Music Games and Activities
Note Identification Game - practice naming notes! You can customize the clef, range, and more by using the Settings Wheel. Use the "Hot Dog" (three dots in a line * * * ) to reset your score and time yourself! https://www.musictheory.net/exercises/note
Note Construction Game - practice placing notes on the music staff! You can customize the clef, the range, and much more using the Settings Wheel. The "Hot Dog" (***) will allow you to reset your score and time yourself! https://www.musictheory.net/exercises/note-construction
Keyboard Identification Game - practice naming the keys on a piano keyboard! You can customize this game too. Use the Settings Wheel to select the notes you want to identify. Start out naming just the "natural" notes, then add the sharps, the flats, and soon you will be a piano whiz kid! Use the "Hot Dog" (***) to reset your score and time yourself! https://www.musictheory.net/exercises/keyboard
Fretboard Note Identification Game - practice naming the notes on a fretboard! You can customize this game for guitar, bass, ukulele, banjo, or mandolin in the "Settings Wheel." You can also choose which strings to work on, the number of frets, the tuning, and more! The "Hot Dog" (***) can be used to reset your score and time yourself! https://www.musictheory.net/exercises/fretboard
Music Coding game: DANCE! Recognize the patterns in Music and Dance and code your own cool dances. We've used this website in the past, but watch the video for reminders about how to proceed. Remember! The computer can only do what you tell it to do, so be sure your code reflects what you want the dancer(s) to do. If you need help, you can always click on the light bulb for hints. Have fun! https://code.org/dance
Classics for Kids - a fabulous introduction to the world of classical music. Interactive games, pictures and sounds of instruments, a musical dictionary, and brief shows that allow you to hear the music of a composer, as well as learn about his life and times. GREAT LISTENING! https://www.classicsforkids.com/
DSO Kids is from the Dallas Symphony Orchestra to Kids! Click on Listen & Learn to find information about the orchestra, its instruments, composers, and more. Then enjoy the cool Activities section for tips about practicing, making your own instrument, coloring the DSO coloring book, or Flat Beethoven! https://www.mydso.com/dso-kids
Chrome Music Lab has loads of games that allow you to explore the science of sound and make some really cool music!
Each of these Chrome Experiments - Song Maker, Rhythm, Piano, Spectogram, Soundwaves, Kadinsky, Voice Spinner, Harmonics, Piano Roll, Oscillators, Strings, Melody makers, and Chords - are really FUN ways to experiment with sound and learn about how sound and music work!
MusicTechTeacher - Fun Music Games These fun games teach you all about music: instruments, composers, music notation, and more! There's enough here to do a new one every day for months! Sometimes they're called "quizzes" but they're just plain fun!
** These games were originally created in Flash, which is no longer supported. Most have been updated to a newer program. http://www.musictechteacher.com/music_quizzes/music_quizzes.htm
Wide World of Music - 100 Interactive Musical Instruments! With just one click on the picture, you will hear what these instruments from all over the world sound like! https://www.aaastateofplay.com/the-wide-world-of-music-a-guide-to-100-musical-instruments-interactive/ Can you figure out which instrument family each one belongs to? HINT: Consider HOW each one makes it's unique sound...
Got PIANO? If you have a piano or keyboard at your home, but no one to teach you to play it, you might want to get started with these free online piano lessons. At some point you will want to take lessons in person, but these might help you get started. Perhaps you can work on them with a parent or sibling - twice as much fun when you share the love of music! https://pianonanny.com/page2.html
The Piano Guys on You Tube This is the link to The Piano Guys YouTube Channel - there are dozens of music videos here for you to listen to and enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmKurapML4BF9Bjtj4RbvXw
NY Philharmonic Kidzone Most orchestras have a website for children - this one is loads of learning fun! Listen & learn about the instruments in an orchestra while playing fun games, creating an instrument, and learning about composers. https://www.nyphilkids.org/
Carnegie Hall in NYC also has a marvelous adventure in music: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, a piece of music composed by Benjamin Britten. Help Violet and her Uncle find all the instruments of the orchestra and gather them together once again! You don't need to register or log in - just play the the "local game" for an adventure into the world of the orchestra! https://listeningadventures.carnegiehall.org/
Create your own kind of music with Incredibox! Drag & drop beats, melodies, harmonies, & rhythms onto these cool dudes to create your own special music. Mix them up, try different mixes - it's all up to you! There are 4 different versions in the web version - try them all out! There is also an app version which has additional versions - but ask your parents first before downloading anything! Have loads of fun! https://www.incredibox.com/
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra also has a website for kids to explore the sounds of the symphony orchestra. Click on the tabs to compose, conduct, play, perform, listen, or discover more about the amazing sounds of the orchestra! Check out the San Francisco Symphony Kids: http://www.sfskids.org
BrainPOPJr and BrainPOP both have great materials about MUSIC - check them out!
