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Lesson 2

 MUSICAL CONTENT AND TEACHING

RHYTHM AND TEMPO

Introduction

Rhythm and Tempo are two elements of music that are very closely
related to each other, that is why we will review them side by side. If you
look at the Department of Education (DepEd) Music Curriculum, rhythm is
taught in the first quarter of a school year, while tempo is taught in the
fourth quarter.

THINK: Overview and Review

First, it would be helpful to get an overview of content topics under

these two musical elements. The following outline has been prepared for
you to already know what to expect.

Rhythm

For Grades 1, 2, and 3:

 Difference between Sound and Silence
 Steady Beats
 Simple Rhythmic Patterns
 Ostinato

For Grade 4 and 5:

 Notes and Rests
 Rhythmic Patterns
 Meter and simple time Signatures
 Ostinato

For Grade 6:
 Same content as Grades 4 and 5, with the addition of 6/8 time
signature.

Tempo

For Grades 1 and 2:

 Speed of Sound in Music
 Difference between Slow and Fast in Music

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For Grade 3:
 Same content as Grade 1 and 2, with the addition of conducting
gestures.

For Grade 4:
 Tempo Markings: Largo and Presto

For Grade 5 and 6:

 Tempo Markings: Largo, Presto, Allegro, Moderato, Andante, Vivace,
Ritardando and Accelerando

Now, let us review some important musical concepts under Rhythm:

1. Rhythm — is the aspect that convers the flow and movement of music as
ordered in time.

2. Meter — is a repeating pattern of strong and weak beats. Meter can be

categorized between simple and compound.

a. Simple Meter — is the type of meter wherein each beat in a measure

of music can be naturally divided into two equal parts. For example,
in the time signature 3/4, each measure contains three quarter-note
beats, and each of those beats divides into two eighth notes.

b. Duple Meter — is the type of meter where beats are grouped in twos.
The best example of this is a march, reflecting the movement of our
two feet. See the following example:
ONE TWO, ONE TWO, ONE TWO; or left right, left right
1 2 1 2 1
(There is a natural strong accent on beat one; beat two is the weak
beat.)

c. Triple Meter — is the type of meter where beats are grouped in

threes.
An example of song that uses this meter is "Bahay Kubo."
ONE TWO THREE, ONE TWO THREE
1 2 3 1 2 3
(There is a natural strong accent on beat one, while two and three
are both weak beats.)

d. Quadruple Meter - is the type of meter consisting of four beats. An

example is the Christmas song, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing."

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ONE TWO THREE FOUR, ONE TWO THREE FOUR

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

(One and three are the strongly accented beats, while two and four
are weak beats. Note: Beat one is slightly stronger than beat three,
even if both of them are considered strong beats.)

Downbeats and Upbeats — A downbeat is the first beat in a bar or

measure of music, and usually has the strongest accent. An upbeat is
the last beat in a previous bar or measure of music that immediately
follows a downbeat. In the quadruple meter example above, the first
beat is the downbeat, while the fourth beat is the upbeat.

3. Ostinato — is a short, consistently repeated pattern found all throughout

a piece of music or in one of its sections. It may be melodic or rhythmic
in nature. In a melodic ostinato, sometimes the pattern and/or pitch is
slightly changed for variation.

4. Different Notes and Their Time Values

Notes are symbols that depict how high or low a musical pitch is, and
also its duration.

a. Whole Note — to be played or sounded

for 4 beats.

b. Half Note — to be played or sounded

for 2 beats.

c. Quarter Note — to be played or

sounded for 1 beat.

d. Eighth Note — to be played or sounded

for 1/2 beat.

e. Sixteenth Note — to be played or

sounded for 1/4 beat.

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Note Values Equivalency Chart

Please take note that the note values above are not set in stone.
The values change with the time signature used. For example:

In the time signatures 2/8 and 3/8: Since the bottom number is 8,
it means that the type of note will receive one beat is the eighth note,
no longer the quarter note. That means that an eighth note will receive
one 1 beat, a sixteenth note will receive 1/2 of a beat, a quarter note
will receive two beats, and so on and so forth.

In cut time (2/2) time signature: Since the bottom number is 2,

the type of note that will receive one beat is the half note. Therefore, a
half note receives one beat, a quarter note receives two beats among
others.

