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Lesson 2 of 6
  • Year 3

Adding simple instrumental parts to songs and chants

I can use percussion instruments to add musical punctuation to songs and chants.

Lesson 2 of 6
New
New
  • Year 3

Adding simple instrumental parts to songs and chants

I can use percussion instruments to add musical punctuation to songs and chants.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The rhythm is the pattern of the lyrics we sing or chant.
  2. We can work out the rhythm of a word using syllables.
  3. Stick notation can be used to notate rhythms.
  4. Takadimi is a rhythm where there are four equal sounds within one beat.
  5. Unpitched percussion instruments can be used to highlight rhythms in a song or chant.

Keywords

  • Beat - the playing or showing of the steady pulse, like the ticking of a clock

  • Rhythm - the pattern of sounds and silences that we play and sing

  • Syllable - a part of a word

  • Stick notation - a way of writing music down

  • Unpitched percussion - an instrument that makes a sound when you strike, shake, or scrape it, but doesn’t have a specific note or pitch

Common misconception

Each sound in a rhythm is a beat.

Rhythm is the pattern of sounds and silences of differing durations. Rhythmic notes can have a duration of one beat, more than one beat, or less than one beat.


To help you plan your year 3 music lesson on: Adding simple instrumental parts to songs and chants, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

The connection between beat and rhythm can be further explored by revisiting familiar chants, songs, and nursery rhymes.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Class set of unpitched percussion instruments that are easy for pupils to play rhythms clearly on e.g. claves and drums.

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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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
When we play the beat, we are showing the steady ...

rhythm
words
Correct answer: pulse

Q2.
How many syllables are in each of these words?

Correct Answer:ant,1

1

Correct Answer:mango,2

2

Correct Answer:avocado,4

4

Correct Answer:coconut,3

3

Q3.
Which of the following is true about the beat?

Correct answer: The beat is steady, like the ticking of a clock.
Correct answer: The beat is the sounding of the pulse.
The beat follows the pattern of the words.

Q4.
Having a steady sense of is important because it helps us keep in time as we sing or play together.

Correct Answer: pulse

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following are unpitched percussion instruments?

Correct answer: djembe drum
glockenspiel
boomwhackers
Correct answer: claves

Q2.
This rhythm is called ...

An image in a quiz
Ta-di
Correct answer: Takadimi
Ta
Ta-a-a-a

Q3.
Which of the following matches the rhythm?

An image in a quiz
Ta-di, Takadimi. Takadimi, Ta
Ta, Ta-di, Ta-di, Takadimi
Correct answer: Takadimi, Ta-di, Ta-di, Ta

Q4.
True or false? An ostinato is not a very interesting accompaniment to a song.

True
Correct answer: False