As a musician and teacher, you’re always looking for new ways of exploring music. Looking for fun innovative tools to expand your musical lessons? Then Chrome Music Lab and experiment with google are for you!
What are they?
Chrome Music Lab and Experiment with google are web-based platforms created by Google that provide a variety of experiments so you try exploring music in a visual and intuitive way.
They are very simple, visually engaging, and offer a range of features that appeal to both beginners and experienced musicians.
Here’s why I enjoy using Google experiments in my music lessons:
Easy to Use: The interface is user-friendly for both beginners and experienced musicians. Chrome Music Lab allows you to explore sound and rhythm without needing much music knowledge, making it ideal for young learners. While Experiment with Google is more experimental and less structured, I prefer the visuals and ideas, and it’s not significantly more complicated.
Fun and Creative: They encourage you to experiment and play with sound. Create melodies with “Song Maker” and explore the synthesizers in “Synthesizer AR”
Exploring Sound and Rhythm: The ability to experiment with rhythm, tempo, and pitch in real time helps develop an understanding of how music works. It’s like a virtual playground for musical creativity.
Accessible and Free: It’s completely free and accessible through any web browser. You don’t need to download anything or set up an account to start creating. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to try making music on the go. I think it is particularly good if you demonstrate and discuss with your student whilst using it. My younger students need different activities in their workshop style lessons, and this is great for that. There is also a function to share your creation with most of the experiments. This means they can continue working on it at home, or share with friends and family what they did in music class!
Educational: Whether you’re just getting started with music or are an advanced learner, Chrome Music Lab and Expeiremtn with google offer great educational tools that can help explain musical concepts.
Some experiments to Explore:
- Song Maker: Create your own melodies by drawing and clicking on a grid. It’s a great tool to experiment with rhythm, pitch, and scale. You can even share your creations with others!
- Rhythm: This tool lets you experiment with rhythmic patterns. It’s a fantastic way for young musicians to develop their sense of rhythm and groove.
- blokdust – Build a visually engaging synthesizer.
- Yume- you alter the music in the world. Really pretty and great for students who like computer games
By diving into these experiments, you can gain fresh insights into music production, music theory or simply have fun discovering new musical concepts. And since it’s all web-based, you can use these tools anywhere, anytime, with just a browser.
Why Should Musicians, teachers and students Experiment?
It’s easy to get stuck in your creative process. Using tools like Chrome Music Lab and exploring other experiments with Google can help you think outside the box- For your own professional growth and for planning lessons. Keep in mind that they are activities, not lessons– it’s up to you to incorporate them into your lesson and work out how they will demonstrate aspects of music you want learnt. If incorporated creatively, you’ll be exposed to new methods of music that might inspire your next big project!
