Rainbow Castle for the international crowd

Recently one of my reviewers in Germany told me that she loved the Rainbow Castle game, which is part of "Beginning Rhythm", except that she could not use it  with her child because Germany uses a different notation system than America.  I forgot to compensate for that when I made the game.  In Northern and Central Europe, there is a variation of using the letter "H" to represent the white note below "C".  ("B" is the black note right below it.)  It was this notation system that Bach used to sign his name into many of his compositions with the notes "B-A-C-H."

In countries that use fixed do, the note names are simply 'Do', 'Re', 'Mi', 'Fa', 'So', 'La', and 'Si'."

I have now updated the "Beginning Rhythm" program to include game boards that accommodate these notation systems, as well as game boards for solfege with "Ti".

You can download international gameboards here for free.

For the entire game with the playing cards, I refer you to "Beginning Rhythm."  I have mostly added these files as an update for those who already have the game.

Rhythm Guessing Game

Perhaps I have been watching a little too much Sesame Street with my children...

In this video, we play a rhythm "guessing game", where a rhythm is spoken, and the student "guesses" where a certain rhythmic element is.  It's a listening exercise.  Watch this video with your student or child...

There are many applications for this kind of game.  As shown, it is best for the younger beginning student.  An older child, even if a beginner, may tire of it quickly.  Here are some extension activities to keep them engaged:

• Notate the whole measure with rhythm sticks or note cards.
• Mix and match different rhythmic elements, as in the last example, to make the game more challenging.
• Don't tell them what rhythmic elements you are going to use.  Make them guess!
• Have the child create a measure for you to guess.  (A memory game in and of itself.  Kids often do better than adults!)
• Rather than clap the rhythm, play it on a percussion instrument.
• Do longer sequences.

If you are interested in the templates used in the video, they are part of the Beginning Rhythm package, but you can easily make your own rhythm cards by hand on index cards.  You can also use Popsicle sticks or coffee straws for stick notation.  Just do it, and have fun!