Leicester-Shire Schools Music Services
Pulse – Unit 1
Year 3
Outcomes
I can sing and play confidently and fluently, maintaining a steady pulse.
I can maintain a part in a piece / rhythm game consisting of two or more parts.
I can offer comments about own and others’ work and ways to improve, using appropriate musical vocabulary. I can accept feedback and suggestions from others.
I can respond to visual and aural cues.
I can follow and lead simple performance directions, demonstrating my understanding of pulse.
End of Unit Outcome
To produce a composition that is recorded and shared with the class
Glossary
Ostinato - a repeated rhythm or melody
Rhythm - an arrangement of notes with different durations of length
Rest – no sound
Pulse – The constant beat
Acknowledgements
Written by Sarah Share
Leicester-Shire Schools Music Service
Year 3 Unit 1 – Pulse, rhythm and tempoLesson, Unit, LO, NC / AF / Starter and Input / Activity and Success Criteria / Plenary / Resources
Lesson 1
Sing and play confidently and fluently, maintaining a steady pulse.
Maintain a part in a piece / rhythm game consisting of two or more parts. / Start by singing songs known to the class to warm up.
Use body to keep the pulse of the songs, eg clapping, stamping, tapping knees, tapping head, tapping shoulders, moving arms in and out.
Hand out plastic cup to each child. Tap base of cup to the pulse of a song? / Show the cup song clip from the film “Pitch perfect”.
Is this percussion?
Did the cups create music?
Did the cup players tap the pulse? No, they tapped the rhythm.
Did the rhythm change at all through the song? No, this is called ostinato.
What is the difference between when we tapped the pulse at the start of the lesson and tapping the rhythm?
Explain that we are going to create an ostinato.
Step 1
RHYTHM 1
Use 4 chairs & sit four people on them
Play a song / piece of music
Eg Match of the day.
Teacher stands behind the chairs and points to each chair in order, keeping a steady pulse to the music. Chair 1, chair 2, chair 3, chair 4, chair 1, chair 2…and so on
Pupils to clap their hands as each chair is pointed to. Continue until all pupils are able to join in and clap confidently.
Ask one child to stand behind their chair, this empty chair means rest / don’t play. What can they do with their hands during the rest?
Continue as above, ensuring all pupils are able to join in with the rhythm accurately.
Bring back the pupil to the empty chair.
Pupils sat on the chairs to place hands on part of the body that they want the class to tap.
Eg Head, shoulders, knees, clap hands.
It doesn’t matter if 2 pupils use the same sound.
Play the music. As teacher points to pupils on chairs (as before), class creates a body percussion rhythm. It must be tapped together so nobody plays quicker or slower.
Practice this until pupils can play it accurately.
Swap for another 4 pupils and repeat activity.
Repeat as many times as you choose.
Need to keep last group of pupils sitting on chairs.
Step 2
RHYTHM 2
Set up another row of chairs. This time 4 pupils stand behind their chairs.
Each of the 4 pupils puts a hand on the back of the chair.
Play the music. Teacher points to each chair in time with the pulse of the music as in previous activity.
Each chair represents a clap from the class.
When pupils are comfortable with the clapping to the beat of the music ask the 1st pupil standing behind the chair to place 2 hands on the back of their chair.
Pupils in class must now clap twice, quickly, when the teacher points to chair 1.
The 2 claps have to be quick to fit them into 1 beat.
Practice this until all pupils can clap the rhythm confidently and accurately.
Ask a second pupil to put 2 hands on the back of their chair and practice this new rhythm until all pupils can do this confidently.
You could repeat this activity but the final group must stay behind the chairs.
Step 3
Recap the first rhythm using body percussion.
Ask pupils to choose whether they would like to clap rhythm 1 or rhythm 2 and sit in front of the appropriate chairs
Start the piece of music and begin the body percussion ostinato rhythm 1.
When rhythm 1 are confident bring in the clapping ostinato rhythm 2 to play as well.
Both groups are to keep playing their chosen ostinato. / Repeat step 3 and ask the following questions.
What happened to the first group when the second group began playing?
What did the players do to help them stick to their own rhythm and not get distracted? / A video clip of the cup song from Pitch Perfect
Plastic cups 1 per pupil. If the pupils hit plastic cards to hard they do break. It maybe an idea for each child to bring in a more sturdy plastic cup from home
Lesson, Unit, LO, NC / AF / Starter and Input / Activity and Success Criteria / Plenary / Resources
Lesson 2
I can maintain an ostinato in a piece
I can play confidently and fluently and maintain a steady pulse / Watch the cup song video.
