Lesson One

Beat and Rhythm

BeatStop for a minute and feel your pulse. If you are sitting in one place, your heart will probably be beating very regularly.

In music we also have a pulse or beat which occurs regularly.

On top of the pulse or beat we have the rhythm which is made up of shorter and longer durations or sounds.

Finding the BeatA STEADY BEAT is an unchanging continuous pulse.  This is different from the rhythm patterns of a specific song.  To illustrate a steady beat, tap with each underlined syllable as you sing the song.

Do you know the muf-fin man, the

muf-fin man, the muf-fin man.

Do you know the muf-fin man, who

lives on Dru-ry Lane

Adding the rhythmRHYTHM PATTERNS are patterns of sound that fit within the steady beat.  To illustrate this, tap as you sing each word of “The Muffin Man”. Go back to slide 2 and try tapping the rhythm as you sing. In a song that has lyrics, the rhythm is actually the individual syllables of the words.

The ability to keep a steady beat is developed over time, and can be started with very young children.  This skill is required for walking, talking, using a pair of scissors and  bouncing a ball, and reading with fluency. Feeling and moving to steady beat develops a sense of time and the ability to organize and coordinate movements within time.   

Beat and Rhythm TogetherThe left hand is going to tap the steady beat while the right hand taps the rhythm. It will be performed twice. The first time I will sing the words. The second time I will be thinking the words in my head while performing the beat and rhythm.

Do you know the muf-fin man, the

muf-fin man, the muf-fin man.

Do you know the muf-fin man, who

lives on Dru-ry Lane

Exploring beat and rhythm

1. Open up your course text and listen to “Ed, the Invisible Dragon – use a found sound to keep the beat. When you become familiar with the song try playing the rhythm of verse.

2.Listen to one of your favourite pieces.

3. Keep a beat by patting your knees.

4. Now listen again and try to clap the rhythm.

Practicing Beat and Rhythm

When you are comfortable with the concept of beat and rhythm. Try it out with your class.

1. Choose a rhyme that the class knows. Speak it while the class keeps a steady beat by stamping alternate feet.

2. Now speak the rhyme and clap the rhythm.

3. Divide the class in two groups. One group will stamp the steady beat while the other does the rhythm. Now switch.

4. Now try putting the words in your head and doing the rhythm without the help of the spoken words.

5. Find some sounds around the classroom (pencil on the desk; ruler hitting the floor; etc. And perform the beat and rhythm again.

6. The different kinds of sounds you choose represent different tone colours or timbres.

Documenting the Skill1. Write a description of what you did with your

class. Include details such as – what worked well? What did not work well? How would you change it if you did it again? (You could even take a short video clip to show what the students did.)

2. Upload this to the Lesson 1.