Getting students off-the-bench is so important. It keeps kids focussed, having fun and using different parts of their brain to really embed that knowledge. BUT it can be hard to find that perfect music theory game when you need it, and so I’ve put together this catalogue…

This is a list of some of the fabulous music theory games and activities that teachers around the world are sharing for use in piano lessons.

I have organised these music theory games by the concepts in my Thinking Theory series. In the last section you’ll find a list of “adaptable” games that can be used with pretty much any student.

Post Update

Since this post was first published, I have seen more and more need for true organisation and categeorisation of music theory games, so that teachers can use them more effectively.

That’s why I’ve launched the Vibrant Music Teaching library. This membership provides fantastically organised games & activities as well as supporting videos and trainings for music teachers.

Become a member here and discover what games can really do in your music teaching studio.

Initial Lessons

Finger numbers

• Colourful Keys – Finger Twister
• Susan Paradis – Finger Number Bingo
• Susan Paradis – Firefighter finger numbers
• Color in my Piano – Finger number bean bag toss
• Color in my Piano – Piano hands hunt

Black key groups

• Colourful Keys – Dogs and Gates

Thinking Theory Prep Book

Music Alphabet & Piano Keys

• Colourful Keys – Musical Alphabet Memory
• Colourful Keys – Musical Meander
• Susan Paradis – Baseball Keyboard Race
• Susan Paradis – Alphabet Animal Keyboard matching cards
• Pianimation – Alphabet trail
• Color in my Piano – Spell-a-keyboard
• Color in my Piano – Musical leaves matchup
• Color in my Piano – The amazing keyboard race
• Compose Create – Music Alphabet Monkeys
• Sing a New Song – Piano Races
• Sing a New Song – Keyboard Tic Tac Toe
• Heidi’s Piano Studio – Fast Hands

Steps & Skips

• Susan Paradis – Stepping and skipping along
• Teach Piano Today – Step and skip game
• Sing a New Song – Hopping Intervals

Crotchets, Minims, Dotted Minims & Semibreves

(Quarter, Half, Dotted Half & Whole Notes)

• Colourful Keys – Rockin’ Rhythms
• Colourful Keys – Musical Meander
• Susan Paradis – Bats and Cats Rhythm Game
• Sing a New Song – Pot of Gold

Time Signatures

• Colourful Keys – Relative Rhythm Cards

Piano & Forte

Rests

• Susan Paradis – Roborama
• Susan Paradis – Rhythm roundabout or UK Rhythm roundabout
• Pianimation – Over the edge

2nds and 3rds

• Compose Create – Valentines Intervals

Bass C, Bass F, Middle C, Treble G & Treble C

• Colourful Keys – Landmark Landmines
• Colourful Keys – Landmark Xs and Os

Vibrant Music Teaching members, you can access this resource inside the VMT library. Not a member yet? Find out more about becoming a member here.

Thinking Theory Book One

Notes on the Staff

• Teach Piano Today – Beach Day
• Pianimation – Musical Truth or Dare (level 1)
• Susan Paradis – Alphabet animal matching card on the staff
• Colourful Keys – Buggy Bingo
• Colourful Keys- Face Flashback
• Pianimation – 3-in-a-row
• Susan Paradis – Save the turkey
• Teach Piano Today – Nuts about Note Reading
• Teach Piano Today – Puppy Love
• Teach Piano Today – Sly as a Fox
• Teach Piano Today – 5 games with muffin liners
• Pianimation – Truth or dare
• Color in my Piano – Grand staff pass
• Colourful Keys – Blind Bugstons
• Colourful Keys – Grand Staff Twister & Beanbag Toss
• Colourful Keys – Pumpkin Patch Match
• Colourful Keys – Piano Puzzle
• Sing a New Song – Eight is Enough

Rests, Dotted Crotchets & Quavers

(Dotted Quarter & Eighth Notes)

• Colourful Keys – Take a Rest!
• Colourful Keys – Diatonic Dominoes
• Teach Piano Today -Little rhythm bee
• Colourful Keys – Symbol SPLASH! (Level 1 cards)
• Teach Piano Today – A race to the finish
• Teach Piano Today -Rollin’ Rhythms
• Teach Piano Today – Mystery at Measure Mansion
• Pianimation – Something’s missing
• Susan Paradis – Valentine note hunt
• Color in my Piano – Music motor match
• Pianimation – Sofa Measure Cards
• Colourful Keys – Rhythm Vocab Cards

