7 musical game ideas to make your lessons more fun
Learning music while having fun - mission impossible? Well, think again!
If you teach music in secondary schools, you'll be familiar with the challenge of capturing students' attention, motivating them over time and making them want to learn in ways other than repetitive exercises. With omnipresent screens, rapid loss of concentration and heterogeneous levels, maintaining a group dynamic is not always easy.
Good news: play is your best ally! By integrating playful activities into your lessons, you encourage active learning, reinforce listening and engagement... and above all, you avoid sighs of "Solfeggio again, sir?".
Discover 7 tried-and-tested game ideas that work just as well with teenagers as with adults (yes, they love to play too!). rythm, improvisation, listening... These activities can be adapted to different levels and educational objectives, with just one golden rule: let music become an experience above all else.
🎤 "The challenge is to get students to experience music in all its forms. As long as we can motivate them about real life, they'll be more curious and engaged." - Nicolas Olivier, music teacher and YouTubeur
1. Cup Song: simple, ultra-effective rhythmic play🥤
If you're looking for a fun, fast and effective way to work on your rythm, Cup Song is a must. Inspired by the famous sequence from the film Pitch Perfect, this game involves using a cup to mark a precise rythm by tapping it on the table and passing it to your neighbor. Easy to set up and highly engaging, it immediately captures students' attention.
"I really like rythm because it's a skill that only calls on one aspect at a time. With Cup Song, you can really isolate the rhythm work and make it fun in just a few minutes." - Nicolas Olivier, music teacher and YouTubeur
How does it work?
Each student takes a cup and follows a simple rhythmic sequence.
Once mastered, the tempo is gradually increased.
For added challenge, play with a metronome or instrumental beat.
In collaborative mode, students pass the cup rythm, which requires listening and coordination.
Why does the cup song work so well?
✅ Accessible and immediate: no instruments needed, just a cup!
✅ Dynamic and engaging: students participate actively and need to stay focused.
✅ Customizable: add rhythmic variations or team challenges.
✅ Ultra motivating: "Teenagers love this kind of activity, they get involved straight away" (Nicolas Olivier).
🎬 Find lots of Cup Song exercise videos to do with your students on Nicolas Olivier's YouTube channel!
2. "Body tap: the body as the primary instrument 🖐️
You don't need an instrument to make music: just your body! Body percussion is an excellent way to work on rythm in an intuitive and accessible way. Tap your chest, snap your fingers, clap your hands or tap your feet... all simple actions that transform your body into a veritable rhythm box.
"Sometimes it's interesting to put the instrument down and work with the body. It brings another dimension to learning, and it works with everyone, adults and teenagers alike!" - Nicolas Olivier
How does it work?
Learning the basics: start with a simple sequence (e.g. tap chest → snap → clap).
Setting the tempo: introduce a metronome or background rythm to help students keep the beat.
Group challenge: rotate the sequence from student to student, gradually adding variations.
Improvisation and creation: let students create their own sequences and teach them to the class.
♫ Thanks to Newzik's tempo tracking tools, your students can practice body percussion exercises and gradually adjust the speed. A great way to empower them and track their progress! 3 essential NewzikEducation functions for your music lessons
Why is body percussion a hit in music lessons?
✅ Universal and immediate: no need for equipment, anyone can take part.
✅ Working on rhythmic memory: learning through body sensation, which helps to integrate rhythms.
✅ Stimulates coordination and listening: ideal for students who find it hard to stay focused.
✅ Breaks the ice and engages the whole class: "It's fun, it's out of the box and it reconnects even adults to their childlike side." (Nicolas Olivier)
Tip: for an advanced version, ask students to reproduce a rythm they've heard orally, or to improvise a body percussion response. An excellent exercise in listening and creativity!
3. The conductor's challenge 👀
Listening, observing and reacting: these are the three key skills developed by this game, perfect for energizing a group lesson. The idea? A hidden conductor changes the tempo, intensity or nuances of the game, and students have to follow suit without knowing who's leading the dance.
"What works best in class is anything that promotes the human and collective experience." - Nicolas Olivier
How does it work?
A student leaves the room while the rest of the group secretly designates a "conductor".
The whole class plays together a rythm or a simple piece.
The conductor gradually modifies a musical parameter (tempo, intensity, articulation...) and the others have to adapt without revealing who's calling the shots.
The student who was out returns and has to guess who the leader is!
♫ Would you like to guide your students even in distance learning? Thanks to interactive annotations on Newzikyou can indicate live nuances, accelerations and slow motion on a digital sheet music shared with your class.
Why does this game work so well?
✅ Stimulates active listening: students must be attentive to the slightest musical variations.
✅ Work on group cohesion: the class plays together and adapts in real time.
✅ Allows you to approach interpretation: the same piece can sound totally different depending on the nuances and phrased adopted.
✅ Ideal for varying styles: you can adapt your playing by exploring different musical emotions (e.g., perform a passage as "sadness" and then as "joy").
💡 Tip: test this game with body percussion or even instruments if the students are comfortable. And to take it a step further, have them improvise an entire piece under the direction of the conductor!
4. The improv battle: dare to play without a net! 🔥
There's nothing like battle-style improvisation to stimulate musical creativity and boost self-confidence! Far from being the preserve of seasoned musicians, improvisation can be fun, accessible and, above all, relaxing for students, provided it is guided with kindness.
How does it work?