Kids Music Corner is for you! Learn about different styles of music and composers too!
Drum Circle Play along with MoMM (Museum of Making Music) - grab a percussion instrument (bought or homemade) and play along with the drum circle! You will also watch and hear a harp in the later part of the video - very cool! Everyone in the family can enjoy this activity! The video actually begins around 2:30 (some technical glitches in the beginning) - join in and have fun learning about percussion instruments, rhythm, and have some musical fun! https://www.museumofmakingmusic.org/mommathome/s1e8
The Rhythm Trainer - practice your skills by identifying rhythms in two ways - written and aural (listening). See if you can match the written rhythms with the listening examples - then match the listening examples to a written example. Try this game using the slow tempo (speed) first - when you are ready turn up the speed and try it fast! https://www.therhythmtrainer.com/
Bongo Cat - try this fun music creation website! Explore and create music with various sounds available on this website. Keys on your computer keyboard will produce various percussion sounds, including piano, bongos, cymbals, and "meow!" Have fun creating your own rhythm patterns and tunes!
Here's another set of virtual bongos to play along with your favorite songs, or create your own snazzy rhythms!
Musical Glossary for Kids - wondering what those strange-looking words on the music mean? Many of the instructions in music are in Italian! They tell us about the speed of the music, the dynamics (loud/soft), the mood, and much more. Use this link to find out what they mean (in English!)
Music Theory Lessons - learn at your own pace! Want to learn more about how music is written, and what all those symbols mean?
Here's some websites that will show you everything you need to know...
Here's a video you might enjoy: Music Ace will explain the music staff in this video:
Free Online Music Notation! You can compose your own music, hear what it sounds like, and even print it! Schools sometime use a protected version of the site (Asher Holmes School does this), so you may need to use a specific link your teacher gives you which only allows approved students in. Parents, friends, and others can sign up for a free version of many of these programs.
Here are links to some of the top free programs currently available:
Noteflight - https://www.noteflight.com/
Flat - https://flat.io/
Finale Notepad - https://www.finalemusic.com/products/notepad/
Musescore - https://musescore.com/
Each has their own format, but once you practice using the tools, you will be off composing your own melodies!
Sousa's March Mania - https://www.marineband.marines.mil/Educational/Sousas-March-Mania/
Each year "The President's Own" Marine Band hosts "March Mania" - a competition of 32 musical marches to determine the champion march.
Students learn about the marches, listen to them (each recording is performed by the awesome Marine Band!) and then VOTE for their favorite.
Each day is a new contest, pitting marches against each other until the Championship!
There is a printable bracket that can be used to predict the winner, or keep track of the results.
Resources include a biography of John Philip Sousa, information about each march, and a playlist of all the marches.
It's Musical - it's Wild - it's MARCH MANIA!
Basics of Music Notation at Playground for Music Theory! - https://www.playgroundequipment.com/a-playground-for-music-and-education-theory/
Want to know more about the language of music? Here's a website that will demystify and explain what those musical terms and symbols mean.
Learn more about notation, rhythm, scales, chords, and so much more! Check it out!
Viola the Cello-playing Bird - https://artsandculture.google.com/experiment/nAEJVwNkp-FnrQ
YOU can play the cello - well, you can help Viola play the cello in this fun and creative Google Experiment!
Move the bow left to right to play the cello, up and down the fingerboard to change the pitch.
Try the demo first, then you can choose "Concert" to play 16 musical pieces using a guitar-hero type of game.
Choose "Freestyle" to create your own musical masterpieces.
CREATIVE & SO MUCH FUN!
TYPE A TONE - https://typatone.com/
Improve your computer keyboard skills while creating music! Type your name, a story, or anything else and listen to the beautiful sounds your typing makes!
Space between words = rests. Change the tempo and tones by tapping the eighth note; click the i for more information.
Really cool musical creations are at your fingertips! Try it - you'll like it!
Creatability by Google - https://creatability.withgoogle.com/keyboard/
Six choices of instrument sounds - Pentatonic, Major or Minor scales - 5-15 note choices.
This simple musical keyboard you can play with your computer mouse, keys, or track a body part!
This is another cool Google Experiment that makes creating music accessible for all!
PLAY PIANO - https://www.musictheory.net/piano
Got Piano? NO? Well here's a keyboard for you - start playing melodies on it today!
DO YOU LIKE TO PLAY THOSE COLORFUL TUBES?
You can create your own melodies playing boomwhackers on this site!
Or, if you need chromatics (i.e. sharps and flats!) you can use this link:
Google Oskar Fischinger Music Creation: https://www.google.com/logos/2017/fischinger/fischinger17.html
Here's another creative site from Google!
Create your own musical sounds on the grid - modify - enjoy this visual and aural music creation site!