Exploring Steady Beat With Percussion Instruments

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Subject Area

Arts Education

Grade(s)

K, 1

Overview

Students will perform steady beat using body percussion and percussion instruments. A video demonstration is provided. 

Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): KG - Music

AE17.MU.K.1

Explore and experience music concepts.

UP:AE17.MU.K.1

Vocabulary

Rhythm
  • Steady beat
  • Long/ Short
  • One and two sounds per beat
  • Silent beat
Melody
  • High and low
  • Pitch set: So, Mi
  • Musical alphabet
Harmony
  • Accompaniment/ no accompaniment
Form
  • Like and unlike phrases
  • Echo
Expression
  • Speak, sing, shout, whisper
  • Solo/ Group
  • Unpitched percussion
  • Flute, trumpet, violin, piano
  • Loud/ Soft
  • Fast/ Slow
Other
  • Age-appropriate audience and performer etiquette

Essential Questions

EU: The creative ideas, concepts, and feelings that influence musicians' work emerge from a variety of sources.
EQ: How do musicians generate creative ideas?

Skills Examples

Performing
  • Chant, move, play, and sing grade level skills.
  • Echo simple rhythmic patterns.
  • Echo a three-pitch melodic pattern using the correct syllables and hand signs.
Creating
  • Perform an improvised rhythmic pattern within a framework of four beats.
  • Perform an improvised melodic pattern on a pitched percussion instrument set to the pentatonic scale within a framework of four beats.
  • Improvise short songs and instrumental pieces using a variety of sound sources, including traditional or classroom sounds, body percussion, and sounds produced by electronic means.
  • Explore musical sources freely using found sounds, electronic sounds, or sounds from voice or instruments found in classroom, remembering to use sound and silence.
Reading/ Writing
  • Create a visual representation of sound.
Responding/ Evaluating
  • Respond to a musical call or question with an age- appropriate musical answer.
  • Evaluate peer performance to determine steady beat/no steady beat.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): KG - Music

AE17.MU.K.8

Explore and achieve awareness of music contrasts in a variety of music selected for performance.

UP:AE17.MU.K.8

Vocabulary

Rhythm
  • Steady beat
  • Long/ Short
  • One and two sounds per beat
  • Silent beat
Melody
  • High and low
  • Pitch set: So, Mi
  • Musical alphabet
Harmony
  • Accompaniment/ no accompaniment
Form
  • Like and unlike phrases
  • Echo
Expression
  • Speak, sing, shout, whisper
  • Solo/ Group
  • Unpitched percussion
  • Flute, trumpet, violin, piano
  • Loud/ Soft
  • Fast/ Slow
Other
  • Age-appropriate audience and performer etiquette

Essential Questions

EU: Analyzing creators' context and how they manipulate elements of music provides insight into their intent and informs performance.
EQ: How does understanding the structure and context of musical works inform performance?

Skills Examples

Performing
  • Demonstrate same and different (e.g., fast/slow, loud/soft, high/low and long/short).
  • Demonstrate a steady beat and maintain it while performing.
  • Sing using head voice and appropriate posture.
  • Play a variety of classroom instruments, alone and with others, and demonstrate proper technique.
Creating
  • Create a wide variety of vocal and instrumental sounds.
Reading/ Writing
  • Explore connections between sound and its visual representation.
Responding/ Evaluating
  • Move to music of various and contrasting styles, composers and cultures.
  • Demonstrate audience behavior appropriate for the context and style of music performed.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 4: Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 1 - Music

AE17.MU.1.16

Demonstrate and identify how specific music concepts are used in various styles of music for a purpose.

UP:AE17.MU.1.16

Vocabulary

Rhythm
  • Quarter note, quarter rest, paired eighth notes
  • Strong/ weak beat
  • Steady beat/ rhythm
  • Allegro/ adagio
Melody
  • Pitch set: Mi, So, La
  • Steps/ skips/ repeated notes
  • Melodic direction
  • Modified staff
  • Line notes and space notes
Harmony/texture
  • Rhythmic ostinati
  • Simple bordun
Form
  • AB, ABA
Expression
  • Legato, staccato
  • Piano (p), forte (f)
  • Classroom instrument classifications
  • Clarinet, trombone, cello, drum
  • Orchestral music: ballet
  • Non-Western music celebrations
Other
  • Proper singing posture
  • Age-appropriate pitch matching (C4 - C5)1
  • Mallet/ drumming technique — hands together

Essential Questions

EU: Response to music is informed by analyzing context (social, cultural, and historical) and how creators and performers manipulate the elements of music.
EQ: How does understanding the structure and context of music inform a response?

Skills Examples

Performing
  • Select appropriate music for specific events such as school festivals, community events, and class or grade level performances.
Creating
  • Create a rhythmic ostinato that reflects the style of the music performed (ex: finger cymbals/lullaby).
Reading/ Writing
  • Identify repeated rhythmic passages in music and notate using iconic notation (ex: rhythm of repeated melodic phrase in "In the Hall of the Mountain King").
Responding/ Evaluating
  • Aurally identify clarinet, trombone, and cello in the context of an ensemble performance.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.

CR Resource Type

Learning Activity

Resource Provider

Carnegie Hall

License Type

Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike
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