5. Different Rests and Their Time Values

Rests are symbols that depict silence or the absence of sound.

a. Whole Rest — no sound for 4 beats

b. Half Rest — no sound for 2 beats

c. Quarter Rest — no sound for 1 beat

d. Eighth Rest — no sound for 1/2 beat

e. Sixteenth Rest — no sound for 1/4 beat

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Just as in the case of note values, the value of rests change with the
time signature used. For example:

In the time signatures 2/8 and 3/8: Since the bottom number is 8, it
means that the type of rest that will receive one beat is the eighth rest,
no longer the quarter rest. That means that an eighth rest will receive
one beat, 1 a sixteenth rest will receive 1/2 of a beat, a quarter rest
will receive two beats, and so on and so forth.

In cut time (2/2) time signature: Since the bottom number is 2, the
type of rest that will receive one beat is the half rest. Therefore, a half
rest receives one beat, a quarter rest receives 1/2 of a beat, and a
whole rest receives two beats among others.

6. Time Signature — It is a sign placed at the beginning of a musical

composition to indicate its meter. It is made up of two numerals. A
common mistake is to consider these two numerals as a fraction, for it is
not. The upper number indicates how many beats or counts there are in
one measure, while the lower number tells what kind of note (whole,
quarter, half, eighth, etc.) receives one beat.

For example, let us look at the time signature 3/4:

What it means is that there are 3 beats in one measure, while the
bottom number "4" denotes that the kind of note that receives one beat
is a quarter note. Look at the following examples:

In both examples, we can see that each measure contains exactly 3

counts or beats.

Now, let us look at a different time signature, this time 6/8, a

compound duple meter.

In this time signature, what it means is that there are two primary
beats, each divided into three eighth notes, which gives us a total of six
eighth notes. In the macro level, we can see that there are two beats,
which can be represented by a dotted quarter note:

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The eighth notes are grouped together by a horizontal bar above

them called a beam. In the beats 1 and 4 (micro level) are the strong
beats, while the others are weak beats. Hence subdividing it into eighth
notes, the emphasis is like this: 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 — 6.

Now, let us proceed to the contents under Tempo:

1. Tempo — Basically, it is how fast or slow a piece of music is performed.

The word tempo means “time” in Italian. Here are some tempo
markings:

Tempo Marking (in Italian) Meaning in English

Largo broad and dignified, very slow
Larghetto a little less slow than Largo
Adagio slow, relaxed
Andante at a walking pace
Andantino slightly faster than Andante
Moderato moderately
Allegretto a little lively
Allegro happy, quick
Vivace lively, with life, quickly
Presto very fast
Prestissimo very, very fast

Other terms used in conjunction with the above mentioned terms:

poco a little
poco a poco little by little
accelerando gradually getting faster
ritardando; rallentando gradually getting slower
molto much

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piu more
meno less

2. Conducting Gestures — Conducting with the hands is important to

ensure that performers sing or play together in time and to denote what
meter or time signature a piece of music is of. Look at the following
illustrations for the different gestures when conducting different time
signatures.

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 On Teaching Rhythm and Tempo

Introduction

Having been familiarized with content topics under rhythm and

tempo, we now continue in looking at considerations when teaching these in
our music classes. We shall also look at examples of activities that will
complement our direct instruction with regards to rhythm and tempo.

THINK: Considerations When Teaching Rhythm and Tempo

Here are some general thoughts to ponder before teaching your music
class these two elements.

1. Rhythm can be tangibly realized, that is, it can be experienced and

heard. Engage your students by letting them hear sound recordings of
rhythmic patterns if possible. You may also do bodily movements that
the students can imitate, such as clapping, tapping, or using readily
available materials inside a classroom.

2. Be realistic in setting goals. Young children are sometimes clumsy, and

their motor skills are not that refined yet. Be patient as rhythm can be
quite frustrating at times to teach. When teaching about rhythmic
patterns, do examples very slowly, gradually increasing the speed as the
children get better.

3. Listen! Be sure that when teaching rhythmic patterns, you are setting
the right example: correct and consistent. Students will sense that you
do not know what you are teaching if you cannot perform or act out
what you say. Be quick to intervene when students make a rhythmic
mistake.