Solo mode: one student plays a melodic or rhythmic phrase, and the next must respond by improvising a logical sequence.
Battle mode: two students compete by alternating improvised sequences on the same tempo or a simple harmonic grid.
Collective mode: the first student starts, then each one adds an element to build a group improvised piece.
♫ Record and share your improvisations with Newzik!
With Newzik, your students can record themselves directly on the application and listen to their improvisation again for analysis. A great way to encourage them to improve and gain confidence in their creativity!
Why does it work so well in class?
✅ Develops reactivity and listening skills: students must anticipate and respond to the musical ideas of others.
✅ Boosts self-confidence: by improvising, you learn to dare without fear of making a mistake.
✅ S how that music is alive: it's not just notes on a score, it's a conversation!
✅ Ideal for all levels: you can start with very short, simple improvisations, and gradually build up to more complex ones.
💡 Tip: to reinforce the challenge, impose a constraint: improvise only with three notes, on a given rythm or imitating a particular style(blues, jazz, electro...).
5. Digital games: finding a balance with screens📱
Although screens are often perceived as distractions in the classroom, they can also become real teaching tools, provided they are used properly. Today, a number of applications enable music to be learned in the form of games, and some can be an excellent complement to traditional lessons.
"I always try to find the balance between digital and real musical experience. iPads and apps are good tools, but they shouldn't replace practice." - Nicolas Olivier
How can digital technology be integrated into music lessons?
Interactive discovery: use apps to learn the basics of solfeggio and harmony in a fun way.
Self-assessment: offer tablet-based exercises to enable students to practice at their own rythm.
Music creation: explore CAM (computer-assisted music) with software suitable for beginners.
Apps that work well in the classroom
Duolingo Musique: based on the language-learning model, this app offers interactive exercises to work on the basics of music theory and the piano keyboard.
GarageBand: ideal for students to compose, record and experiment with different sounds and instruments.
Staff Wars: an arcade-style game for learning to read treble clef and bass notes.
Rhythm Cat: rhythmic exercises in the form of levels to overcome.
Newzik 👇
Why does it work?
✅ Motivating: students love the game format and progress without realizing it.
✅ Autonomy and individual progress: everyone advances at their own rythm, without pressure.
✅ The ideal complement to practical activities: allows you to work on certain concepts outside instrumental playing time.
Tip: combine digital with real-life practice. For example, after an exercise on Duolingo Musique, put students in front of a real keyboard to apply what they've learned.
"I can see that my students are ultra-connected, but when I offer them a real experience - banging on a drum set, doing body percussion - they're always super enthusiastic. The important thing is balance!" - Nicolas Olivier
6. The mystery sheet music game 🎭
What happens if the title of a song is removed? Can students recognize it just by listening or performing it? The Mystery Scores game turns musical analysis into a fun and stimulating challenge, perfect for developing active listening and curiosity.
How does it work?
Listening version: play a musical excerpt (classical, jazz, pop...) and ask students to identify the composer, the style, the period or even the emotion conveyed.
Interpretation version: give an untitled score to one student and ask him or her to play it. The others have to guess which piece it is.
Challenge version: propose a score with an error or missing element and let the students correct it by ear.
♫ Generate mystery scores with Newzik!
Remove titles or notes from a score on Newzik and share them with your students for an even more immersive challenge. They'll have to guess the tune or complete the melody by ear.
Why does this game work so well?
✅ Stimulates the musical ear: encourages students to listen actively and refine their perception of styles.
✅ Encourage musical analysis: discuss the history of a piece, its harmonic or rhythmic features.
✅ Suitable for all levels: can be played with both beginners and advanced students, by adapting the proposed pieces.
✅ Works the memory: by playing regularly, students hone their ability to recognize and memorize musical works.
7. The musical dictation quiz 📝
Ah, musical dictation... often dreaded by students! And yet, with a little creativity, it can become an interactive game, perfect for training the ear and improving note reading without stress.
How does it work?
Classic but fun version: play a short melody and ask students to write it down on their staves. To add a challenge, offer several possible choices(is it version A, B or C?).
Hole-in-the-wall" version: give an incomplete score and play the corresponding excerpt. Students must find the missing notes.
Team challenge version: divide the class into small groups and award points according to the speed and accuracy of the answers.
Rhythm version: play a rythm (clapped, played on an instrument) and ask students to write it down in rhythmic notation.
♫ Create interactive dictations with Newzik
Load a score onto Newzik, hide certain parts and ask students to complete them after listening. You can also add annotations and corrections live, without having to print out new copies!
Why does it work in class?
✅ Less stressful than traditional dictation: the game format removes the fear of error and makes the exercise more engaging.
✅ Develops the musical ear: helps students better hear and recognize intervals, rhythms and melodic structures.
✅ Adaptable to all levels: can be simplified or made more complex to suit the class (easy scales, chords, more advanced melodic dictation...).
✅ Improves reading and active listening: an excellent exercise for those who struggle to follow a score.
Why not switch to interactive scores with Newzik?
Tired of paper scores that get lost, creased or piled up? With the Newzikapplication, you can organize your music lessons more efficiently:
→ Store all your scores in one place and find them in just a few clicks.
→ Add annotations in real time, ideal for preparing your sessions and guiding your students.
→ Work collaboratively: instantly share scores and interactive exercises with your class.
→Access dynamic playback tools, such as automatic score tracking during playback.
Perfect for combining fun teaching and new technologies without sacrificing the musical experience!