Rhythm Lesson #1

Learn to Feel the Beat/Pulse

Importance of feeling a pulse:
Most music we hear has a steady beat, or pulse. Learning to feel the pulse is the first step your child will need to learn before he or she can begin to read rhythm.

Learning objective:
Children will be able to clap or tap their feet to the pulse.

Equipment Needed:
Examples of fast, medium, and slow paced music with a steady pulse.

Instructions:
1. Tell your children that most music they listen to has a steady beat, or pulse. The pulse can be fast, medium, or slow. There are many ways to feel the pulse. You can clap your hands, tap your foot, or even nod your head.

2. Turn on an example of the medium-paced music. Clap (or whatever your child prefers to do to feel the pulse) your hands to the music's pulse/beat, and explain to your child you are clapping your hands to the pulse. Let your child try to clap his or her hands to the pulse. Your child might need help, so you can help your child clap. This may take some practice, especially if your child has never clapped before.

3. Now do the same activity for the slow and fast songs, and have your child clap to the pulse.

4. For fun, you can have your child try to jump, tap his or her foot, or his or her head, march, or dance to the pulse.

5. You can also try doing this with a metronome.

Adapting to younger children (toddlers/babies)
Turn on a musical selection, and clap your child’s hands to the pulse/beat for them. Tell your child he or she is clapping to the pulse. Do this activity for the slow, medium, and fast paced music.

Now let your child try to clap to the pulse by themselves.

For fun, you can let your child hit 2 blocks together, or bang a stick on the ground to the pulse.

Assessment:
Can your child do this next time with out any instruction? If not, help your child until he or she can.

I am participating in Family Moment Monday. Check it out here!