While listening to the cup song clap the pulse of the song.
Hand out cups. Use the cups to tap the pulse of some known songs, tapping the base of the cup.
Repeat activity tapping the base of the cup on the floor. / Task 1
Learn the first half of the cup song rhythm as a whole class.
Make sure you are confident with playing it yourself before teaching it. If it helps you can put words to the rhythm to help the pupils.
Eg
Beat / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8
Action with cup / clap / clap / Tap tap / tap / clap / Pick cup up / Tap cup down / Rest
Words to help with rhythm / clap / clap / Lolli- / pop / Glass / of / milk
Your class will have lots of ideas to help to change the words for the rhythm.
Learn it slowly.
When there are pupils confident in playing it let them be leaders of small groups to help teach the rest of the class.
Perform the ostinato rhythm on the cups to the cup song.
Task 2
Sit in a circle, half the circle perform the ostinato, the other half tap the pulse on the base of their cup.
Swap over parts.
Discuss – How do we know when to start playing? Who do we watch? What do you do to help you keep playing your own part?
Choose a known song to the children. The class playing the pulse are to sing the song. The other group play the cup song rhythm.
Pupils to concentrate on keeping to their own part. Pupils to have a go at playing the pulse and playing the ostinato.
Have a pupil leader bring in the ostinato so they all start together? (Eg It could be they give 4 pulse taps, it could be they play the cup song rhythm twice. Let the class decide) / How many different sounds were used in the ostinato?
4
What were they?
Clap, tap, cup up, cup down
What do they need to focus on to ensure they play well as a group?
Watching each other, listening to each other, focusing on their part / Plastic cup per pupil
Lesson, Unit, LO, NC / AF / Starter and Input / Activity and Success Criteria / Plenary / Resources
Lesson 3
I can follow simple performance directions, demonstrating I have an understanding of pulse.
I can respond to visual and aural cues. / Sing a couple of known songs to the chn and use the cups to keep a steady beat.
Encourage them to use a different sound from the cup for each song (Eg tap the base, tap cup on floor) but they must keep the same sound for the whole song. They need to make short sounds not long sounds (eg a tap or a bang not a rubbing or scraping sound) / Task 1
During the starter what different sounds did the pupils make from their cups?
Make a class list of different ways of making sounds with the cups that can be displayed and referred back to.
As a class create an 8 (4 beat rhythm if 8 is too tricky) beat rhythm to use as an ostinato to a song.
Use 8 / 4 chairs and put pictures on them to show what they will do in the 8 / 4 beats.
Draw pictures on whiteboards and remember to refer back to the list of sounds.
Don’t be afraid to repeat sounds - 8 different sounds will be very hard to remember.
You could put 2 repetitive sounds on one chair – like 2 taps in the cup song rhythm.
Task 2
Learn to play this composed ostinato rhythm together as a class so that pupils can play it accurately & confidently.
Task 3
Split into 4 groups. Pupils to create their own 8 or 4 beat rhythm to use as an ostinato to a song using the one composedin task 1 as a model.
Use 8 / 4 chairs and put pictures on them to show what they will do in the 8 / 4 beats. They can draw their own pictures on whiteboards.
Suggestion for a song to use is “What shall we do with the drunken sailor?” as it has a strong beat / pulse but you can use any song that has a 4 beat pulse.
Half way through activity stop the group work and explain to the pupils that they will play their ostinato twice before the class will start singing to the rhythm.
Ask the pupils …(Don’t give them the answers)
How are they going to all play at the same pace? How are they all going to start playing together?
Groups continue to work on their ostinato thinking about the questions that have been asked. Half the group will need to sing the song and tap the pulse and the other half practice the ostinato and then swap around. / Pupils to write down their performance directions and their composition so they each have a copy. / Cups
Paper to write down composition
Lesson, Unit, LO, NC / AF / Starter and Input / Activity and Success Criteria / Plenary / Resources
Lesson 4
I can suggest ways to improve my own and other’s work using musical vocabulary.
I can accept feedback from others / Play a backing track that has a good beat. Chn to sit in a circle with a woodblock in the middle.
