Gamify Your Music Practice: Using Dice to Add Randomness and Structure

Using Dice in Scale Practice

If you’re like me, you might struggle to keep your scale practice fresh. Maybe you tend to play the same scales over and over, or perhaps you have a solid, varied routine that still feels a little stale. Either way, adding a new twist can reinvigorate your practice.

I’m someone who thrives on routine, and I always start with scales at the beginning of my practice sessions. But routines can easily slide into ruts. For me, that usually means spending weeks or months on the same scale, the one tied to whatever piece I’m currently working on, while avoiding the more uncomfortable parts of scale practice like double stops and tricky bowing rhythms.

The solution? Dice.

Over the weekend, I visited my local comic book store and picked up some pearlescent polyhedral dice, the kind used in Dungeons & Dragons. I was hoping for a 24-sided die to randomize my daily scale selection, but instead found a 12-sided die. That meant I’d either need to roll for a major scale and then play its relative minor, or choose whether I wanted to commit to a major or minor scale before rolling.

At the start of my practice session the next day, I rolled my new d12 to decide which major scale I’d practice. I’ve assigned each scale around the circle of fifths to a number. To my relief, I rolled a 1, C major, and got started with a three-octave scale and arpeggios.

If you’d like to gamify your scale practice, here are a few ideas:

• Use a 12- or 24-sided die to select a new major or minor scale each day.
• Roll dice to choose bowing rhythms. (For example the 24 rhythmic variations included in Barbara Barber’s Scales for Advanced Violinists.)
• Randomize which exercise you’ll practice from the Carl Flesch Scale System.
• Roll for which double-stop scale to practice.
• Assign numbers to less commonly practiced scale types, such as chromatic or whole-tone, and let the dice decide.

More Ways to Use Dice in Music Practice

Dice can add variety to much more than scales. Here are some other practice ideas:

• Randomize the order of your assignments. This works well for students or adult learners juggling many smaller tasks.
• Assign each number on a die to a practice strategy (slow practice, rhythms, accents, dynamics, etc.) and roll to decide which to use on a passage.
• Pick six short sections of your piece, number them, and let a die determine the order you practice them.
• Make a list of famous soloists on your instrument. Roll to choose one, then try performing your piece in their style.

A Note on Dice

You don’t have to stick with a standard six-sided die. Polyhedral dice sets (commonly used for tabletop RPGs) include a variety: d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20. You can also find specialty sets with a d24, perfect for randomizing scales, or even unusual dice like a d3.

Resources for Music Dice

• Music Dice on Etsy – Includes dice designed for music practice and theory.
• Tonic Game – A composition and improvisation dice game.
• 12-Sided Music Dice – A simple option for scale randomization.
• Music Note D4 – A four-sided die with musical notes.
• Polyhedral Dice Sets – Available in countless colors on Amazon, Etsy, and game shops, often for much less than music-specific versions.

🎲 Have you tried using dice in your music practice, or with your students? Share your experience in the comments below.