Playing the pulse to keep in time
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can play a strong beat to help us sing in time together.
Key learning points
- When we feel the pulse, we can want to move or clap in time. When we do this, we are sounding the pulse as a beat.
- Playing the pulse as a strong beat can help us to sing in time together.
- We can play the pulse using instruments or body percussion to help us to sing in time.
- Many sea shanties and working songs have a steady pulse that is sounded as a strong beat to help workers sing in time.
Keywords
Sea shanty - a traditional folk song sung by sailors to help them work together in time
Pulse - the regular, steady heartbeat of the music
Beat - the playing or showing of the steady pulse, like the ticking of a clock
Common misconception
Pulse and beat are the same thing.
Pulse is the regular, steady heartbeat of the music. We feel the pulse. The beat is when we can hear the pulse out loud, like the ticking of a clock.
Teacher tip
For the partner tasks (rolling a ball and partner body percussion), it can be helpful to begin by saying "roll, catch" or "clap, together" in time to support pupils feeling the pulse and hearing the beat. Pupils can whisper along with you before they try moving and singing at the same time.
Equipment
Balls (enough for one between two), claves (enough for every pupil to have one pair)
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.When the beat is fast, the music has a fast ...
Q2.__________ is a special kind of call and response where the response is exactly the same as the call.
Q3.The claves are a type of __________ instrument.
Q4.Which are examples of body percussion?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1. are working songs that helped sailors to work together in time. They have a steady pulse that is often sounded as a strong beat. This helped sailors to move together in time with the pulse.
Q2.When we march in time to the music, we are marching to the .
Q3.When the music has a fast tempo, it will also have a fast ...
Q4.True or false? Pulse and beat are not the same thing.
To help you plan your 2 music lesson on: Playing the pulse to keep in time, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 2 music lesson on: Playing the pulse to keep in time, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 music lessons from the Singing together: how singing helps us work together unit, dive into the full primary music curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.