Fast and slow music — Music, 4–6 years
Tempo tells us how quickly music moves. Children can notice it by walking, clapping or moving their bodies.
What tempo does
Tempo is the speed of a piece of music. A fast tempo can feel like running, while a slow tempo can feel like taking careful steps. The beat may stay regular even when the tempo changes.
Why change the speed?
People change tempo to make music fit an action or feeling. A marching song needs time for footsteps, while a lullaby leaves room for calm breathing. Tempo gives performers a way to guide the listener’s movement and attention.
Changing a song
Imagine clapping four times while a song plays. First, clap once each second: the song feels slow. Next, clap twice each second: the song feels faster. The number of claps stays four, but the time between them becomes shorter.
The common mix-up
It is easy to think that fast music must have a faster beat, because we often notice speed through the beat. But tempo is the speed of the whole musical flow. A song can keep the same kind of beat and still be played faster or slower.
Where tempo helps
Tempo appears in dancing, marching and exercise. A dance may need a speed that lets people move together, while a warm-up may begin slowly and become faster. The same idea helps a conductor keep an orchestra moving together.
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