Grade by Grade
A. Dance / C. Music · Music and Dance

Music: Steady Beat and Rhythm

C1.2 C1.4 C1.5About 30 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can keep a steady beat by clapping, tapping or marching.
  • I can tell the difference between the beat and the rhythm.
  • I can say and clap rhythms using "ta" and "ti-ti", and show a rest.
  • I can read and write simple rhythm patterns with symbols.

Words to know

music
Sounds put together in a pattern to make songs and tunes.
beat
The steady pulse in music that keeps going, like a heartbeat or a ticking clock.
rhythm
The pattern of long and short sounds in music. It often follows the words of a song.
ta
One sound on one beat. In music notes it looks like ♩ (a quarter note).
ti-ti
Two quick, even sounds on one beat. In music notes it looks like ♫ (two eighth notes).
rest
A beat with no sound. We say "shh" or just stay quiet.
symbol
A mark or picture that stands for something, like ♩ standing for one sound on a beat.

Feel your heartbeat

Put your hand on your chest. Can you feel your heart going thump, thump, thump? It keeps going, steady and even.

Music has something like a heartbeat too. It is called the beat.

Beat

The beat is the steady pulse in music. It goes on and on, evenly, like:

  • a ticking clock: tick, tick, tick, tick
  • marching feet: left, right, left, right
  • a heartbeat: thump, thump, thump, thump

When you tap your foot to a song, you are usually tapping the beat.

A hand drum with a mallet, a tambourine, two rhythm sticks and two maracas on a carpet.
You can keep a steady beat on any of these instruments: a hand drum, a tambourine, rhythm sticks or maracas. AI-generated image
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Four steady beats. Tap one heart for each beat: 1, 2, 3, 4.

Rhythm

The rhythm is different. Rhythm is the pattern of long and short sounds. It usually follows the words of a song.

Say "Rain, rain, go away" and clap once for each word part (syllable).

  • Rain gets one clap on one beat.
  • Rain gets one clap on one beat.
  • Go a- gets two quick claps on one beat.
  • -way gets one clap on one beat.

Some beats have one sound. Some beats have two quick sounds. That pattern is the rhythm!

Rhythm words: ta, ti-ti and rest

Musicians use special words to say rhythms:

  • ta = one sound on one beat. Its symbol is ♩.
  • ti-ti = two quick, even sounds on one beat. Its symbol is ♫.
  • rest = a beat with no sound. We whisper "shh" or open our hands quietly. Its symbol is 𝄽.

So "Rain, rain, go away" is: ta ta ti-ti ta

Rainrain,goa-waytatati-tita
"Rain, rain, go away" has 4 beats (the dots on top). Three beats have one sound (ta, ♩). One beat has two quick sounds (ti-ti, ♫).
WordsRhythmSymbolsBeats
Rain, rain, go a-wayta ta ti-ti ta♩ ♩ ♫ ♩4
Hot cross buns (shh)ta ta ta rest♩ ♩ ♩ 𝄽4
Ma-ple, ma-ple, snow, snowti-ti ti-ti ta ta♫ ♫ ♩ ♩4
Pea-nut but-ter jamti-ti ti-ti ta♫ ♫ ♩3
Saying words in rhythm. Each ta, ti-ti or rest takes up one beat.

Beat or rhythm?

Beat = steady and even, like a clock. It never changes.

Rhythm = the pattern of the words, with some short sounds and some long sounds.

Try this: tap the beat on your knees with one hand while you say a song. Then clap the words to show the rhythm. They are different!

Worked example

Example: Clap a rhythm from a word

Let's turn Canadian animal names into rhythms: moose, bea-ver, loon, ot-ter.

  1. Say each word and clap each part. Moose has one part, so it is one sound on one beat: ta.
  2. Bea-ver has two parts that go quickly on one beat: ti-ti.
  3. Loon has one part: ta.
  4. Ot-ter has two quick parts: ti-ti.
  5. Put them in a row and keep a steady beat: ta ti-ti ta ti-ti.

