Here’s a great way to help students hear and visualize rhythmic notation! In this package you’ll find three levels of rhythm bingo cards (Easy, Medium, and Hard). Each level uses different rhythmic values and has two versions of the card (to prevent the whole class winning at once!)

To play, simply lay out one of each card (A and B) from the set of your choice and call out “Under the _(letter B-I-N-G- or O__” then clap one of the rhythm cells that appears under that letter on one of the cards. You decide what pattern a student needs to win (up, down, diagonal, box all around, etc.) Be sure to mark off which boxes you have clapped to be sure they are correct.
Variations include:
• Have the student count out loud and clap each of the rhythm cells in his/ her winning row in order to get the prize
• Send the cards home after you play as a study guide for upcoming ear training tests
• Have students cut up the cells (keep in a plastic baggie) and use as flashcards to practice counting and clapping
• With students in pairs, have everyone take turns writing a rhythm sentence of four bars using these cut up rhythm cells. Finished? Clap the sentence you have made and see if your partner can spell it out with their deck of cut outs! *This is a fantastic way to introduce rhythm dictation!

Have more complicated rhythms (or a specific rhythm causing grief) in your band/ orchestra/ choir/ Orff music? There’s a spare blank card included to let you write your own rhythms!