Music Curriculum for Bristol Bristol Plays Music

Year 5/6 Rhythm Starter Bank

Number Lines
Write the numbers 1-8 across the board. Circle four of the numbers (suggest 1, 3, 5, 7). From left to
right to a steady pulse, the teacher points to each number in turn and the children clap on the circled
numbers. Use one of the rhythm tracks to help maintain a steady pulse.

Variation (once they have mastered this)

1. Add additional rows below, circle alternate numbers (2,4,6,8). Rehearse this with the
children so they can move from one to the other smoothly and keep the pulse.
2. Add additional lines with varied rhythms.
3. Split the class into groups, and have them clap (or play) different lines at the same time.
4. Try at a faster or slow speed.
5. Children decide which numbers to circle to create their own rhythm patterns

Rhyme Rhythms
Links: Literacy/Rhyme
Musical skills: Rhythm and Pulse

Suggested Materials
Access to a variety of percussion. Vocal and body sounds.

One, two, three four, five,

Once I caught a fish alive,
Six, seven, eight nine, ten,
Then I let it go again.

1. Initially, have a small group of children saying the words, ‘One, two, three four, five’, over and over
as an ostinato. Notice how the words ‘three four’ are said in the same amount of time as each of the
other numbers. Can the children now clap the rhythm of this line of the rhyme?

2. Once this is established, try with one group clapping their rhythm while the rest of the group say
the full rhyme.

3. If the class can keep this going steadily, the children clapping the ostinato (1,2,3,4,5) might like to
try repeating their rhythm on percussion instruments.

4. Repeat the teaching of a short repeated pattern (ostinato) to another group of children, this time
using line two of the rhyme ‘Once I caught a fish alive’.

5. Once this is established, start the first ostinato group off – ‘One, two, 3 4, five,’ Clapping or playing
their rhythm on percussion. Then introduce the second ostinato group – ‘Once I caught a fish alive,’
so that both groups are playing together. It may take some practice before both groups can play
together, and they will need to listen carefully to avoid getting faster or losing the rhythm.

Once this is steady, the rest of the class say the whole rhyme over the ostinatos.

Remember to let each group have a go at saying the rhyme and playing the ostinato parts.

7. Now try the rhyme at different speeds. Remember to indicate the speed before proceeding. (NB
Slower is not necessarily easier.)

Extension task
Music Curriculum for Bristol Bristol Plays Music
Can the children find other rhymes to use, for a similar activity? Skipping rhymes and playground
chants are useful sources.

Rolling to the beat

Links: PE/Movement/Ball skills
Musical link: Rhythm

Suggested materials
A selection of balls. Pitched percussion instruments.

This is a very simple listening activity to encourage a sense of pulse which could be incorporated into
PE sessions on ball skills.

1. Children face each other in pairs, with one ball between each pair.
2. The teacher with a piece of pitched percussion or high pitched untuned percussion (claves
etc) sets a slow pulse (1,2,3,4) and the children roll the ball to each other on the first beat of
each bar (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4…). Vary by changing the number the ball is rolled on, or by
having them roll on 1 and 3 for example (requires a controlled pulse to avoid getting out of
hand).
3. The difficulty of this activity can be controlled:

● Physically – altering the size of the balls and the space between the children.
● Musically – varying the speed of the pulse (tempo)