What type of music should be played if a student’s speed needs to be increased?

Tempo is one of the best and most important elements of music to cover with your students. 

But a lot of folks come up blank when it comes to teaching tempo in elementary students. 

(Or maybe you just want some new activities to check out!)

This is why I decided to offer up my favorite activities for teaching tempo in music to use with your students. 

Teaching tempo activities need to rotate through different types of learning, including moving, visuals, creativity, and real music! My favorite ones include: 

• The Statue Game
• Move To Classical Music
• Follow The Hearts
• Paige’s Train
• Tell A Story
• Wake Up, You Lazy Bones
• Let The Kids Conduct
• Use Icons (Or Real Music Words) To Arrange A Song
• Tempo Flashcards
• The Old Gray Cat

Look ahead for the tempo lesson plans and tips on how to teach the changing speed of the beat. 

• The Statue Game (K-2)
• Move To Classical Music (K-5)
• Follow The Hearts (K-1)
• Paige’s Train (K-3)
• Tell A Story (K-5)
• Wake Up You Lazy Bones (1-3)
• Let The Kids Conduct (K-5)
• Use Icons (Or Real Music Words) To Arrange A Song (K-5)
• Tempo Flashcards (2-5)
• The Old Gray Cat (K-2)

The Statue Game (K-2)

My go-to for starting to teach about tempo is a game I learned from Paul Rose (my host teacher back in the day) called the Statue Game. 

In it, the directions start out pretty simple. 

Students walk to the beat of the drum as you play it. 

When the drum stops, they must freeze and make a statue shape. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The first time we play it at the start of the year, I’ll just focus on a single tempo with a steady beat.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I like to add another dimension to the game by asking them to make statues with different emotions.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;(Great for practicing emotional awareness too!)&lt;span id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-140" class="ezoic-adpicker-ad"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But as the year goes on and I start to introduce tempo, I’ll switch up the Statue Game just a bit.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-132" class="ezoic-adpicker-ad"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="ezoic-ad ezoic-at-0 banner-1 banner-1132 adtester-container adtester-container-132" data-ez-name="dynamicmusicroom_com-banner-1"&gt;&lt;span id="div-gpt-ad-dynamicmusicroom_com-banner-1-0" ezaw="250" ezah="250" style="position:relative;z-index:0;display:inline-block;padding:0;width:100%;max-width:1200px;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px" class="ezoic-ad"&gt;&lt;script data-ezscrex="false" data-cfasync="false" style="display:none"&gt;if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'dynamicmusicroom_com-banner-1','ezslot_7',132,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-dynamicmusicroom_com-banner-1-0');Now, I’ll add in extremes of tempo (fast and slow).&nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;On top of what they had to do before, now they must change their movement activities to match the changing beat!&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-108" class="ezoic-adpicker-ad"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="ezoic-ad ezoic-at-0 large-leaderboard-2 large-leaderboard-2108 adtester-container adtester-container-108" data-ez-name="dynamicmusicroom_com-large-leaderboard-2"&gt;&lt;span id="div-gpt-ad-dynamicmusicroom_com-large-leaderboard-2-0" ezaw="336" ezah="280" style="position:relative;z-index:0;display:inline-block;padding:0;width:100%;max-width:1200px;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto!important;min-height:280px;min-width:336px" class="ezoic-ad"&gt;&lt;script data-ezscrex="false" data-cfasync="false" style="display:none"&gt;if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'dynamicmusicroom_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_8',108,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-dynamicmusicroom_com-large-leaderboard-2-0');<strong>Pro-tip:&nbsp;</strong>Be sure to set up or reinforce safety expectations, especially when moving at a fast tempo.&nbsp;</p><h2><span class="ez-toc-section" id="Move_To_Classical_Music_K-5"></span>Move To Classical Music (K-5)<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h2><p>Movement is one of the most effective learning styles for a younger age group.&nbsp;</p><p>It helps harness their energy into productive learning.&nbsp;</p><p>Movement is also the perfect vehicle for hitting all sorts of other purposes, such as:</p><ul><li>Building coordination</li><li>Develop expression in meaningful ways</li><li>Awareness of Form in music</li><li>Giving them something to occupy their energy while listening to Classical Music</li><li>Activating more areas of the brain</li></ul><p>With Classical Music, pick a piece of music with either a fast tempo, a slow tempo, or one that changes widely.&nbsp;</p><p>With movement, there are a ton of options you have.&nbsp;</p><p>Do a mirror movement game where the kids match your moves (or another leader).&nbsp;<span id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-111" class="ezoic-adpicker-ad"></span><span class="ezoic-ad ezoic-at-0 leader-1 leader-1111 adtester-container adtester-container-111" data-ez-name="dynamicmusicroom_com-leader-1"><span id="div-gpt-ad-dynamicmusicroom_com-leader-1-0" ezaw="250" ezah="250" style="position:relative;z-index:0;display:inline-block;padding:0;width:100%;max-width:1200px;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto!important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px" class="ezoic-ad"><script data-ezscrex="false" data-cfasync="false" style="display:none">if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'dynamicmusicroom_com-leader-1','ezslot_6',111,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-dynamicmusicroom_com-leader-1-0');

