The Tempo-Game

created by Julia Jensen Baxter

The tempo-game is a fun game that helps you understand the terms used for the different speeds in music! It can be used by one player or can be a race run by several players. It's easy to learn how to play and can give you knowledge you will use for the rest of your musical life!

Before the game begins, there is a small amount of preparation that needs to be done. Both the game board and the sheet that indicates the tempos will need to be attached to poster board with a spray-on adhesive. The "tempos" sheet is then cut into individual "cards", which are either turned over or placed in a paper or cloth bag so no one knows which card is which until it has been pulled out or turned over.

Each of the following tempos are given points. Largo = 1, lento = 2, adagio = 3, andante = 4, moderato = 5, allegro = 6, presto = 7, and vivace = 8. To begin, each player will roll a dice and the player with the highest number will start the game, then second to highest, and so on. The first player will place a small dried "bean" or piece of pasta on the number of spaces indicated on the card after pronouncing the name of the tempo. (The "beans" can be colored with a magic marker, or different types of beans can be used, such as kidney, black, garbanzo, etc.) That player is then followed by the other players and they race to see who gets to the finish first.

However, there are two kinds of cards that can slow a player down, namely the "Grand Pause" card and the "Ritardando" card. If a player draws a "Grand Pause" card he/she must stay on the same space until his or her next turn. If the "Ritardando" card is drawn, the player must go back one space on this turn and yet another space on the turn after that!

However, there is a card that is the most desired card of all. That is the "Accelerando" card. If a player draws that card he/she can draw another card and then go three more spaces than those indicated on it. The first player to the finish wins the game! If a single player is playing the game he/she can be the "Grand Master" of as many game pieces as wanted and can move each of them the required spaces. Perhaps predictions can be made of which piece will get to the finish first.

Have fun with this game and we hope it will be a useful tool to help students learn music!

For a pdf file of the tempo game board......click on link.

For a pdf file of the game cards......click on link