

In short, you can customize the song maker to meet your learning objectives and the needs of your students. To take song creation one step further, through the Settings menu, you can adjust the song length, number of beats per bar, beat subdivision, scale (major, chromatic, or pentatonic), starting pitch, and range. In addition, from the main screen you can choose between several melodic and rhythmic sounds and even change the tempo! This really expands the musical possibilities. Within the Song Maker, you can add both melodic and percussion components to your creation. It’s also possible to add notes by using the arrow keys on the computer keyboard. Using a grid, you click in the boxes to add sounds to the song. The Song Maker tool is the most robust within the Chrome Music Lab.

Regardless, the Rhythm tool is still fun to use in any music classroom. For example, you can’t change the tempo or instrument sounds. The simplicity of use makes the Rhythm tool so great, however, that means the creative options are limited. To add to the experience, cute creatures playing percussion instruments accompany each grid. The rhythm pattern loops as it plays, providing a rhythmic ostinato.

There are four grid templates, each with a different number of beats – three, four, five, or six beats per grid.
