Games for string groups

June 7, 2008 at 01:54 AM · I love games with my classes. These 2 are my favorites.

NOTE RELAY- helps kids practice finding notes on the staff while competing against each other for a small prize.

1. Clear at least 10 feet of space in front of the board.

2. Draw 2 staffs on the board side by side.

3. Place a note shaped magnet on each staff.

4. Divide the class into 2 teams and have them line up for a relay race.

5. Call out a note and the first person from each team runs up to the board and places the magnet in the correct spot on the staff. Accuracy counts, and the first person to get it right scores a point for their team.

6. To make it even harder, call out fingered notes. For example instead of calling out E, call out "1st finger on the D string" and for the more advanced group even call "1st finger on the A string in 3rd position" etc.

MUSICAL STATUES - this is not really a music game, but it is really fun and teaches kids how to listen and follow directions while exercising.

1. You'll need a CD player, a good dance tunes CD, and lots of space.

2. The object of the game is to dance while the music is playing, and freeze when the music stops.

3. Each time the music stops give them instructions to make it more difficult. Freestyle means they can dance any way they like. Some of my favorite instructions are:

- dance like a frog

- dance with one hand on the floor

- dance with your feet glued to the floor

- dance like bumper cars

- dance while spinning

- hop on one foot

- dance only with your head

- dance slow motion

- dance like monsters

- dance like superman

- dance backwards

- dance like a bug

- the list never ends.

4. Whoever does not follow the directions correctly is out.

6. Whoever moves while the music is off is out.

7. Last one standing gets a prize.

I've played this game even with high school kids and once they get into it they'll think you're a rockstar. Have fun!

June 7, 2008 at 03:47 PM · I started playing Simon Says with the violin. It's basically ear training, and I'll start with motives of one note..two notes..three notes...and so on.

I'll begin with easy things like open strings...scale patterns..staying on the same string...then arpeggios. Then other kinds of broken thirds, sixths, octaves, and skipping around on adjacent strings.

The students have to try and play it back to me. I try to teach them to listen for recognizable patterns....will use solfege if I sing part of it to help them, and that sort of thing.

Some seem to like it a lot (especially a group of boys who are really hard to get to do anything else). After a couple rounds, I'll also let the student make some up...and then I give them a chance to stump the teacher (they like trying to do that and will do all sorts of crazy things...INCLUDING shifting when they normally don't like to).

Ear training and knowledge of the fingerboard would be my goals with this game.

Good thread :)

By the way...there's books out by Phyllis Young...Playing the String Game....that you might want to check out.

June 13, 2008 at 05:02 PM · Good idea Jessie, I'll have to try that, maybe even today!

It's dissapointing that there weren't more contributions to this thread, nor did the op return. There must be some boring string classes going on out there without fun games to play.

June 14, 2008 at 07:33 AM · Hi All,

Thanks for your suggestions. I have heard of and even used some of the suggestions from that book.

Some of the things i currently do is Copy Cat, where i do actions usually with the bow to get different bow strokes going - retakes, staccato, ricochet etc. And also bow dancing- this works best with young girls where they 'dance' with the bow. it develops strength in the bow hand and also develops a sense of beat.

I was just hoping for some more ideas so that the kids don't get bored doing the same things over and over again.

Thanks

Cara