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Year 1

Playing rhythm patterns to a steady pulse

I can play a rhythm with a steady pulse.

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New
New
Year 1

Playing rhythm patterns to a steady pulse

I can play a rhythm with a steady pulse.

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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 can hear, feel and perform the rhythm and the beat in our songs and chants.
  3. We can identify known rhythm patterns in our chants.
  4. We can use pictures and words to help us play rhythm compositions accurately, keeping a steady pulse as we play.

Keywords

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

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

  • Echo - an exact copy of a musical phrase

  • Composition - a new piece of music that has been created

Common misconception

Pulse, beat and rhythm are the same thing.

Beat is the playing of the steady pulse. Rhythm is the pattern of sounds and silences of differing durations.


To help you plan your year 1 music lesson on: Playing rhythm patterns to a steady pulse, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Spend plenty of time on activities that help to develop pupils' sense of pulse. For success in composition, the pupils need to be able to recite and play their rhythms to a steady pulse.
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Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

Class set of percussion instruments that are easy to play rhythm patterns clearly on e.g. claves / woodblocks. Minibeast compositions from lesson 5.

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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.
When we are composing, we are...
reading a piece of music.
playing somebody else's piece of music.
Correct answer: creating our own piece of music.
Q2.
The regular, steady heartbeat of the music is called the .
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: pulse, Pulse
Q3.
A percussion instrument is played by...
scraping, shaking or strumming.
striking, blowing or plucking.
Correct answer: striking, scraping or shaking.
Q4.
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

4 Questions

Q1.
True or false. Beat is the pattern of sounds that we play and sing.
True
Correct answer: False
Q2.
When we copy a musical phrase we are singing or playing an .
Correct Answer: echo, Echo
Q3.
When we are composing, we are...
reading somebody else's piece of music.
Correct answer: creating our own piece of music.
playing percussion instruments .
Q4.
Match the words to the definition.
Correct Answer:compose,to create a piece of music
tick

to create a piece of music

Correct Answer:composer,a person who creates a piece of music
tick

a person who creates a piece of music

Correct Answer:composition,a new piece of music that has been created
tick

a new piece of music that has been created