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Year 1

Composing a rhythm sequence using pictures

I can use pictures to help me compose a rhythm.

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New
New
Year 1

Composing a rhythm sequence using pictures

I can use pictures to help me compose a rhythm.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. We warm up before singing so that our bodies, minds and voices are ready to sing.
  2. We can feel the pulse of the music as we sing, play and move on the beat.
  3. We can use pictures and words to help us play rhythms accurately.
  4. We can be composers, creating new rhythms and using pictures to help us.

Keywords

  • Beat - the playing or showing of the steady pulse, like the ticking of a clock

  • Rhythm - the pattern of sounds that we play and sing

  • Composer - a person who creates music

  • Compose - to create music

Common misconception

Pulse, beat and rhythm are the same thing.

Pulse is the underlying feeling of uniformed beats - it is the heartbeat of the music. When organised into metres, we then feel it as beats e.g. counting 1,2,3 1,2,3. Rhythm is the pattern of sounds and silences of differing durations.


To help you plan your year 1 music lesson on: Composing a rhythm sequence using pictures, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

When chanting and tapping the rhythm, use different body percussion for ants and spiders to help the pupils feel and understand the difference between these.
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Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

Class set of percussion instruments that can play the beat and rhythm clearly e.g. claves. Ant and spider icons for composing.

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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4 Questions

Q1.
True or false. Music can be written down to help us remember it.
Correct answer: True
False
Q2.
Match the musical element to the definition.
Correct Answer:pulse,the regular, steady heartbeat of the music
tick

the regular, steady heartbeat of the music

Correct Answer:beat,the playing or showing of the steady pulse like the ticking of a clock
tick

the playing or showing of the steady pulse like the ticking of a clock

Correct Answer:rhythm,the pattern of sounds that we play and sing
tick

the pattern of sounds that we play and sing

Correct Answer:timbre,the way an instrument sounds that helps us identify it
tick

the way an instrument sounds that helps us identify it

Q3.
A part of a word is called a .
Correct Answer: syllable, Syllable
Q4.
Who do you agree with?
Correct answer: Alex: When we say the words of the song and chant it helps us play it's rhythm.
Andeep: The rhythm is the same as the beat.
Lucas: The rhythm is a part of a word.

4 Questions

Q1.
True or false. It doesn't matter if you have a good sense of pulse when playing rhythms.
True
Correct answer: False
Q2.
Beat is...
An image in a quiz
the regular, steady heartbeat of the music.
Correct answer: the playing or showing of the steady pulse, like the ticking of a clock.
part of a word.
Q3.
Rhythm is...
An image in a quiz
part of a word.
the regular, steady heartbeat of the music.
Correct answer: the patterns of sounds that we play and sing.
Q4.
A composer is .
Correct Answer: a person who creates music, someone who creates music, a person who writes music, someone who writes music