Play a movement freeze game where they make a move that stops when you play a sound or give a signal. 

Or even allow free movement and dance!

Pro-tip: Use scarves or bean bags as a movement prop to help those who don’t feel comfortable just moving their bodies. 

Here’s a quick set of examples of Classical Music for teaching tempo: 

• Fast Tempo: Flight of the Bumblebee by Rimsky-Korsakov
• Slow Tempo: Humoresque by Dvorak
• Changing Tempo: Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Brahms

A lot of the Carnival of the Animals is good for this too. 

Follow The Hearts (K-1)

Music teachers must go beyond movement to build awareness of a musical concept, such as tempo. 

I like to use simple visuals that represent what tempo actually is. 

It’s a great way of accessing another learning style. 

Of course, using an icon of a turtle for slow speed of tempo and a rabbit for fast is always an option, but I want to dig a little deeper. 

While these types of pictures help us figure out what to perform, it doesn’t really represent what tempo actually is.

So what is tempo? 

Tempo is the speed of the beat. 

The fast tempo has smaller beats. 

The slow tempo has larger beats.

I like to show this to my students with simple hearts. 

During our initial steady beat practice, I’ll show them shapes to represent the beat and how the same-sized shapes are nice and even and, thus, the steady beat. 

For tempo, I show hearts of different sizes. 

They still need to be even and similarly sized, but they change size from one tempo to another. 

After showing them, they follow along by pointing and performing a song they know well at different tempos. 

Paige’s Train (K-3)

There are a few folks with specifically changing tempo. 

