While you can drill dynamics with your students, interactive activities will help you teach dynamics in music in a way that will keep your students excited–and often giggling.
Understanding music dynamics can be tricky for some students.
I’ve had students before where I’ll explain music dynamics, they nod along as if they understand, but when I ask them to play soft then loud … I hear absolutely no difference!
For these students, there is a deeper level of understanding that’s needed when teaching dynamics in music.
And while recording your students playing and allowing them to listen to hear that they need more difference in their dynamics is helpful, it’s fun to bring music dynamics away from the instrument and have some activities that will really solidify music dynamics and definitions in students’ minds.
Sometimes, incorporating the full body with dancing, clapping, or charades helps students embody the meanings better.
Other times, drawing pictures will be what clicks in your students’ minds.
Yet other times, storytelling is the key to unlock students’ understanding of music dynamics.
Here are 9 interactive activities to teach dynamics in music.
If you use some of these ideas–or if you have your own list of crazy fun activities–comment and share your experience!
1) Draw Music Dynamic Pictures
Merge art with music as you have your students draw pictures representing different dynamics. They can use different colors, sizes, and animals to show soft and loud sounds.
You can create modernistic artwork where they draw non-representational images or even guide them in creating their own music dynamics graph going from small to large sound waves.
If your student is too shy to draw their own picture, grab a coloring book and encourage them to color parts of it “piano” (soft) or “forte” (hard).
When the students have finished their drawings, you can showcase them in your studio for the month.
2) Do Some Dynamics Dance Moves
Teach dynamics in music by encouraging your students to move with the dynamics. They can create specific movements to correspond with different dynamics.
For example: small, soft movements for pianissimo and big, jumping movements for fortissimo.
As you listen to music, discuss how the music is changing in dynamics and alter your dance moves to go with it.
3) Tell Stories with Music Dynamics
Have your students tell a story based on dynamics. It can be about a little mouse (pianissimo), a sweet bird (piano), dragons (fortissimo), and anything the student imagines.
To make this even more interactive, your student can play the different dynamics as they’re telling the story.
If they have the music knowledge, you can even include minor chords for sad parts, major chords for happy parts, low notes for scary parts, etc.
An alternate idea is to read a story to your student(s) and have students add dynamics using instruments or their voices for different parts of the story.
Also, use Dynamic Den or Doggy Dynamics to inspire storytelling!
4) Teach Dynamic Claps
Teach dynamics in music by clapping with your students.
They can pat very softly for pianissimo, and clap as loudly as they can for fortissimo and anywhere in between for the other dynamics.
An alternative is to tap a different part of the body for each dynamic (e.g. tap your shoe for pianissimo, your knee for piano, your tummy for mezzo-piano, your shoulders for mezzo-forte, your ears for forte, and your head for fortissimo).
Make this fun by flipping flashcards up at random and having them switch from one dynamic to another immediately.
5) Play Some Dynamic Charades (for groups)
Give each student a different dynamic card and show no one.
They must decide how to act out the dynamic so others can guess it (whispering or tip-toeing for pianissimo, shouting or jumping for fortissimo).
6) Build a Simple Dynamic Obstacle Course
Create a simple obstacle course where students move around the room and respond to dynamic markings at each station.
You can have two tags per section: music dynamic and action.
When a student reaches a new station, they must switch their volume and action immediately!
7) Teach Dynamics in Music with Composition
Guide your students through creating a composition featuring at least 3 different dynamic markings.
Then, be creative and ask “What will this sound like if you do opposite dynamics?”
Explore music dynamics while encouraging students to make musically creative decisions in composition.
If you need some extra guidance with creating compositions, check out our composition resources here.
8) Match Dynamics
If you’re teaching 1:1 lessons, use a set of dynamic and definition cards (1 of each).
Mix all dynamic and definition cards together then lay them face down.
Play it Memory Match style. The student must match the dynamic to the definition.
If you’re teaching group lessons, hand half of the students symbols and the other half definitions.
See who can be the first to team up and match their symbol to another student’s definition.
9) Play a Music Dynamic Tug-of-War Game!
Your students will have a blast learning their dynamics with this doggy-themed dynamics game.
One side of the doggies are pianissimo (small dogs) and the other side is fortissimo (large dogs), giving the students a visual guide to softest and loudest.
Your students will put the doggy toy in the center then start drawing and identifying dynamics to see who can get the toy to their doggy first.
A look inside Doggy Dynamics:
Here’s what you’ll get with the Doggy Dynamics printable download:
- Doggy Dynamics game in 2 sizes: US letter & A4
- Doggy Dynamics game board
- 40 dynamics cards
- 4 doggy toy token game pieces
- Doggy Dynamics success poster
- Print release
- How to Play tutorial video
You will get the digital file to print and laminate (optional) for your music studio in both letter size (US) and A4 size (international).
Music Game Club members will also get:
- Doggy Dynamics activity sheets in 2 sizes: US Letter & A4
- A3 & Poster-sized game boards
- Tutorial videos with bonus gameplay ideas
Membership is only open twice a year. Check out our membership page here for more details.
Get Doggy Dynamics here to help you teach dynamics in music today!
Bonus: Teach Dynamics in Music with Digital Flashcard Games
I love using Boom™ Cards in my studio because they are fun and they are automatically corrected.
We have four Doggy Dynamics decks perfect for dynamic review and teaching.
- Deck 1: Learn Music Dynamics
- Deck 2: Music Dynamics Symbols & Definitions
- Deck 3: Put Dynamics in Order
- Deck 4: Crescendo & Decrescendo
- Get all four in a bundle 20% off here
To get a better look inside, watch our Doggy Dynamics Boom™ Cards walkthrough.
How do you teach dynamics in music?
Have you ever played a music dynamic game? Or do you teach dynamics in music only in repertoire? What ideas have worked well for you? What do your students love? Hit “comment” and share with us!
More blog posts full of teaching ideas…
- Teach Music Improvisation in Lessons Every Day
- 7 Fun Music Rhythm Gameplay Ideas
- 5 Low-Prep Music Games
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