Fast and slow music — Art, 4–6
Music can move quickly or take its time. You can hear and show the difference. Art, 4–6 years.
What fast and slow mean
Some music moves quickly, and some music moves slowly. You can show fast music with quick steps and slow music with steps that take more time. The speed may change while the music continues, so listen for whether the sound is hurrying or resting.
Why music needs speed
People have always used speed to make music fit an action: a slow song can help a group walk calmly, while a fast one can help dancers move with energy. Without noticing speed, a dance or song can feel wrong for what is happening. Listening for speed helps everyone choose how quickly to move.
Try two speeds
Tap the table four times, leaving one second between taps: tap, wait, tap, wait, tap, wait, tap. Now tap four times with almost no waiting. The first set is slower and the second is faster, even though both sets have four taps. Try walking to each set and notice how your body changes.
Fast is not loud
A common mix-up is to call loud music fast, because exciting music is often both loud and quick. But these are different things: speed tells you how close the sounds are in time, while loudness tells you how much energy the sound seems to have. A quiet song can be fast, and a loud song can be slow.
Where speed helps
You meet musical speed in lullabies, marching songs, dances and games. A lullaby usually leaves time for gentle rocking, while a marching song helps footsteps keep moving. When you make up a short piece, choose a speed that matches the action you want people to try.
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