Pass a beater around the circle to the pulse, whilst chanting,
“Pass the beater round and round,
Listen to the rhythmic sound”
(All pupils to move their right arm right to left with the pulse so that they are ready to pass the beater when it is their turn.)
Chant it twice. The person who is holding the beater at the end of the second chant taps a rhythm on the woodblock that fits to the pulse and the class echo it back.
The chant continues / Task 1
Refer back to last lessons ostinato composition.
In their groups pupils spend time reminding themselves of the rhythm and the performance direction.
Pupils to practice their rhythm.
Remind pupils of the questions asked during last lesson:(Don’t give them the answers)
How are they going to all play at the same pace? How are they all going to start playing together
Task 2
Each group will perform their ostinato rhythm to the class. The rest of the class will sing while the group performs.
As each group performs all pupils are to fill in an evaluation sheet.
How did each group know when to begin to play with each other?
How did they know how fast / slow to play?
How did they know when to stop playing?
What cues were used?
Discuss what pupils wrote down. Which cues were the most effective? / Pupils to use the feedback given to them about their performance and from watching other groups. Practice using the best practice ideas discussed in the lesson.
Feedback should show they need a leader of their group who they will follow. Ensure each group does this. (HA pupil)
Write down on their evaluation sheet what changes they made to their performance after hearing feedback from their peers. / Cups
Last lessons composition
Cues evaluation sheet
Lesson, Unit, LO, NC / AF / Starter and Input / Activity and Success Criteria / Plenary / Resources
Lesson 5
I can maintain a part in a piece
I can respond to visual and aural cues.
I can follow performance directions, demonstrating understanding of pulse. / Play a backing track.
Teacher to bring in Group 1 to play & practice their ostinato rhythm.
When they are confident, add group 2, then group 3, then group 4. / Task 1
Groups to remind themselves of their ostinato. Who was the leader that they followed?
Explain that we are going to play our ostinatos all at the same time. Sometimes they will all play together, sometimes it will be on their own. They are going to have to watch for cues from the teacher as to what they are to play. Don’t tell them what your cues are.
You will need some chn to play the pulse. These maybe chn who find playing the rhythm too hard or HA pupils who are good at keeping a steady pulse. They could tap their cup on the group.
Choose 2 groups to start. Play a recording for pupils to play along to. It could be a song you sing in assembly or a song used earlier in their unit. The other 2 groups are to watch for cues and work out what they mean. (This will be useful for when it is their turn.) Start the song.
This is entirely for the teacher to lead using your own chosen cues. Ideas for cues are…
Pointing to a group and counting in on your fingers 1, 2, 3, 4
Thumbs up at a group and counting in on your fingers 1, 2, 3, 4
Stop sign with palm of hand showing and counting in on your fingers 1, 2, 3, 4
Arms making a cross and counting in on your fingers 1, 2, 3, 4
They will need a clear cue as to when to start playing, if you only point at them they will not know when to start playing.
Repeat the song with the other 2 groups. You could use different cues for these groups to add to the discussion that is to follow on from the activity.
Task 2
Ask pupils if they knew when to play / when not to play / where the cues clear?
Ensure all pupils understand what your cues are and they know how to follow them.
Are the pupils playing able to follow the cues? / Repeat the activity now that all pupils know and understand the cues treating it like a performance.
Record both performances for next lesson. / Cups
Music to accompany
Recording device
Lesson, Unit, LO, NC / AF / Starter and Input / Activity and Success Criteria / Plenary / Resources
Lesson 6
I can suggest ways to improve my own and other’s work using musical vocabulary.
I can accept feedback from others / Play a backing track.
Teacher to bring in Group 1 to play & practice their ostinato rhythm.
When they are confident, add group 2, then group 3, then group 4. / Watch last week’s performances.
Evaluate the performances.
Did all the players start playing at the same time?
Did all the players stop playing at the same time?
Did all the players play their rhythm at the same time?
What could they have done to ensure they started / stopped / played together?
(It is important that children are watching the conductor / teacher as much as they can)
HA can compose a 16 beat ostinato / be the leaders in the groups
LA can compose a 4 beat ostinato / Ask chn to think about the evaluation of their performance.
As a final performance teacher to conduct and all 4 groups will play, following the teacher’s instructions & gestures. / Evaluation sheet
Recording from last lesson
Unit 1 – Pulse, Year 3Page 1