Rhythm Playing Cards

Rhythm playing cards are used with beginning to advanced students (ages 2 - adult) to learn the relative values of notes and rests and to become very quick at recognizing those values. Just like regular playing cards, this deck of rhythm playing cards has 52 cards, each with one note or rest. Imagine that the 16th note and rest are like the ace in regular cards and the whole note and whole rest are like the king. Using the other notes and rests in order between these two cards creates endless possibilities for fun rhythm card games. Students quickly catch on to this concept and are soon playing both familiar and new card games with rhythm playing cards.

About Rhythm Playing Cards

These cards are ideal for learning the values of notes and rests and are among the students' favorite materials. There are four cards each of eight notes (sixteenth, eighth, dotted eighth, quarter, dotted quarter, half, dotted half and whole) and four cards each of five rests (sixteenth, eighth, quarter, half and whole).

When used with games from the book Music Mind Games, these cards help students:

• learn the values of basic notes and rests and their relationship to each other
• reinforce the concepts learned with the blue jello cards
• read rhythms in music
• learn to arrange notes and rests into measures in various time signatures
• become very quick at the order of notes and rests
• love notes and rests because of so many fun card games

The rhythm playing cards can be used independently and in combination with magic notes and magic wands. You will use these cards to lay out a chart of values, make a snake and play numerous card games such as: Five Notes and Five Rests, Card Chart, Fine, War, Slow, Five Hiding, Speed, Rhythm Solitaire and Suspense. Directions to four favorite games are included, so you can begin playing right away.

	Game 1: Fine Simple to play and so delightful as a way to learn a sequence of anything. A set of notes, rests or both notes and rests are mixed up. The teacher (or parent) says "GO!" and the cards are arranged in order, with the student calling out "Fine!" when finished. Since everyone knows it is more important to put the cards in the correct order rather than finish first, everyone enjoys playing together . . . and racing just for the fun of it.
	Game 2: Stacked Snake This game introduces the dotted eighth, dotted quarter and dotted half notes by adding them to the snake. Rests are placed above their matching value notes to created a stacked effect.
	Game 3: War Based on the classic card game, this is one of the most popular Music Mind Games. Cards are divided between the players. Each player places one card face up in the center of the rug. Whomever has the highest value note or rest wins all the cards. If cards are the same value, there's a war. See the video for how to play.
	Game 4: Five Hiding This game focuses on the value of notes and rests that are a subdivision of the quarter beat: the sixteenth note and rest (worth 1 magic note each), the eighth note and rest (worth 2 magic notes each) and the dotted eight note (worth 3 magic notes). Each player has five cards face down in front of himself. Players take turns switching cards out with a goal of having only the five cards just mentioned. At the end players use magic notes to score.

Features:

• Cards have graphics in the upper left-hand corners like regular playing cards.
• Two guide cards (one without dotted notes and one with dotted notes), in both horizontal and vertical orentation, show the order of notes and rests so students can check their own work.
• Five games with step-by-step directions and graphics are included.
• Colored borders help students stay focused.
• The centers of each card are white so they are easier to read.