What a question, what a game! Music Bingo is only the hottest sensation to sweep the nation. It’s a UK
favourite and it’s reeling in players by the truckload. Music Bingo takes place at blistering pace, and its
hip, hop, and happy. Okay, semantics aside, Music Bingo replaces traditional bingo numbers with songs, melodies, artists, and bands. It’s a tribute to
our cultural zeitgeist, and the generations of yesteryear.
Music bingo is a fabulous attraction that can be played at cookouts, special events, get-togethers, Christmas
parties, or as the perfect icebreaker. In fact, it’s always a good time to play musical bingo games because they are so much fun. Traditional board
games get a little boring, but not music bingo. This is definitely not an ordinary game; it’s extraordinary. Perhaps
you’ve had enough of playing Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Pandemic, or traditional Bingo games. No worries –
we’re going to answer the question how does music bingo work. Stay tuned….
How Do You Play Bingo Musical Games?
First things first. Replace the bingo caller with a DJ, or an MC. Now we’re cooking! Don’t dispose of the 4 x
4, 5 x 5, or 9 x 3 bingo cards just yet – you’ll need to input important information. Speaking of which, there
are no numbers on the Music Bingo templates, unless the numbers are the name of the song, the artist, or the group.
The purpose of the game is to complete a winning pattern, winning line/s, or a coverall, based on the rules of Music
Bingo. With no numbers in play, you’ll need to match the contents of your bingo card with what the DJ or MC is
announcing. Lucky for you, your musical ear is going to come in handy!
With musical bingo games, the DJ plays a short clip (10 seconds – 15 seconds) of a song. This could be the
intro, the chorus, or the end of the song. You then have to match the song with one of the squares on your bingo
card. Usually, music bingo entries include the name of the song, the name of the artist, the chorus to the song, or
trivia related to the song you are hearing. But remember, you’ve got to think on your feet. This is a toe-tapping,
moving and grooving, jiving and vibey type of game. Listen carefully to the words of the snippet being played by the
DJ or MC. Once you match the song to your bingo cards, you’ll be hitting the high notes all the way to jackpot
central.
How to Win Music Bingo Games?
Buy your bingo tickets to the music bingo games. Then take your spot on the dance floor, or your seat the bar, and
wait for the DJ to start playing a music clip. Once you identify the music clip or soundbite, try to match it with
the contents of your bingo card. You’ll either be given a bingo dauber to blot out the called selection, or
you can use chips. It’s entirely up to you. The rules may differ from one venue to the next, but generally
musical bingo games are played on a 5 x 5 bingo card.
To win, you must simply match 5 selections in a row. These can be a vertical line (up/down), horizontal line
(left/right), or a diagonal line (corner to corner). Other variations of musical bingo games allow you to form
patterns or shapes such as squares, diamonds, rectangles, 4 corners, and the like. As with any other in-person bingo
game, be sure to call Bingo! Once you’ve formed a winning combination, it’s time for your prize.
What Songs Are Good for Musical Bingo?
Musical bingo is a classic party game, and it’s really up to you how you’d like to host it. The world is filled with
music, take your pick. You can go as far back as you’d like, and include the great classic composers like Beethoven,
Mozart, or Wagner. Or you can rush headlong into the swinging 60s with the Beatles, The Doors, Simon and Garfunkel,
The Beach Boys, The Hollies, The Rolling Stones, Cream, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, and so on. If you’re a child of
the 70s, we don’t want to leave your generation out either. Groups like Aerosmith, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin,
Black Sabbath, and The Who need to be factored into the equation.
From the 80s to the 2000s, you’ve got more choices than you can shake a stick at. Superstars like Michael
Jackson, Tina Turner, Randy Crawford, Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, George Michael, Queen, Madonna, The Fugees, Tupac,
NWA, and many more come to mind. The point being, songs for musical bingo should always include a wide
variety of options tailored to your bingo audience. Be sure to include lots of music from before the year 2000
– that way everybody – younger and older kids get to enjoy music bingo games. This is the ideal pub
game, because all you need to do is:
- Get a bingo card
- Listen to the music
- Mark your bingo cards
- Win prizes!
It’s called Musical Bingo because Bingo! is what you shout out when you form a winning combination. You’ll
be thrilled to know that this classic bingo game is readily available across the UK, and even online. Remember to
gauge how many songs are needed for music bingo games. At least 50 – 100 songs are a good start, since
you’re only using 15 second soundbites. You can host musical bingo games with Zoom, and enjoy multi-play
functionality at your leisure. For more of that, read the next section folks!
How Do You Play Musical Bingo at Home?
It’s really easy! All you need is a group of friends for an in-person musical bingo session, or a group of attendees
for your virtual musical bingo session. Your platform of choice for the online version is up to you – Zoom
works great. You’ll need some music clips that correspond with the entries on the bingo cards. That way, you are
assured of a winner. In 75 ball bingo
games, players win a jackpot by completing a bingo
within a set number of calls. In 90 ball bingo games, that number
increases, since more balls are in play. You could use a similar concept when you play musical bingo at home.
It’s really important that your music corresponds with the entries on your bingo cards – otherwise nobody
is going to win anything. Once you’ve got everything set up, you can power up your live cam and get the bingo gaming
session started. In no time at all, you’ll be toe tapping, jiving, moving, and grooving along with the players.
Takeaways of Musical Bingo Games
- Musical Bingo is taking the UK by storm. It’s a bingo variant that dispenses with the numbers and replaces them
with titles of music songs, artists, or bands. It’s a great throwback entertainment sensation which brings
together people from across different generations. - Music bingo games are lots of fun, and they are plenty social. To win, you simply need to form a winning
combination on the bingo card. This could be horizontal lines, vertical lines, diagonal lines, patterns, or
pictures. Once you’ve marked off the selections, shout bingo! and claim your prize. - Music for musical bingo games is really a matter of personal or joint preference. It’s all about having
fun, and if you can recognise the music from a short 10-15 second music clip, more power to you. Don’t forget to
mark all matching music selections on your bingo cards. - For those who want to know how do you play musical bingo at home, it’s simple. Invite friends to attend in
person, or virtually, and create a song list that matches with the entries on the bingo cards. If you prefer a
virtual music bingo session, use a trusted platform like Zoom to connect players.