The majority of songs can be made into tempo practice by changing the speed, but Paige’s Train is one that alternates between fast and slow tempi. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here are the lyrics for the variant I like to sing:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;1. Paige’s train goes so slow&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Takes so long to get to Buffalo.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;———–&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;2. Paige’s train goes so fast&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-135" class="ezoic-adpicker-ad"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="ezoic-ad ezoic-at-0 leader-3 leader-3135 adtester-container adtester-container-135" data-ez-name="dynamicmusicroom_com-leader-3"&gt;&lt;span id="div-gpt-ad-dynamicmusicroom_com-leader-3-0" ezaw="300" ezah="250" style="position:relative;z-index:0;display:inline-block;padding:0;min-height:250px;min-width:300px" class="ezoic-ad"&gt;&lt;script data-ezscrex="false" data-cfasync="false" style="display:none"&gt;if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'dynamicmusicroom_com-leader-3','ezslot_17',135,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-dynamicmusicroom_com-leader-3-0');</p><p><em>Trees and houses flying past.&nbsp;</em></p><p><em>———–</em></p><p><em>3. Paige’s train climbs the hill</em></p><p><em>Will she make it? I hope she will.&nbsp;</em></p><p><em>———–</em></p><p><em>4. Paige’s train going down</em></p><p><em>Bringing toys to the town.&nbsp;</em></p><p>Perform the beat in different ways on your body, play instruments, and mix the order of the verses for more practice.&nbsp;<span id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-145" class="ezoic-adpicker-ad"></span></p><p>The notation or sheet music may be found in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kodaly.hnu.edu/song.cfm?id=879" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Folk Song collection</a>.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Pro-tip:&nbsp;</strong>Read&nbsp;<em>The Little Engine That Could&nbsp;</em>as part of this song. It kind of goes along with it.&nbsp;</p><p>Songs are the best way to teach musical tempo because you’re doing it at the moment.&nbsp;<span id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-136" class="ezoic-adpicker-ad"></span><span class="ezoic-ad ezoic-at-0 leader-4 leader-4136 adtester-container adtester-container-136" data-ez-name="dynamicmusicroom_com-leader-4"><span id="div-gpt-ad-dynamicmusicroom_com-leader-4-0" ezaw="300" ezah="250" style="position:relative;z-index:0;display:inline-block;padding:0;min-height:250px;min-width:300px" class="ezoic-ad"><script data-ezscrex="false" data-cfasync="false" style="display:none">if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'dynamicmusicroom_com-leader-4','ezslot_18',136,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-dynamicmusicroom_com-leader-4-0');

Tell A Story (K-5)

Telling a story with naturally changing speed or tempo is one of the easiest ways to hit this concept too. 

Pick a story with a changing speed, then add a song that fits the story. 

For example, tell the story of the Tortoise and the Hare and then add a song or chant that fits the story. 

Students can sing along with the story, play instruments, or act out the story for extensions and more practice. 

Many Orff projects include stories, and changing tempi would be perfect here too. 

Alternatively, take a song with some change in tempo (like Baby Shark) and fill it out into a story. 

Ask the kids to help you out with the story creation too! 

They often come up with really cool stuff! 

Wake Up You Lazy Bones (1-3)

Here’s another great song for teaching tempo. 

(It’s also one of my favorite songs of all time.)

It has two main contrasting sections for tempo (and meter or time signature, too!). 

See the notation below, but click over to our dedicated page for the game and a sample music lesson plan for Wake Up You Lazy Bones.

Let The Kids Conduct (K-5)

Let the kids take a leadership role in conducting and picking the tempo.

Students love the thrill of everyone following their directions, and it’s a unique way to really push their tempo skills.

Take a simple song the class knows well and invite someone up to conduct the tempo. 

With a younger grade level, I have them “conduct” by pointing at fast and slow pictures and giving us a cut-off at the end. 

With older students, I want them to conduct a little more. 

If they don’t really know the meter yet, it’s a simple up and down motion for the beat. 

If they have a good grasp on the meter, I’ll have them practice conducting as part of those music lessons, so it works to add in changing tempo with what they already know. 

At this point, it almost becomes like a tempo music game as the conductor tries to trick the class. 

Use Icons (Or Real Music Words) To Arrange A Song (K-5)

Compose or arrange a well-known song into a form with different speeds using icons or real tempo words. 

For younger kids, I’ll give them cards with pictures of a fast, medium, and slow tempi. 

This will either be a turtle, a person walking, or a rabbit, OR I’ll use the heart examples from before. 

Then, they organize the pictures into an order of their choice. 

Then, they’ll share their arrangement with the class. 

For older kids, I’ll have a well-known song printed off (and laminated if possible). 

The students then have to pick where they’ll change the tempo and write down the words where the tempo will change. 

Then, they perform for the class. 

This works well in small groups or in their own way. 

