Split Second Music Theory Game

 One of my favorite things to browse at the thrift store is the games.  I'm always on the lookout for game that I can tweak for my music instruction purposes and this game of Split Second is a real winner!

Can You Name Music Theory Terms in a Split Second?

In this fast paced game, students race to draw or write the correct answer to musical questions on the end of their paddle and flip it to the center.  Every person with a correct answer scores a point and the fastest with their paddle in with the correct answer gets 2 points. My students were having so much fun with this at our music theory themed group lessons that I didn't snap a picture of it in action but this is what the game looks like. Each arm of the board is attached with a rubber band so you can easily flip it inward once you have written your answer on the end of the paddle and see the order of answers submitted.

Music Theory Activities that Prep for Success

Before beginning, I decided to refresh their minds about theory topics with a few other activities.

First we played Music Theory Headbandz.  It is a lot easier for students to figure our their flashcard if they ask questions to narrow the possibilities rather than just guessing the first symbol that comes to mind.  For example:

Is it a rhythm symbol? Dynamic? Articulation?

Does it describe tempo? Pitch?

Between rounds we reviewed some of the basic musical terms and signs  by coming up with few examples that fit in each of the following categories:

Dynamics -How loud or soft?(p, mf, f, crescendo, etc.)

Tempo - What is the speed of the music? (Adagio, Allegro, ritardando, etc.)

Pitch- How high or low are the notes? (sharp, flat, treble clef, etc.)

Rhythm - How long does each sound last? (quarter note, whole rest, fermata, etc.)

Keys/Patterns- What scale pattern or chords are used? (hamburger chords, tonic, I, IV & V chords)

Meter - How are the beats grouped? (3/4 time signature, bar lines, measure)

Articulation - How do you attack the notes? (staccato, legato, accent, etc.)

Music Theory Art

After Headbandz each student was given a 3x5 card with the above categories including examples of terms and signs related to them and they chose one or more concepts from the card to create a poster to illustrate the concept in a memorable way.

Related Posts:
Over 20 Musical Spins on Favorite Games
Piano Cranium
Music Sorry Sliders
Music Theory Carnival Games