Tag Archives: Pulse game

Subdividing the Pulse – Movement

One of my piano teachers, the one that taught me through to my Teaching Diploma, was fanatical in demanding accuracy in subdividing the pulse. So much so, that when I heard a subway busker playing Bach on her flute, it … Continue reading

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17/60 March to the Beat

I learned this activity at a training day earlier this week, and have been trying it out yesterday – three times! With year 1 (just 5 of them, as reception had already gone home), a year 3 and 4 class, … Continue reading

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51/100 Recycling – listen and copy percussion game

I make no apologies for recycling an old post here – this site has been up and running for about 5 years and I’ve reached the point where I have forgotten more ideas than I realised. I was tracking back … Continue reading

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Issue 129: Wiggle

You set up a steady pulse, counting to four. Once it is going well, everyone has to do a wiggle on count 1. That’s it. Simple.   Or do the wiggle on count something else. Or have two actions, on … Continue reading

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Issue 122: I Take My Tea Without Sugar

A colleague of mine has been using this song as a warm up to great effect. I found it an annoying song to begin withy, because the strong beats don’t fall in exactly the right places. However it has grown on … Continue reading

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Issue 122: Improvisation and Listen-and-copy Game

Here’s a variation on the “pass the shaker” improvisation game, which helps keep a whole class engaged. The basic game is just passing a shaker round the circle while counting, or maybe all saying a chant. Whoever is holding the … Continue reading

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Issue 28: The Game of Four – Warm up and Compostition

This has proved to be a useful warm up for any session involving keeping a steady pulse, and learning to internalise the pulse. As a preparation, do the “counting to eight game” first, to establish a pulse. Now, explain that you … Continue reading

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Issue 26: Kodaly and Orff Music Teacher’s blog

This is a blog I have been following for a while: http://www.herdingcatsgeorge.blogspot.com/ It is called the Kodaly and Orff Music Teacher’s blog and has some inspirational ideas in it. The current entry has video clips of a couple of pulse/circle … Continue reading

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