Helpful Websites (and fun, too!)
Google Chrome Music Lab
This site is terrific--there are so many different options for learning about or creating music! You can create your own music, choose the instrumentation and even save your creation! There are really endless opportunities for creativity, so enjoy!!
Vocaroo
Record your performance! You can then share them via email or social media or print or screenshot a QR code!
Classics for Kids
This site has really expanded over the last year or so. There are several games including note naming practice, musical terms and a rhythm echo game to name a few. There are many opportunities to learn about composers from all time periods, too!
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
This site is terrific for instrument identification. It has wonderful pictures of each instrument so that the students can become familiar with the looks of each instrument. Unique to this site (at least in my searching) the orchestra recorded each instrument playing "Twinkle, Twinkle" so as to really give the kids an understanding of the differences between each instrument's unique sound. They love listening to the various performances, and the French Horn page even offers a snippet of John Williams' music.
The composer page on this site is also excellent. It is easily navigated, and provides a tremendous amount of background on each composer.
The creators of this site also take you on a tour of the Meyerson, which is where the DSO performs. It has pictures from the stage, as if you were a performer, and even from the tech box way in the back. It is an insider's view that you couldn't even get on a real, live tour. Click below to reach the DSO!
San Francisco Symphony
This site is so huge I've only just begun to dig in myself. There are opportunities to listen to LOTS of music and practice your conducting skills. There is even a section for composing. Again, there is just so much here you could spend a ton of time just exploring!
Whack a Note
This is purely a note reading game. Students can use the number pad on the keyboard or the mouse to click the note they are looking for within the gameboard. It is definitely helpful in note recognition. Click below to reach Whack a Note!
The repetition in discovering the same note repeatedly will really help develop recognition skills.
Note Names
This site is for someone looking for more of a challenge. It allows you to customize the notes for practice, so it can certainly be useful for beginners as well. It includes note both above and below the treble staff as well as accidentals. Students who play an instrument or are really looking to challenge themselves will enjoy this site. You can adjust the settings to make it a little easier to start (which isn't a bad idea if note naming is still new to you! :-)
