The following rounds and games facilitates the comprehension of temporal aspects such as tempo, metric and rhythm.
Tempo and Beat Activity: “El Cacique”
Concept: Tempo and Beat
Description: In this game, students engage with the concept of tempo and beat through a dynamic activity. The Brazilian song “UMACAPIRUÁ” serves as the foundation for this exercise.
- Lyrics:
Umacapiruá, assuô, assuê
Umacapiruá, assuô, assuê
Umacapiruá, assuô, assuê
Umacapiruá, assuô, assuê
Leio, leio, leio, ucapi, assuê
Leio, leio, leio, ucapi, assuê
- Phonetic transcription
[u.ma.ka.pi.ɾwá.a.swó.a.swé]
[u.ma.ka.pi.ɾwá.a.swó.a.swé]
[u.ma.ka.pi.ɾwá.a.swó.a.swé]
[u.ma.ka.pi.ɾwá.a.swó.a.swé]
[lej.o.lej.o.lej.o.u.ká.pi.a.swé]
[lej.o.lej.o.lej.o.u.ká.pi.a.swé]
- How to play
- Students will sing the song “UMACAPIRUÁ.“
- One student will be designated as El Cacique of the group.
- While the entire group walks around the classroom singing the song “UMACAPIRUÁ,” El Cacique will be responsible for determining the tempo of the pace.
- El Cacique will choose when to alter the tempo or the intensity and may randomly stop the song to confuse the group.
- One by one, students who fail to follow El Cacique’s instructions will be eliminated from the competition.
- The last student dancing will be the winner.
Relation to Concept:
- Tempo: The game allows students to experience and control the tempo as “El Cacique” dictates the pace of the song. By changing the tempo and occasionally stopping the song, “El Cacique” challenges the group to adapt their pace, reinforcing their ability to follow and internalize different tempi.
- Beat: The students must maintain the beat while walking and singing, emphasizing the importance of consistent rhythmic timing. This reinforces their understanding of how the beat is a fundamental aspect of music that guides the performance.
Supplemental material
- Video
- Song
- Instrumental song
Metric Activity: “Al Pin, Al Pon”
Concept: Metric Rhythm (2/4 Time Signature)
Description: In this game, students pass objects to each other in a circle according to the beat of the song “Al Pin, Al Pon,” which is in a 2/4 time signature.
- Lyrics
Al Pin (To Pin)
Al pon (to Pon)
A la hija del conde simón (to Count Simon’s daughter)
A la lata (To the can)
Al latero (to the can’s maker)
A la hija del chocolatero” (to the chocolate maker’s daughter)
- Phonetic Transcription
[al.pín]
[al.pón]
[a.la.í.xa.ðel.kón̪.de.si.món]
[a.la.lá.ta]
[a.la.té.ɾo]
[a.la.í.xa.ðel.t͡ʃo.ko.la.té.ɾo]
- How to play
1- Each student should choose a small object to use in the activity.
2- All the students sit in a close circle.
3- Students should pass their objects to the next person on the downbeat (strong beat: represented by the bold text).
The game finishes when the object has been passed back to the original student. It’s recommended to introduce changes in tempo for added excitement.
Relation to Concept:
- Metric Rhythm: The game emphasizes the 2/4 time signature by having students pass objects on the strong beat (downbeat). This helps students understand the metric structure of music, including the concept of downbeats and upbeats.
- Timing and Coordination: By passing objects precisely on the beat and introducing tempo changes, students practice coordinating their actions with the music’s metric structure, reinforcing their sense of timing and rhythmic accuracy.
Supplemental material
- Video
- Song
- Instrumental song
Rhythm Activity: “Da Abóbora Faz Melão”
Concept: Rhythm
Description: This activity uses the Brazilian song “Da Abóbora Faz Melão” to teach rhythm through dance and movement. Students dance in a circle, following the song’s instructions for different movements.
- Lyrics
Da abóbora faz Melão, do melão faz melancia (Pumpkin makes melon, melon makes watermelon)
Faz doce sinhá, faz doce sinhá, faz doce sinhá Maria (Make sweet miss, make sweet miss, make sweet miss Maria)
Quem quiser aprender a dançar vai na casa do Juquinha (Anyone who wants to dance goes to Juquinha’s house)
Ele pula, ele roda, ele faz requebradinha (He jumps, he spins, he shakes)
- Phonetic Transcription
[da.bó.bo.ɾa.fas.mé.lão.do.mé.lão.fas.me.lan.sja]
[fas.dó.ze.si.ɲa.fas.dó.se.si.ɲá.faz.dó.se.si.ɲá.ma.ɾja]
[kem.ki.zé.ra.pɾen̪.dé.ra.dan.sár.vaj.na.ká.za.do.ju.kí.ɲa]
[é.la.pú.la.é.la.ʁó.da.é.le.fas.ʁe.ke.bɾa.dí.ɲa]
Description:
- In a circle, one person starts the dance inside the circle and begins dancing.
- In the second verse of the song, this first person chooses somebody to be their partner.
- In the third verse, they walk through the circle together.
- In the fourth verse, they jump, turn, and dance as the song instructs
Relation to Concept:
- Rhythm: The song’s rhythm guides the dance steps, helping students internalize rhythmic patterns through physical movement. By performing specific actions like jumping, turning, and dancing to the rhythm of the song, students learn to connect rhythmic patterns with their physical execution.
- Engagement: The activity also highlights how rhythm can be expressed in dance, showing that rhythm is not only an auditory concept but also a physical one.
Supplemental Material
- Video
- Song
- Instrumental song
Lesson example
Check this example of how to use this activity in a lesson on the temporal aspects of music.