How do we make music?
Music is mostly made from two things:A pattern of sounds of different durations. and Different pitched notes played one after another making a tune..
Let's see how we can To write your own music. rhythms to use in our piece of music and have some fun along the way!
Watch: Pulse and rhythm with composer Anna Meredith
'There are no rules, just rhythms!'
Lightning Jelly explore A steady, regular beat that continues throughout the song. and rhythms with A person who writes music., Anna Meredith.
GIRL 1: Here it is, a fresh new practise room.
GIRL 2: Fresh? It’s about as fresh as a zombie’s flip-flop.
BOY 1: So this is where the magic will happen?
BOY 2:- L-Looks like a witch is already being here. WAaAah!!
GIRL 2: Can I start hitting things yet?
GIRL 1: Mr. Piper believes we can make the BEST end of year songs ever and we're gonna make it happen. Right guys?
ALL: YWAH
GIRL 1: Ruby?
GIRL 2: Well, we don't have any clue about rhythm, melody, or a chorus. But hey, what can go wrong?
GIRL 1: Exactly!! let’s do it! A one, two, three, four!
ANNA: Wow! That’s quite the sound you’re making!
BOY 2: Er, guys… Anna Meredith just jumped out of a poster.
GIRL 2: Well, that's completely normal.
GIRL 1: Are we doing something wrong, Anna?
ANNA: Your ideas are great, but let's see if we can play together. Let's start with a pulse.
GIRL 2: I should have brought my shades.
BOY 1: H-How is everybody fine with this?!
BOY 2: Where are our instruments?
ANNA: You don't always need instruments to make music, just ourselves!
1!2!3!4!,
1!2!3!4!,
1!2!3!4!
Now we have a PULSE! The… notes… are… all… the… same… length…
GIRL 1: Like… your… heart… beat…
ANNA: Exactly! Now we have a steady pulse. We can make a rhythm. A rhythm is a pattern of signs of different lengths. A pattern of sounds of different lengths.
BOY 2: So we can use words to make a rhythm. Let me try!
Is this right? Is this right?
ANNA: There’s no right or wrong, only rhythm. Everyone!
BOY 1: Weirdest day of my life.
GIRL 3: Chicken and chips and mushy peas!
GIRL 2: This is stupid. This is stupid.
ANNA: Nice one, Ruby!
GIRL 1: Our song will be epic!
ANNA: Rocking rhythms guys!
GIRL 3: Chicken and chips and mushy peas!
GIRL 1: Our song will be epic!
What is a rhythm?
A rhythm is a pattern of sounds of different lengths.
Rhythms are everywhere in music.
Drummers use lots of different rhythms to create The feel of the rhythm in a piece of music. and The regular rhythmic pattern of music..
Watch: Patterns of different lengths
Mrs Thomas: Have a go yourself. Make sure you keep marching to the pulse at the same time.
Naomi: A pattern of sounds of different lengths. Woo.
Mrs Thomas: Good work. Join in as well.
A pattern of sounds of different lengths.
We are keeping the pulse by marching and showing the rhythm with words and tapping.
Naomi: Great! How else can we show rhythms?
Mrs Thomas: Oh well we can clap whilst we march. The clapping will be the rhythm and the marching is still the pulse. I'll demonstrate and you copy.
Naomi: Okay.
Mrs Thomas: And then it's over to you watching. Are you ready? One, two, three, four.
Claps rhythm
Good. Okay, here's the next one. Mhmmm.
Claps rhythm
Well done.
Claps rhythm
Okay and the last one.
Claps rhythm
Naomi: Wahoo
Mrs Thomas: Oh well done Naomi and everyone watching!
Watch: Compose your own rhythm
Mrs Thomas: I've got the perfect exercise to help you compose a new rhythm.
Naomi: Oh what what's compose?
Mrs Thomas: Oh it's just a fancy way of saying create music.
Naomi: Oh great! That's what I'm trying to do. Where do we start?
