Tonal Patterns and Rhythm Patterns - teaching young children pitch skills and rhythm skills
This week's blog isn’t really about a song. It’s about an activity. You can call them “bum bums.” You can call them “patterns.” You can call them many things, and while you’re thinking up some new fun names, you can watch this video!
Tonal and Rhythm Patterns in Class:
In every TMC class, we do patterns. Patterns are a pure learning tool, stripped of distractions. They give children nothing else to focus on except either pitch or rhythm. Have you ever closed your eyes to focus on your thoughts? Have you ever plugged your nose to hear more clearly? No? Just me? Patterns work the same way: they remove everything else so you can focus on just one thing.
The great thing about patterns is that kids actually love them! It’s like feeding your child broccoli and realizing it’s their favorite food. This incredibly nutritionally dense musical tool often becomes one of the things The Music Class kids want to do most at home.
Tonal and Rhythm Patterns at Home:
Your TMC teacher's main goal in class is to show grown-ups how to do these musical activities at home with their kids. Children learn through repetition, so your kids won't just show up to The Music Class once a week and then start singing perfectly in tune and keeping the beat! You have to do your homework, which means singing, dancing, and practicing patterns at home, too.
We include patterns in the recorded music for every collection to make repetition as easy as possible. Just turn on The Music Class app, and make sure to repeat the "bum bums" with your kids so they are encouraged to sing too!
Here are all of The Elephant Collection songs with patterns on the recording, and the musical concept that each of these patterns teaches:
The Elephant Collection Songs with Patterns:
- Out of My Window – Rhythm patterns to practice duple meter
- Duckie Family – Tonal patterns to practice minor tonality
- Alligator – Rhythm patterns to practice 5/8 mixed meter (Click here for more info about mixed meter!)
- Elephant – Tonal patterns to practice Phrygian mode (Click here for more info about Phrygian!)
- The Squirrel – Rhythm patterns to practice triple meter
- Little Bird – Tonal patterns to practice minor tonality (Click here to practice tempo with this song!)
- Sweetly Sings the Donkey – Tonal patterns to practice major tonality