Dice Games

A musical dice game is a composition in which the composer has written a measure for every possible outcome for the roll of a die or pair of dice.
The practice dates at least as far back as the Eighteenth Century.
The best-known musical dice game is one which is attributed to Mozart.
For further information, or to order a set, click here.

It is herein suggested that the music teacher ask each student to write a musical dice game.
Following are the advantages:
  • It can serve as a valuable sight reading exercise.
    A question which we often hear from parents is "Is my child really reading the notes or merely playing by memory?"
    In this case, the child has no choice but to read the notes.

  • It can serve as a valuable exercise in music theory.
    In each of the examples given below, the student was told to use only F, A, and/or C for measures marked with an F chord and to use only C and/or G for measures marked with a C7 chord.
    This can serve as a demonstration of the terms tonic and dominant.
    Also in each of the examples, there are two phrases, the first ending on the dominant and the second ending on the tonic.
    This makes the first phrase the antecedent and the second phrase the consequent.
    The first phrase ends on a half cadence and the second phrase ends on a full cadence.

  • It can serve as a counterpoint exercise.
    In the examples given below, all of the measure 1's, measure 2's, and measure 5's are on the tonic and all of the measure 3's and measure 4's are on dominant.
    That means that the composition can serve as a countermelody to "Bye Lo Baby," no matter what the outcome.
    It also means that any two possible outcomes can serve as countermelodies for each other.
    Furthermore, it means that the composition can be played as a canon with a subject and up to 5 countersubjects without repeating any of the measures.

  • It can serve as a math exercise.
    In the examples given below, each composition has 6 possible outcomes each for 5 measures.
    That means that the number of possibilities is 6 to the fifth power, or 7,776.

  • It can serve as an audience participation in a public program.
    After a volunteer from the audience rolls the die or dice, you can announce "the world premiere of a composition by [the student's name] and [the volunteer's name]."

To prepare for the exercise, make a set of cards, each with a blank measure, specifying the number of the measure, and the number of the roll of the die or dice.
For each of the examples given below, the following were prepared:
  • 6 measure-one cards, each with a clef, key signature, and F major chord marking
  • 6 measure-two cards
  • 6 measure-three cards, each with a C7 chord marking
  • 6 measure-four cards, each with a repeat and first ending sign
  • 6 measure-five chards, each with an F major chord marking and thick double bar.
Sharyn Horton, pictured on the left, was a kindergarten student in Sneedville, Tennessee during the Eighties.
Below is a dice game which she wrote at the time.

Pam Albright, pictured on the left, was a fifth grade student
in Kyles Ford, Tennessee during the Eighties.
Below is a dice game which she wrote at the time.

You are welcome to print these out, cut them up and try them yourself.
You are also welcome to write your own dice game or have your students write their own dice games.
If you do, send them in and maybe I will post them.

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