Mrs Thomas: With a pulse of course! But this pulse is made up of two pats on our shoulders and then a pause for two beats like this.
Taps pulse
Naomi: You join in as well.
Mrs Thomas: In the gaps…let's say…our favourite foods. Copy me…apple pie.
Naomi: Apple pie.
Mrs Thomas: Apple pie.
Naomi: Apple pie.
Mrs Thomas: Your turn.
Naomi: A Sunday roast with all the trimmings like all the potatoes and carrots and peas and Yorkshire pudding you can eat and of course loads and loads of gravy as well.
Mrs Thomas: Oh, that does sound lovely, but it doesn't fit in the gap. Maybe think of a shorter dish.
Naomi: All right, I'll take out the carrots.
Mrs Thomas: Er shorter than that.
Naomi: Oh.
Mrs Thomas: Also remember you can say the words in lots of different ways to create a good rhythm. I could say
tapping Apple pie. (in a singing voice)
Apple pie.
Apple pie.
Let's give it another go. I'll start again.
Naomi: Okay.
Mrs Thomas: Apple pie.
Naomi: Apple pie.
Mrs Thomas: Your turn.
Naomi: Cheese pizza.
Mrs Thomas: Cheese pizza.
Naomi: Cheese pizza.
Mrs Thomas: Cheese pizza. Oh well done. Let's try clapping the rhythm of our words as well as saying them in the gap this time.
Naomi: Ooh, we are taking this up a notch.
Mrs Thomas: Okay, here we go.
Tapping and clapping Apple pie.
Naomi: Apple pie.
Mrs Thomas: Apple pie.
Naomi: Apple pie.
Mrs Thomas: Your turn.
Naomi: Cheese pizza.
Mrs Thomas: Cheese pizza.
Naomi: Cheese pizza.
Mrs Thomas: Cheese pizza.
Naomi: Wahoo.
Mrs Thomas: Ahh well done. That was brilliant. We've just used our favourite foods to create a rhythm.
Naomi: Yeah, I guess we did.
Mrs Thomas: Mine was apple pie which is short short long. Can you work out what rhythm yours was?
Naomi: Mine was cheese pizza. So that would be long short short.
Mrs Thomas: Now let's put our two rhythms together.
Naomi: Ohh yeah. Let's create a super rhythm!
Mrs Thomas: I'll clap my rhythm and then you clap yours after. Off we go.
Apple pie.
Naomi: Cheese pizza.
Mrs Thomas: Apple pie.
Naomi: Cheese pizza.
Claps rhythm
Mrs Thomas: Aww your rhythm is really coming together. I think you're ready to play it on your instrument.
Naomi: Oh welcome back wood block. Here we go.
taps wooden block
Mrs Thomas: Oh, amazing. You've just preformed your very own rhythm on an instrument.
Now you know what rhythms are - let's have a look at composing some of our own.
- Tap on your shoulders for two beats.
- In the gap, try saying apple pie or cheese pizza.
- Keep tapping your shoulders.
- Now have a go at saying your favourite food in the gap.
- Try clapping your favourite food rhythm out.
You can explore different rhythms by Creating or playing music on the spot without a musical score..
Remember to keep the pulse going all the way through.
You are on the way to becoming a great composer!
How do rhythms make us feel?
Rhythms are very important when composing melodies too.
We can make sections of music feel different by the rhythms we use.
A rhythm with lots of quick sounds might make us feel excited while rhythms with longer and slower sounds might make use feel calm, sad or sleepy!
Activities
Keep the beat
With a friend or family member, ask them to keep the pulse by marching on the spot and counting one, two, three, four in time with their marching.
Now as they keep the pulse, see if you can come up with some rhythms that fit in those four beats.
You can try repeating them or you can leave pauses to make it exciting!
Instead of marching, you could try patting your knees or clicking your fingers.
Quiz
Bitesize Primary games. game
Play fun and educational primary games in science, maths, English, history, geography, art, computing and modern languages.
More on Creating Music
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