The First Music

An African Folktale

The First Music

The First Music is an African folktale. A folktale is an old story that's been told again and again, often for generations.

Folktales are stories in the oral tradition, or tales that people tell each other out loud, rather than stories that are written down.

FolktalesTrue folktales get even better as different people tell them over time. Storytellers would memorize the stories and keep them alive.

Different types of folktales may entertain, teach a lesson, or try to explain things that people do not understand. Our folktale is about an African animal.

Enjoy our African folktale.Which animals do you see? Which instruments can

you hear?

The First Music: Music Terms

The animals in our story created music by using pulse and rhythm.

Pulse is a steady beat like a ticking clock or your heartbeat. Feel your heartbeat. What does the beat feel like?

Rhythm is the pattern of long and short sounds as you move through the song or story.

Animal Rhythms

How did the elephant make a rhythm?

He kicked the log with his foot.

Animal Rhythms

How did the monkey make a rhythm?

He jumped up and down and

rustled the leaves.

Animal Rhythms

How did the crane and crocodile make a rhythm?

They worked together to make

a tickly, tinkling sound.

Animal Rhythms

How did the frogs make a rhythm?

They sang every morning

and every evening.

Your challenge:

Part 1: Create your own rhythm

using your body as an instrument.

You can clap, stamp, tap or

any other idea you can think of.

Ask a partner to make a rhythm, too!

African music often has polyrhythms, many rhythms occurring at the same time.

Part Two: Combine your rhythm with your adult or partner by playing them at the same time.

Does combining your rhythms work? If so, why? If not, try to each create another rhythm that will

work when played together.

Practice makes progress!

Does this new rhythm work?

If the 2 rhythms do not go together, do your rhythms sound more like noise than music?

Keep working to find a rhythm that sounds musical!