Easy Music Games for Young Guitarists
This is a compilation of several early beginner exercises and games I have successfully used in my teaching. It is important to remember that while these have worked for me and my students, they may be less suitable for your style of teaching or for your students. Every student is different, so try new things out with them and find the methods that help them learn best.
Simon says…
Everybody knows the rules to the game Simon Says. This game is suitable for young students who are first beginning the guitar.
Begin by briefly explaining the rules to the game. Have the student help you do this. Perhaps this is how I would do this:
“If Simon says put your right hand in the air, what do you do?”
Have the student do the actions to help your instructions.
“And how about put your hands on your head?”
The student may put their hands on their head, but you didn’t say Simon Says. Or the student may realise you were tricking them. Make sure you explicitly state this rule in both instances for consistency and clarity.
In this game, utilise as many aspects of guitar as you gave taught the student. This can be:
Touch the 1st string
Strum the guitar
Touch the headstock
And many more!
This game works with one student, but is even more fun in a group!
I play, you say
There must be a better name for this quick and easy game, but the name describes exactly what happens. This game is great for establishing quick recall of the notes.
The premise is simple - you play a note and the student has to tell you what it is. If they can see that your first finger is holding the first fret on the second string, it has to be the note C. Extend this further so the student then has to play the note back also, reinforcing the importance of using their ears to listen to what they play and how it relates to what others play.
Rhythm exercise
This is less of a game and more of an exercise - hence its title! I have still included it here because it outlines the steps that are important to learning rhythms, but also learning how to problem solve and work on difficult rhythms that will appear later in a student’s development as a musician. With that in mind, it is something that is useful even for older students.
Begin by having a student clap back a rhythm. This can be 1 bar or 2 bars. Cater the length to the level of the student.
Add rhythm names to the same rhythm (ta, ti-ti etc).
Now do this on the guitar using only an open string. The student should work toward saying the rhythm aloud at the same time as playing it. You can alternate between clapping, playing, or maintaining the beat to help the student and diversify the ways in which they are hearing and playing rhythms.
Add a simple melody to the rhythm. This can be taken from a piece the student is playing, or simply a short melody that fits the rhythm.
Melodic imitation
Similar to I Play, You Say, this game has a student identifying notes and repeating them back on the guitar.
Play a melody of 3-4 notes. Remember to keep it within the notes that the student currently knows. I prefer to sing or say the note names along with my playing on the guitar. This helps connect finger placements with the actual notes being played. As a student is more comfortable with this, there are several ways to extend them:
Have the student say note names back while they play
Don’t say the notes aloud so the student has to listen and watch closely
Extend the length of the melody
Allow your student some creativity - swap roles and you copy the melody your student creates
Easy songs
Again, less of a game, but still a fun way to warm up.
Choose a simple song to teach to your student. Hot Cross Buns uses 3 notes so is a great example. With this you can begin to do different things to the melody - change the rhythm, change the key so it starts on a different note, or have your student notate the melody.
Having your student compose their very own melody is also another way to bring some creativity into the lesson. If they know how to play chords, they can also do this. Provide a chord progression as a base, and allow the student to compose a melody with the notes they know for each bar. If you want to go a step further, you can teach chord tones and how to compose a melody using these. Branch out gradually into passing tones. There is so much freedom with composing, so make it relevant to what needs to be taught.
I would love to hear about other games that you have used in your lessons that you found to be effective.
All the best for now - see you in the next blog!