New
New
Year 3

Rounds as a singing structure

I can follow the structure of a round and know that everybody sings the same melody but at different times.

New
New
Year 3

Rounds as a singing structure

I can follow the structure of a round and know that everybody sings the same melody but at different times.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Warming up can help develop our sense of pulse as well as protect our voice from injury.
  2. A round is a song structure where the same melody is sung in groups with each group beginning at regular intervals.
  3. There are usually two to four groups singing in a round. The more parts there are, the thicker the texture.
  4. Feeling the pulse helps us to sing at the same tempo so that the round is successful.

Keywords

  • Pulse - the regular, steady heartbeat of the music

  • Round - a singing structure in which a melody is sung in groups, with each group starting at regular intervals, to create texture

  • Structure - the way the music is organised

  • Unison - the same tune sung or played at the same time

  • Texture - the combination of different layers of sounds

Common misconception

A round is where you sing a song once through but everyone starts at different times.

A round is a shorter song that repeats on a loop. The start times are staggered in half, in quarters, or sometimes in thirds. Feeling the steady pulse, and counting the correct number of beats helps us know when to start singing.


To help you plan your year 3 music lesson on: Rounds as a singing structure, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Keeping a steady pulse on a drum or claves can help pupils to see and hear the pulse to support them staying in time.
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Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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4 Questions

Q1.
Which two of the following options can we do to feel the pulse?
An image in a quiz
sing quicker
Correct answer: tap or clap the pulse
Correct answer: move to the steady beat
sing louder
Q2.
Complete these sentences. When we are warmed up ...
Correct Answer:our mind is ready to __________,concentrate

concentrate

Correct Answer:our voice feels __________ and ready,warm

warm

Correct Answer:our body feels ___________ and relaxed,tall

tall

Correct Answer:our chest feels __________,open

open

Q3.
Match the musical elements to their meaning.
Correct Answer:texture,the combination of different layers of sounds

the combination of different layers of sounds

Correct Answer:structure,the way the music is organised

the way the music is organised

Correct Answer:tempo,how fast or slow the music is played

how fast or slow the music is played

Correct Answer:dynamics,how loud or quiet the music is played or sung

how loud or quiet the music is played or sung

Q4.
Which of the following is not true?
We can all sing together and this is called singing in unison.
We can sometimes sing in groups.
Correct answer: We always start and stop together when singing.
We don't always have to start singing at the same time.

4 Questions

Q1.
True or false? We only sing a round once through.
Correct Answer: false, False, untrue, not true
Q2.
Complete this sentence. Feeling the pulse is useful when we sing together because ...
An image in a quiz
it helps us sing at the right pitch.
it helps us to know when to sing loudly or quietly.
it helps us remember the structure of the song.
Correct answer: it helps keep us all to the same tempo.
Q3.
Match each musical element to its meaning.
Correct Answer:structure,the way the music is organised

the way the music is organised

Correct Answer:pulse,the regular, steady heartbeat of the music

the regular, steady heartbeat of the music

Correct Answer:tempo,how fast or slow the music is played

how fast or slow the music is played

Correct Answer:texture,the combination of different layers of sound

the combination of different layers of sound

Q4.
Which two things can we do to show the pulse?
Correct answer: Tap our knees to a steady beat
Correct answer: March in time to the steady beat
Sing higher notes
Change our dynamics from quiet to loud

Additional material

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