Tempo Flashcards (2-5)

Flashcards aren’t the most “flashy” of lessons (pun intended), but they work very well for quick practice on a simple recall skill. 

With older kids, use tempo flashcards to cover the music terms or tempo markings you want them to know. 

Just be sure to cover up any tempo posters you may have. 

Come up with different cards to help practice tempo terms based on grade level. 

Here are some common ones to consider: 

The Old Gray Cat (K-2)

For the last activity on my list, I chose another song and game. 

Use all sorts of different songs for further reinforcement. 

The song is about mice who are sneaking around the cat. 

During the cat verses, you sing them slowly and softly. 

During the mouse verses, you sing quicker. 

When the cat wakes up, the tempo of the music goes very fast. 

This also makes a great chase game. 

Have one or two “cats” sleep in the middle of the room. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;As the song goes on, the rest of the students are mice and must creep around the room.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When the cats wake up, they have to chase and tag the mice as they run home to the “safe zone.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Tagged mice become cats.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Repeat until everyone is a cat or you run out of time.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Check out this video for an example of how it’s supposed to go.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio"&gt;&lt;div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"&gt;&lt;iframe loading="lazy" title="The Old Gray Cat" width="640" height="480" data-ezsrc="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zuTYLOiw-G8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen class="ezlazyload"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="ezoic-autoinsert-ad ezoic-long_content"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;footer class="entry-footer"&gt;&lt;/footer&gt;&lt;/article&gt;&lt;script type="application/ld+json"&gt; {"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","name":"10 Activities For Teaching Tempo In Music (All Grades)","url":"https:\/\/dynamicmusicroom.com\/activities-for-teaching-tempo-in-music\/","articleBody":"Tempo is one of the best and most important elements of music to cover with your students.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nBut a lot of folks come up blank when it comes to teaching tempo in elementary students.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\n(Or maybe you just want some new activities to check out!)\n\n\n\nThis is why I decided to offer up my favorite&amp;nbsp;activities for teaching tempo in music&amp;nbsp;to use with your students.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nTeaching tempo activities need to rotate through different types of learning, including moving, visuals, creativity, and real music! My favorite ones include:&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nThe Statue GameMove To Classical MusicFollow The HeartsPaige\u2019s TrainTell A StoryWake Up, You Lazy BonesLet The Kids ConductUse Icons (Or Real Music Words) To Arrange A SongTempo FlashcardsThe Old Gray Cat\n\n\n\nLook ahead for the tempo lesson plans and tips on how to teach the changing speed of the beat.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nThe Statue Game (K-2)\n\n\n\nMy go-to for starting to teach about tempo is a game I learned from Paul Rose (my host teacher back in the day) called the Statue Game.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nIn it, the directions start out pretty simple.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nStudents walk to the beat of the drum as you play it.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nWhen the drum stops, they must freeze and make a statue shape.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nThe first time we play it at the start of the year, I\u2019ll just focus on a single tempo with a steady beat.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nI like to add another dimension to the game by asking them to make statues with different emotions.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\n(Great for practicing emotional awareness too!)\n\n\n\nBut as the year goes on and I start to introduce tempo, I\u2019ll switch up the Statue Game just a bit.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nNow, I\u2019ll add in extremes of tempo (fast and slow).&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nOn top of what they had to do before, now they must change their movement activities to match the changing beat!&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nPro-tip:&amp;nbsp;Be sure to set up or reinforce safety expectations, especially when moving at a fast tempo.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nMove To Classical Music (K-5)\n\n\n\nMovement is one of the most effective learning styles for a younger age group.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nIt helps harness their energy into productive learning.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nMovement is also the perfect vehicle for hitting all sorts of other purposes, such as:\n\n\n\nBuilding coordinationDevelop expression in meaningful waysAwareness of Form in musicGiving them something to occupy their energy while listening to Classical MusicActivating more areas of the brain\n\n\n\nWith Classical Music, pick a piece of music with either a fast tempo, a slow tempo, or one that changes widely.