4. Always be ready to answer students' questions. Be honest as well. If you

do not know an answer to a particular question, tell them that you will
research about it first. Do not pretend that you know something that you
don't, especially in music since it is an abstract art form; your students
might get confused and misinformed. Always consult references such as
musical dictionaries or websites, or ask people who are an authority in
music or who have gained some substantial musical experience.

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5. When teaching the time values of notes and rests, sometimes it is hard
to understand how the concept of 1/2 beat or 1/4 beat mean. To
illustrate this, use syllables or words to subdivide the beat. For example:

In the image above, we can see eighth notes in pairs. An eighth note's
value is 1/2 of a beat. We use the word "and" to represent one half of a
beat.

This particular example is in 4/4 time signature.

If sixteenth notes are used, however:

In the picture above, we can see consecutive sixteenth notes in

3/4 time signature. The main beats are shown in large numbers. A
sixteenth note is 1/4 of 4 a beat, and to show this, we divide a beat into
four equal parts. To demonstrate this, say the main beats (large
numbers) loudly and with emphasis, while the subdivided beats (small
numbers) softer. You may also use different syllables, such as: "1-e-and-
a, 2-e-and-a, 3-e-and-a" or other suitable syllables. You may also assign a
body gesture such as a clap or a stomping of the feet to go along with
the main beats to reinforce the steadiness of the rhythm.

Sample Activities for Teaching Rhythm

1. Listening for Steady Beats (For Grades 1 to 3)

A good way for students to understand this concept is to let them

place their hands on their chests, feeling the consistency of their own
heartbeats. If there is a way they can listen to theirs or their classmates'

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heartbeats, the better. Other sounds that students may listen to for this
activity are the following:

Ticking of Clock Walking Feet

Optional material: stethoscope, if available — for listening to heartbeats

2. Echo Clapping and Body Percussion (For Grades 1 to 3)

Before doing this exercise, be sure to give a direct instruction

(short lecture) about the difference between sound and silence, and also
about the concept of steady beats.

First, you may ask the students to listen to the teacher (you) as
you clap a short and simple rhythmic pattern. After that, ask the
students to imitate the pattern you just did. Start slowly, then gradually
increase the speed and the difficulty of your rhythmic patterns. This
way, the students will develop their aural (listening) ability.

Another way of doing this is using visual aids representing beats

where they should clap and beats where they should be silent. Do not
use musical notation yet, instead use drawings or icons that represent
pulse and rhythm.

For example:

Sound

Silent

In the figure above, the students are to clap on the lightning

symbol, but are not to clap on the sun symbol. You may make a story
line. that goes together with your used symbols. Say something like the

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clap is like the thunderclap and the sun are silent because there is no
bad weather anymore. You may use other body parts to create rhythmic
patterns, not just clapping, such as stomping of feet or thumping the
laps, thighs, or chest.

3. Using Rhythm Flash Cards (For Grades 4 to 6)

Once you have explained the different notes, rests, and their respective
time values, a good way to practice the students' counting and coordination
skills is to use random flash cards that present a rhythmic pattern that they
may clap, tap, or sing.

Sample Activities for Teaching Tempo

1. Modified Dance Freeze (applicable for Grades 1 and 2)

Here is a simple activity wherein the teacher manipulates the playback

speed of a music recording. Some gadgets and applications have this built-in
feature. As the teacher changes the playback speed, the students are to
react and respond with their gestures/movements or dancing accordingly to
the tempo change. The students are also to stop any movement if the
teacher stops the music.
2. Conducting Gestures (applicable from Grades 3 to 6)

When teaching conducting gestures, it is advised to demonstrate them

first in front of the class. This might be confusing at first since if you are
facing the students, it would be a mirror image; instead, turn your back to
them and lead the gesture so they can follow easily. Do the gestures slowly,
saying out the beats loudly (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) as you conduct. When
conducting, it is important to note where the strong beats are.

As the students gain familiarity, let the class sing a familiar song and
have students take turns in leading the conducting at the front of the class.

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Instruct the students that they have to follow the leader's hand gestures.
You may instruct them to sing simple songs, such as the national anthem,
"Happy Birthday, or other fun, familiar songs.

Can I use my smartphone to help me teach rhythms and tempo?

Yes, definitely! A metronome app comes in handy when teaching

students about rhythm and tempo in music. It is free and has an easy to
learn interface. You may use it to illustrate steady beats, and as a guide so
students can keep in time when doing rhythm exercises.

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