No teacher––or student, for that matter––needs a lecture on why games are important.
Today we’re opting to spare our readers the platitudes on why play is a necessary component of education, except to say:
- it’s instantly motivational
- it can speed up thought processes
- it can uncover problem areas that need added attention or instruction
- it can boost confidence in a “safe,” low-risk context
- it’s just a darn good time
To this end, we’ve collected our own quartet of favorite theory- and/or rhythm-focused games for you to play with students in studio. This means our list is strictly for in-person lessons. Because we believe in the power of face-to-face learning. And because we figured that, in 2025, everyone could use a break from digital activities.
Ready? Set? Let’s get gamifying.
Tempo Walkathon
Unabashedly inspired by MusicTechTeacher.com’s adorable “Tempo Walk Quiz” video, we bring you a real-life variation, built for younger students and/or studios with extra space.
Rules:
Break out your personal laptop/smartphone playlist and pick a piece (ideally something that leans homophonic rather than polyphonic; no Shostakovich, please). Next, have the student stand still for a second, then hit “Play.” Once the music gets going, ask the student to walk, trot, or run––if allowable––at a pace they feel corresponds to the tempo.
After the student has decided on an appropriate speed, stop the music and reveal the marked tempo for the piece they heard. (This will require you knowing the piece by heart or having the sheet music on hand. But we believe in you, and you’ve got this.) Label the student’s motion/speed according to the composer’s marking.
Repeat this a few more times with pieces/songs of varying tempi. Ask the student to remember a matching tempo for each gait they display. Possible results might look like this:
- Fast walk = “Allegro”
- Stately march = “Andante”
- Slow, hesitant motion = “Adagio”
- Barely moving, almost still = “Lento” or “Largo”
- Frantic run with arms flailing = “Scherzo”
You get the idea.
When a tempo label has been applied to each special “walk,” mix things up by playing a few new pieces. With each clip, have the student adopt one of their signature movements and call out its respective label. Double check their guess against the real tempo marking for each excerpt. A correct guess can equal one point, sticker, piece of candy, or round of applause. Or any other reward you see fit. (We won’t judge how you dole out your praise!)
Keywords
From the mind of University of Central Arkansas professor and Routledge Companion to Music Theory Pedagogy contributor Dr. Stefanie Dickinson comes a theory game that tests music and spelling skills in one go. Focused primarily on key signatures, this entry might work best with slightly more advanced students, but aspects of the game can be played and enjoyed by musicians at any level. The rules, as reported on a Notes from the Staff podcast episode in 2022, go something like this:
Rules:
In the first round, the student (or students) is given a group of 15 notecards, each with a notated key signature. Your job is then to call out a word that can be “spelled” using a specific combination of cards. (Dr. Dickinson uses the example “fad,” which a student could spell by laying down F Major, A Major, and D Major cards.) For an added challenge, you can specify whether the word should be represented using major or minor and/or flat or sharp key signatures, or—if you’re feeling extra sassy––some crazy combination.
For the second round, provide a full sentence rather than a single word. Hidden within the sentence should be one word that can be written musically, such as “bad,” “deaf,” “gab,” “café,” etc. Students’ task will then be to identify the hidden word* and spell it out in signature notation (à la round one). Dr. Dickinson recommends students only get one try to spell their word correctly, but we’ll leave that up to you.
*For newbie students, we suggest isolating this part of the game by simply asking beginners to call out embedded words that are easily translatable into key signatures. So, for “I called Trixie a bad dog,” “bad” would be the correct answer, allowing students to move on to the next sentence.
Poison Rhythm
(We’re giving points for the evocative fairy-tale title here. Snow White’s Evil Queen would be proud.)
The National Education Association offers up this gem for keeping “chatty” kids quiet and attentive, especially in group learning situations. Still, the game can be modified for solo learners in timed settings, and small rewards (“You pick the next piece we play!”) for steering clear of the titular “poison rhythm” can be a strong incentive for studio kids showing signs of boredom or disengagement.
Rules:
Designate a rhythmic pattern—preferably a slightly tricky one––as “poisonous.” Clap the rhythm out for your student(s). Make sure the rhythm sinks in and the message gets through: These beats, in this order, are bad news. Whenever the student hears this rhythm again, they should avoid it at all costs.
And whatever they do, they should never clap it out loud.
Once the student commits the poison rhythm to memory, start clapping out other random rhythmic patterns of differing values (but similar length) to the forbidden rhythm. Ask the student to clap each new pattern in return. As the student gets more comfortable with this clap and response, go in for the kill by sneaking in the poison rhythm. See if the student recognizes the offensive pattern and stays silent. If they do, high fives all around! If they don’t and end up clapping it back to you, frowny-face emojis for this round.
Name the Note: Teacher Edition (aka “Stump the Teacher”)
Teacher, author, and consultant Mimi Butler suggests this twist on an oldy-but-goody format to keep both students and teachers on their toes. The secret sauce here is the role reversal; students get to quiz instructors and can revel in any flubs or missteps they might make. This provides an excellent reminder that teachers/working musicians are only human, while simultaneously encouraging students to know their stuff well enough to test someone else’s knowledge.
Rules:
Turn your back and have your students select and play a single note on their instrument. After the note is sounded, you’ll have to guess its exact name (but because we’re nice, we’ll say enharmonic names count, too). Rounds can include five, 10, 20 notes—you pick it. Just be sure that, in the event of a wrong answer, the student calls out the correct one themselves and can prove it upon inspection. (No last-minute switch ups to try and stump the teacher after the fact!)
Want to make things even more interesting? Depending on the instrument and student level, you can try variations like “Name the Interval” or “Name the Inversion.” Again, just make certain students can explain their work and are able to identify each interval or chord for themselves.
This completes our list for now, but we’re always down for more games––especially ones designed for studio lessons. If you’ve developed your own game (or discovered one that never fails to keep students engaged), let us know! We’ll be sure to feature another list of faves once we’ve compiled a new set.
Signing off for the moment, teachers. Till next time: Don’t forget to have a little fun.
Interested in using Duet Patner to manage your music studio? Set up a one-on-one consultation here.