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nWith movement, there are a ton of options you have.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nDo a mirror movement game where the kids match your moves (or another leader).&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nPlay a movement freeze game where they make a move that stops when you play a sound or give a signal.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nOr even allow free movement and dance!\n\n\n\nPro-tip:&amp;nbsp;Use scarves or bean bags as a movement prop to help those who don\u2019t feel comfortable just moving their bodies.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nHere\u2019s a quick set of examples of Classical Music for teaching tempo:&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nFast Tempo:&amp;nbsp;Flight of the Bumblebee by Rimsky-KorsakovSlow Tempo:&amp;nbsp;Humoresque by DvorakChanging Tempo:&amp;nbsp;Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Brahms\n\n\n\nA lot of the Carnival of the Animals is good for this too.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nFollow The Hearts (K-1)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMusic teachers must go beyond movement to build awareness of a musical concept, such as tempo.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nI like to use simple visuals that represent what tempo actually is.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s a great way of accessing another learning style.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nOf course, using an icon of a turtle for slow speed of tempo and a rabbit for fast is always an option, but I want to dig a little deeper.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nWhile these types of pictures help us figure out what to perform, it doesn\u2019t really represent what tempo actually is.\n\n\n\nSo what is tempo?&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nTempo is the speed of the beat.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nThe fast tempo has smaller beats.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nThe slow tempo has larger beats.\n\n\n\nI like to show this to my students with simple hearts.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nDuring our initial steady beat practice, I\u2019ll show them shapes to represent the beat and how the same-sized shapes are nice and even and, thus, the steady beat.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nFor tempo, I show hearts of different sizes.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nThey still need to be even and similarly sized, but they change size from one tempo to another.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nAfter showing them, they follow along by pointing and performing a song they know well at different tempos.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nPaige\u2019s Train (K-3)\n\n\n\nThere are a few folks with specifically changing tempo.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nThe majority of songs can be made into tempo practice by changing the speed, but Paige\u2019s Train is one that alternates between fast and slow tempi.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nHere are the lyrics for the variant I like to sing:&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\n1. Paige\u2019s train goes so slow\n\n\n\nTakes so long to get to Buffalo.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\n\u2014--------\n\n\n\n2. Paige\u2019s train goes so fast&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nTrees and houses flying past.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\n\u2014--------\n\n\n\n3. Paige\u2019s train climbs the hill\n\n\n\nWill she make it? I hope she will.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\n\u2014--------\n\n\n\n4. Paige\u2019s train going down\n\n\n\nBringing toys to the town.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nPerform the beat in different ways on your body, play instruments, and mix the order of the verses for more practice.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nThe notation or sheet music may be found in the&amp;nbsp;American Folk Song collection.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nPro-tip:&amp;nbsp;Read&amp;nbsp;The Little Engine That Could&amp;nbsp;as part of this song. It kind of goes along with it.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nSongs are the best way to teach musical tempo because you\u2019re doing it at the moment.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nTell A Story (K-5)\n\n\n\nTelling a story with naturally changing speed or tempo is one of the easiest ways to hit this concept too.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nPick a story with a changing speed, then add a song that fits the story.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nFor example, tell the story of the Tortoise and the Hare and then add a song or chant that fits the story.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nStudents can sing along with the story, play instruments, or act out the story for extensions and more practice.