Using games/points in music lessons (e.g., Yousician)
Individual or small-group lessons in guitar, ukulele, and bass where the Yousician app or a similar app is used in teaching and as part of practicing at home.
Playing music with Yousician is gamified, allowing the student to earn points for accurately repeating movements and developing motor skills.
Navigate the different aspects of the activity here
The purpose of the activity
- To motivate students, especially when something is challenging or seems boring, as focusing on a screen where music-making is gamified can make it easier to stay engaged
- To develop students’ motor skills through repeated finger exercises
Target audience
Music students (introductory level)
Technology/setup
- Access to the Yousician app or a similar app, considering:
- Subscription/package options
- Pricing and potential educational discounts for bulk license purchases
- Number of students
- Suitability for the activity and organization
- Tablet, phone, or computer for running the app
- A room with minimal background noise
- Optional headphones for working with the app at home
Requirements
Teacher
- Familiarity with or curios to learn the app and explore its exercises, songs, and features
- Knowledge of the instruments being taught
- Openness to using an app in music instruction
Student
- Familiarity with or curios to learn the app and explore its exercises, songs, and features
Before, during and after the activity
BEFORE
The teacher
- Selects a piece/song and activity level appropriate to the student’s level and current progress
- Plans the lesson to complement the app activities
- Prepares a printout with sheet music/chords for the student to use at home with the app
DURING
The teacher
- Observes for challenges as the student follows the app’s instructions
- Provides guidance and adjusts finger positioning as needed
- Hands out the printout with sheet music/chords for practicing at home
The students
- Plays their instrument, following the app’s instructions
AFTER
The teacher
- Evaluates when the student is ready for the next focus area and selects a piece/song and activity level suited to the student
The students
- Practices at home playing their instrument and follow the app instructions supplemented by the sheet music/chord printout
Experiences with the activity
A teacher at Aalborg School of the Arts has used the Yousician app in guitar, ukulele, and bass lessons with students aged 9-13. The teacher shares, “my experience is that screen-based lessons are excellent for maintaining focus and motivating younger students who might otherwise struggle to focus on challenging material“. The app was chosen because students “get a lot of finger repetitions” which “helps them improve motor skills more quickly“. It also motivates students because “they naturally find the activities we have on the screen to be the coolest“.
The teacher notes that the app works well for one-on-one instruction and in some cases with two students on different instruments: “We’ve had at least two people playing together, and the app usually handles it well“. The biggest challenge with Yousician is the price, as the teacher explains: “It’s a matter of resources. Yousician is quite expensive; it costs 1600 DKK for four people for one year, which is unfortunately unrealistic for a School of the Arts to afford. We might look for a free or more affordable app to make it accessible across the entire school“. The app’s annual subscription provides a wealth of material, and the teacher adds, “You can practice on it daily without limits. There are plenty of songs, and if you want to spend hours on it, you can go all week without getting bored“.
Guitar, ukulele, and bass teacher Dennis Otte Nielsen has used the Yousician app in one-on-one lessons for guitar, ukulele, and bass.