There are so many ways to play with dice in a music lesson! Just recently I have been using Google Dice which is a really handy tool, but I always have a real dice next to the piano to add some extra fun to learning.
Here are some of the ways I use them:
- Roll the dice and play the bar number it lands on
- Or number phrases or sections of the student’s music and they play the section the dice lands on
- Write out six rhythms on a piece of staff paper and number them from one to six. The student rolls a dice and has to clap or play the rhythm.
- Work on the trickiest bar or part of the student’s current piece. Roll the dice to see how many times they have to play it!
- If feeling particularly mean you could get them to play it that many times in a row perfectly – or it’s back to one! I’ve found students do actually find this activity fun!
- Have a keyboard race to see who reaches the middle first! Both teacher and student starts at either end, taking it in turns to roll the dice and move towards the middle. If the student names the key they land on wrongly, they could either move back two spaces (or return to the start if you want to make the game even trickier!)
- Use for writing intervals. Draw a note on the staff, roll the dice and the student has to draw the note that many steps higher e.g. if they roll a six they draw the interval of a 6th.
- Write a short task on the back of six blank cards (e.g. play F major scale) and number the cards. Student’s roll the dice to pick a numbered task.
- Use two dice for this one. The first roll sets which bar to practice and the second roll how many times to play it in a row!
- If your student will only play their piece from the start and hates beginning somewhere in the middle, this activity is perfect! Roll the dice and they have to start at that bar number.
- This one is a piano beginner game. Put a token of some kind on middle C and ask the student to roll the dice. They move up the piano by that number of keys and then have to name the key they land on. If they get it wrong they lose a ‘life’ (and if they lose three lives it’s game over).
- Dice are great for beginner finger numbers too. Roll the dice and then show the teacher that finger number. If they roll a six they can pick the finger number.
I’d love to hear how you use dice in music lessons.