Moose, bea-ver, loon, ot-ter = ta ti-ti ta ti-ti (♩ ♫ ♩ ♫). That is 4 beats and 6 claps.

Just for fun

What do you call a cow that can keep a steady beat?

A moo-sician!

Worked example

Example: Read a rhythm

Read this rhythm with symbols: ♩ ♩ ♫ 𝄽

  1. Keep a steady beat on your knee: 1, 2, 3, 4.
  2. Beat 1: ♩ is ta. Clap once.
  3. Beat 2: ♩ is ta. Clap once.
  4. Beat 3: ♫ is ti-ti. Clap twice quickly.
  5. Beat 4: 𝄽 is a rest. Open your hands and stay quiet.

Say and clap: ta ta ti-ti (shh). That is 4 beats with 4 claps and 1 quiet beat.

Hands-on activity

Kitchen rhythm band

You need: a wooden spoon and an upside-down pot or plastic bowl (or just your hands), and some paper and a pencil.

  1. Put on a song you like. Tap the steady beat on the pot with the spoon.
  2. Stop the music. Say the names of foods in your kitchen: milk (ta), ap-ple (ti-ti), bread (ta), pan-cake (ti-ti).
  3. Choose 4 foods and line them up. Tap the rhythm on the pot.
  4. Write your rhythm with ta and ti-ti (or ♩ and ♫) on paper. Can your grown-up read it and play it back to you?

Your turn

1

Pat a steady beat on your knees while a grown-up counts to 8.

2

Clap the rhythm of your first name. How many claps?

3

Say the rhythm of "snow-man" using ta or ti-ti.

4

Clap and say: ta ta ti-ti ta

5

What does a rest mean?

6

Which symbol means ti-ti: ♩ or ♫?

7

Is a ticking clock more like the beat or the rhythm?

More practice: warm-up

1

Say ta for each clap: 👏 👏 👏 👏

2

March in place to a steady beat for 8 steps.

3

How many sounds are in one ti-ti?

4

How many sounds are in one ta?

5

Clap "Hot cross buns".

More practice: on your own

1

Write the rhythm for "pizza, pizza, cheese".

2

Read and clap: ♫ ♫ ♩ ♩

3

How many beats are in ta ti-ti ta?

4

Make up a rhythm with 4 beats using ta and ti-ti. Write it and clap it.

5

Tap the beat on your knee while you say "Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day." Then clap the rhythm. Which one changed with the words?

Challenge

1

How many beats and how many claps are in ta ta ti-ti ta?

2

Find the mistake. Nia wrote "to-bog-gan" as ti-ti. Clap it. Is she right?

3

Write a rhythm that has a rest on beat 4 and ti-ti on beat 1. Use 4 beats.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

The steady pulse in music, like a ticking clock, is called the ___.

2.

How do you say the rhythm of "ap-ple"?

3.

What does a rest mean?

4.

Which rhythm matches "Rain, rain, go a-way"?

5.

Which symbol stands for ta?

6.

How many beats are in ti-ti ta ta?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: The beat is the steady pulse; the rhythm is the pattern of long and short sounds, usually following the words. Grade 1 students learn that sounds can be shown with symbols. Many Ontario classrooms use the rhythm words ta (quarter note ♩), ti-ti (two eighth notes ♫) and a rest (quarter rest). Your child's teacher may use slightly different words; that's fine.

How to help:

  • Tap the beat together to songs in the car or kitchen.
  • Clap the rhythm of family names, foods and pets.
  • Write 4-beat rhythms on sticky notes and take turns reading them.

Common difficulties:

  • Mixing up beat and rhythm. Do both at once: you tap the beat while your child claps the words. Then switch.
  • Rushing. Use a slow, steady beat. Rushing usually comes from excitement!
  • Counting claps instead of beats. Remind them: ti-ti is two claps squeezed into one beat.