How to turn the learning of musical instruments into something more fun? This thesis answers the question by diving into the world of games and gamified education. This project started from the need of finding new material for instrument teaching and learning that would enhance and support creativity, improvisation and collaborative ways of learning. The leading ideas are improvisation and creating one’s own music by a fun and fresh method.

Different kinds of games can bring variation and new nuances into music lessons, and they enrich and diversify the content and inspire musical storytelling. Gamified thinking can bring new perspectives and refreshing methods to teaching. With the help of gamified challenges, it is possible to turn the daily grind into motivational fun.

My project report comprises of two parts. In the first part, I introduce the concepts of game, gamification and game research and also describe the various possibilities that educational games can bring into the field of instrumental pedagogy. On the basis of my sources, I reflect on what the gamified education could give for making music and for instrumental pedagogy, as well as how the gamified thinking could affect the teaching itself. In the second part of my study, I write about the stages of game design, and also describe the steps of designing my own pedagogical game.

During this project, I have been designing a new game material for all teachers interested in different approaches of instrumental pedagogy. This material, having got its inspiration from the world of games, is supposed to increase teachers’ enthusiasm towards their work, and to find new methods to teach the technical aspects of playing. My new game supports the creation of a good lifelong relationship with music and invites a playful attitude in playing a musical instrument. The key elements are play, creativity, music, motion and gaming. Besides its empirical aspect the project is also based on a literature review. With the help of all this information, I have started to design my own game and along the way the designing has been based on the different game designing processes.

I hope that this report will inspire the readers to come with their own gamification ideas, encourage game designers, instrumental pedagogues and other teachers to develop gamified learning. Games have both power and possibilities. Games can bring just the needed new perspectives and fresh methods into the field of musical education.