5. Draw three and improvise a song.

6. Draw one and think of/play a song that contains it. i.e. Bb for Chester, D# for Fur Elise, Ab for Chester. This is a fun new twist on the playlist review.

7. Let the students create a game!

Have fun