A resource for interactive whiteboards
Open the dictation in full screen and use it straight from the whiteboard
Open the rhythm dictation βOpens in full screen Β· No installation Β· Works in any browser
Rhythm dictation is one of the most common activities in the music class: the teacher plays or claps a rhythm and the students have to recognise it and write it down. This tool brings that exercise to the interactive whiteboard: it generates random rhythms according to the level and plays them with audio, and the class answers together by identifying the rhythmic figures they have heard.
Unlike a paper dictation, the result is immediate and visible to the whole group: each correct figure is drawn on the bars as you go. Mistakes have no negative consequences either β they are part of the process β and the rhythm can be heard as many times as needed before answering.
It is simple and needs no previous preparation:
Available: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 (simple time) and 3/8, 6/8 (compound time). The generator automatically adapts the rhythmic cells to the chosen time signature.
The dictation can have 2, 3 or 4 bars. The more bars, the longer the dictation and the more listening time needed.
A slider from 40 to 120 bpm with a verbal indication (Slow / Moderato / Allegro). We recommend starting with slow tempos and increasing gradually as the group gains confidence.
Percussion: a wood-block hit, with the strong beat (lower) distinguished from the weak beat (higher). Piano: a melody generated in C major, following melodic coherence rules. Useful for working on rhythm and melody at the same time.
Three levels that add rhythmic cells progressively. In levels 2 and 3 the generator guarantees at least one figure from the most advanced selected level, avoiding dictations that are too easy for the chosen level.
Within the chosen level, the teacher can switch individual cells on or off. This allows working on specific combinations β for example, only quarter note and syncopation β without changing level.
Adds a metronome click during playback, on every beat of the bar. Useful when the group needs the pulse as a reference.
Plays one bar of count-in before the dictation starts, just like in a real rehearsal. Students internalise the tempo before the rhythm sounds.
Only quarter note and pair of eighth notes (simple time) or dotted quarter note and three eighth notes (compound time). Ideal for the first dictations, when the group has just learned to tell a quarter note from an eighth note. The rhythm never includes rests or long note values, which lets the group concentrate on basic discrimination.
Adds half note, eighth rest + eighth note (tum-ti), dotted quarter + eighth note (tai-ti) and four sixteenth notes (tiri-tiri). More rhythmic variety and the presence of rests. Suitable when the group already reads Level 1 fluently.
Also includes syncopation, dotted eighth + sixteenth note (tim-ri), eighth note + two sixteenth notes and two sixteenth notes + eighth note. For groups that are confident in rhythm reading and need to work on more complex cells.
The basic flow described above: listening, group discussion, one student answers on the board. It lets the whole group take part at the same time β each student solves the dictation in their notebook β and then it is checked on the whiteboard.
Variation: before pressing the answer, the group performs the rhythm with claps or body percussion, and only then chooses the figure.
Divide the class into teams. Each team writes its solution on a mini whiteboard or on paper. When the answer is revealed, the team that gets it right scores a point. If the group is competitive, this raises attention levels during listening.
After solving the dictation, a student explains aloud why they chose each figure. It forces them to put the rhythmic reasoning into words β "there are two sounds in one beat, so it is a pair of eighth notes" β which strengthens understanding beyond the intuitive answer.
After listening to the dictation, the group plays it back with claps or body percussion before identifying the figures. It connects ear and body and makes it easier to tell complex rhythmic cells apart, such as syncopation or tiri-tiri.
With the metronome on: the group claps along to the click, which also trains metric accuracy.
Start with Level 1 and 2 bars. If the group succeeds easily, increase to 3 or 4 bars, then move up to Level 2. It can be used as an initial assessment to gauge the group's real level at the start of a term.
Turning on the Anacrusis option adds an incomplete beat before the first bar, reproducing the real structure of songs that start with a pick-up. Suitable when the group already works on songs like this and needs to recognise that start in a dictation context.
From 2nd or 3rd grade of primary school, once students know the quarter note and the eighth note. Level 1 is accessible from the very moment two different rhythmic figures are being worked on. Levels 2 and 3 can be used throughout upper primary and secondary, depending on the curriculum and the school's method.
The tool is especially useful for reviewing and consolidating rhythmic cells already studied, before moving on to the next. A five-minute dictation at the start or end of the class keeps rhythm-reading skills sharp without any extra materials.
Ready to use in class
Open the rhythm dictation βThis page is being translated into English. You'll find games not translated yet, marked with a label warning about it. If you'd still like to continue on the old page, it's available from the language selector, top right.
