MyLeoNes™

Rhythm patterns — Music, 4–6 years

Rhythm is the pattern made by sounds and silences over the beat. We can copy it, change it and make a new pattern with claps, words or objects.

What is rhythm?

Rhythm is the order of long and short sounds, together with the silences between them. The beat is the regular path; rhythm is the pattern we place along it. A rhythm can sound like clap-clap, pause, clap.

Why make rhythms?

A rhythm gives music a shape that our ears can remember and expect. Long ago, people used repeated patterns to dance together, tell stories and signal across a distance. Repetition makes a pattern easier to join.

Making a rhythm

Say the words “TA ta TA ta” and clap on each word: strong, quiet, strong, quiet. Repeat them four times without speeding up. Then replace the second “ta” with a silence; the new rhythm is clap, soft clap, clap, silence.

A pause is part of rhythm

A silence can feel like nothing, so it is tempting to leave it out. But a pause has a place in the pattern, just like a sound; it can make the next sound surprising. Keep the beat moving while your hands stay still.

Rhythm outside music

You meet rhythm when you clap a name, chant a rhyme or tap a spoon on a table. It also helps dancers know when to move and helps a poem sound lively. Everyday speech has rhythms too, with pauses and stressed words.

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