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nMany Orff projects include stories, and changing tempi would be perfect here too.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nAlternatively, take a song with some change in tempo (like Baby Shark) and fill it out into a story.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nAsk the kids to help you out with the story creation too!&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nThey often come up with really cool stuff!&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nWake Up You Lazy Bones (1-3)\n\n\n\nHere\u2019s another great song for teaching tempo.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\n(It\u2019s also one of my favorite songs of all time.)\n\n\n\nIt has two main contrasting sections for tempo (and meter or time signature, too!).&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nSee the notation below, but click over to our dedicated page for the game and a sample music lesson plan for\u00a0Wake Up You Lazy Bones.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLet The Kids Conduct (K-5)\n\n\n\nLet the kids take a leadership role in conducting and picking the tempo.\n\n\n\nStudents love the thrill of everyone following their directions, and it\u2019s a unique way to really push their tempo skills.\n\n\n\nTake a simple song the class knows well and invite someone up to conduct the tempo.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nWith a younger grade level, I have them \u201cconduct\u201d by pointing at fast and slow pictures and giving us a cut-off at the end.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nWith older students, I want them to conduct a little more.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nIf they don\u2019t really know the meter yet, it\u2019s a simple up and down motion for the beat.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nIf they have a good grasp on the meter, I\u2019ll have them practice conducting as part of those music lessons, so it works to add in changing tempo with what they already know.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nAt this point, it almost becomes like a tempo music game as the conductor tries to trick the class.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nUse Icons (Or Real Music Words) To Arrange A Song (K-5)\n\n\n\nCompose or arrange a well-known song into a form with different speeds using icons or real tempo words.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nFor younger kids, I\u2019ll give them cards with pictures of a fast, medium, and slow tempi.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nThis will either be a turtle, a person walking, or a rabbit, OR I\u2019ll use the heart examples from before.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nThen, they organize the pictures into an order of their choice.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nThen, they\u2019ll share their arrangement with the class.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nFor older kids, I\u2019ll have a well-known song printed off (and laminated if possible).&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nThe students then have to pick where they\u2019ll change the tempo and write down the words where the tempo will change.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nThen, they perform for the class.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nThis works well in small groups or in their own way.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nTempo Flashcards (2-5)\n\n\n\nFlashcards aren\u2019t the most \u201cflashy\u201d of lessons (pun intended), but they work very well for quick practice on a simple recall skill.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nWith older kids, use tempo flashcards to cover the music terms or tempo markings you want them to know.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nJust be sure to cover up any tempo posters you may have.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nCome up with different cards to help practice tempo terms based on grade level.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nHere are some common ones to consider:\u00a0\n\n\n\nTempo TermsMeaningPrestoVery fastAllegroFastModeratoModerate, walkingAndanteSlowLargoVery slowAccelerandoGet fasterRitardandoGet slowerA tempoReturn to the previous tempo\n\n\n\nThe Old Gray Cat (K-2)\n\n\n\nFor the last activity on my list, I chose another song and game.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nUse all sorts of different songs for further reinforcement.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nThe song is about mice who are sneaking around the cat.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nDuring the cat verses, you sing them slowly and softly.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nDuring the mouse verses, you sing quicker.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nWhen the cat wakes up, the tempo of the music goes very fast.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nThis also makes a great chase game.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nHave one or two \u201ccats\u201d sleep in the middle of the room.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nAs the song goes on, the rest of the students are mice and must creep around the room.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nWhen the cats wake up, they have to chase and tag the mice as they run home to the \u201csafe zone.