Dynamics

• Teach Piano Today – Maybe it was mezzo
• Teach Piano Today – Sounds Like…
• Susan Paradis – Pot of Gold
• Pianimation – Listening card race
• Teach Piano Today – Dynamic duel
• Colourful Keys – Symbol SPLASH! (Level 3 cards)

Accidentals

• Susan Paradis – Don’t swipe my sharp
• Teach Piano Today – Head to the beach
• Pianimation – Accidental adventure
• Color in my Piano – Adventures in Music
• Compose Create – Valentines Sharp & Flat Fun

Enharmonics, Semitones & Tones

(Half & Whole Steps)

• Susan Paradis – Whole and half step game
• Pianimation – Crazy keys
• Pianimation – Whole step half step sprint

Rit, Ritard, Rall, Repeats & Articulation

• Teach Piano Today – Articulation domination
• Sing a New Song – Level 2A Music Bingo

C & G Major Scales

• Teach Piano Today -Play the interval, steal my heart

Allegro, Allegretto, Moderato & Andante

• Colourful Keys – Symbol SPLASH! (Level 2 cards)

Thinking Theory Book Two

Note Stem Rules

• Pianimation – Simple Stems

Ledger Line Notes

• Colourful Keys – Piano Puzzle Cards

Dotted Quavers, Semiquavers, Quaver Rests & Semiquaver Rests

(Dotted Eighth Notes, Sixteenth Notes, Eighth Rests & Sixteenth Rests)

Tempo Marks & Changes and Expression Marks

• Colourful Keys – Symbol Splash (level 2)
• Sing a New Song – Candy Hearts Game

C, G, F & D Major Scales

• Teach Piano Today – Stampin’ up the scale

Major Triads

• Compose Create – Music Alphabet Monkeys (Scroll to Triad Games)

Thinking Theory Book Three

Grouping Notes & Rests

C, G, F, D & B flat Major Scales

• Music Matters – Speedy Scale Game

Intervals in Major Scales

• Teach Piano Today – Into the new year with intervals
• Teach Piano Today – Christmas Fortune Teller
• Teach Piano Today – Pursuit of happiness
• Teach Piano Today – Keyboard Krazies
• Teach Piano Today – An egg-cellent way to practice intervals
• Pianimation – Musical Truth or Dare (level 2)
• Susan Paradis – Snowmen and reindeer intervals (Christmas)
• Teach Piano Today – Wintervals
• Pianimation – Candy bingo
• Pianimation – Interval Tower
• Pianimation – The really, really long keyboard race
• Pianimation – Interval jenga
• Pianimation – Musical Truth or Dare (level 1)
• Pianimation – Interval Word Race

A, E & D Minor Scales (Natural, Harmonic & Melodic)

Minor Triads

• Pianimation – Tasty Triads
• Pianimation – Connect a chord
• Pianimation – Major minor dash

Vibrant Music Teaching members, you can access this resource inside the VMT library. Not a member yet? Find out more about becoming a member here.

Adaptable Games

• Teach Piano Today – Chalkin’ up and washin’ down
• Teach Piano Today – Micro cars
• Teach Piano Today – 5 games using play-doh
• Teach Piano Today – 5 games using a whiteboard
• Teach Piano Today – Keyzie Relay
• Teach Piano Today – Rhythm Telephone
• Teach Piano Today – Rhythm Squeeze
• Color in my Piano – Bang!
• Pianimation – Flashcard bingo
• Pianimation – Grand Staff Toss
• Pianimation – Simon Say Music Symbols
• Pianimation – Listening Twister
• Compose Create – Long Distance Games
• Sing a New Song – High Score Hoops

Did I miss something out?

I hope you enjoy this catalogue. Leave a comment if I’ve missed one of your faves, I’m always on the hunt for new free games. 🙂

I’ll do my best to keep this post up to date with any new games so check back again!

Do you need theory workbooks to go with these games?

The Thinking Theory workbooks take this same sense of fun and games and apply it to written theory exercises. There are even correlated games included!

See the full insides of all the Thinking Theory workbooks here to check if they might be a good fit for you and your piano students.