\u201d\n\n\n\nTagged mice become cats.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nRepeat until everyone is a cat or you run out of time.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\nCheck out this video for an example of how it\u2019s supposed to go.&amp;nbsp;\n\n\n\n\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zuTYLOiw-G8","headline":"10 Activities For Teaching Tempo In Music (All Grades)","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Zach VanderGraaff","url":""},"datePublished":"2022-05-09","mainEntityOfPage":"True","dateModified":"May 9, 2022","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/dynamicmusicroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/activities-for-teaching-tempo-in-music-1024x683.jpg","height":427,"width":640},"publisher":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Organization","name":"Dynamic Music Room","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/dynamicmusicroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Selected-480-x-240-px-1-300x150.jpg","height":600,"width":60}}} </p><article class="author-card"><a target="_blank" href="https://dynamicmusicroom.com/author/zachvdg/" alt="link to Zach VanderGraaff author page"><div class="avatar-container" style="background-image:url(https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/226bcf689388f3dcce6f26eddc3cc424?s=96&d=mm&r=g)"></div></a><div class="author-info"><header><p class="h3"><a target="_blank" href="https://dynamicmusicroom.com/author/zachvdg/">Zach VanderGraaff</a></p></header><p>Zach VanderGraaff is a K-5 music teacher in Michigan with 12 years of experience. He's the President of the Michigan Kodaly Educators and founder of the Dynamic Music Room.</p></div></article><h3 class="h2">Recent Posts</h3><div class="recent-articles-container"><article class="article-card"><a target="_blank" href="https://dynamicmusicroom.com/how-to-clean-a-trombone/" rel="nofollow"><div class="image-container" style="background-image:url(https://dynamicmusicroom.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/how-to-clean-a-trombone.jpg)"></div><span class="sr-only">link to How To Clean A Trombone (Learn The Right Way)</span></a><div class="copy-container"><header><p><a target="_blank" href="https://dynamicmusicroom.com/how-to-clean-a-trombone/">How To Clean A Trombone (Learn The Right Way)</a></p></header><div class="excerpt"><p>Brass instruments are fairly consistent instruments with minimal maintenance requirements (especially compared to woodwind and string instruments).&nbsp; But you still need to keep up with the...</p><span class="ezoic-autoinsert-ad ezoic-longer_content"></span><div class="button-container"><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="button reverse" href="https://dynamicmusicroom.com/how-to-clean-a-trombone/" aria-label="Keep Reading: How To Clean A Trombone (Learn The Right Way)">Keep Reading</a></div></div></div></article><article class="article-card"><a target="_blank" href="https://dynamicmusicroom.com/best-trombone-solos/" rel="nofollow"><div class="image-container" style="background-image:url(https://dynamicmusicroom.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/best-trombone-solos.jpg)"></div><span class="sr-only">link to 25 Best Trombone Solos Picked By Pros (Classical &amp; Jazz)</span></a><div class="copy-container"><header><p><a target="_blank" href="https://dynamicmusicroom.com/best-trombone-solos/">25 Best Trombone Solos Picked By Pros (Classical &amp; Jazz)</a></p></header><div class="excerpt"><p>The trombone is one of those unique instruments that are thought of equally as an ensemble instrument and a solo one.&nbsp; There are a ton of trombone solos out there to listen to and learn to...</p><div class="button-container"><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="button reverse" href="https://dynamicmusicroom.com/best-trombone-solos/" aria-label="Keep Reading: 25 Best Trombone Solos Picked By Pros (Classical & Jazz)">Keep Reading</a></div></div></div></article></div></div></article></main></div><aside id="secondary" class="widget-area"><span id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-102" class="ezoic-adpicker-ad"></span><span class="ezoic-ad ezoic-at-0 box-1 box-1102 adtester-container adtester-container-102 ezoic-ad-adaptive" data-ez-name="dynamicmusicroom_com-box-1"><span class="ezoic-ad box-1 box-1-multi-102 adtester-container adtester-container-102" data-ez-name="dynamicmusicroom_com-box-1"><span id="div-gpt-ad-dynamicmusicroom_com-box-1-0" ezaw="300" ezah="262" style="position:relative;z-index:0;display:inline-block;padding:0;min-height:262px;min-width:300px" class="ezoic-ad"><script data-ezscrex="false" data-cfasync="false" style="display:none">if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'dynamicmusicroom_com-box-1','ezslot_10',102,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-dynamicmusicroom_com-box-1-0');

Dynamic Music Room was started in 2019 by Zach VanderGraaff with the goal of providing helpful resources for music teachers, parents, students, and all musicians. Zach has taught musicians of all ages for over 15 years and wants to keep spreading his passion for all things music. Visit the About The Authors page to learn about the different authors on this site.

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