Rhythm Tag Group Game

Rhythm Bug Circle


The  Let's Play Music method of introducing rhythms with bugs my favorite. It makes learning the more difficult eighth and sixteenth patterns seem like a cinch because the bug analogy provides both a visual and auditory memory aid.
As a parent of a Let's Play Music student and as a Connections teacher I have been amazed at how very young students really get a firm grasp on rhythm relationships.
For this group lesson game I used the Let's Play Music rhythm cards and had students sit in a circle of five and each selected a rhythm bug card equivalent to 1 beat (no Slugs allowed!).  They clapped and chanted their rhythm 3x and then "tagged" another person's rhythm to clap and pass the beat to.  (Bug, Bug, Bug, Grasshopper - Grasshopper, Grasshopper, Grasshopper, Beetle - etc.).  After they were comfortable with the sounds of the "bugs" we flipped the cards and reviewed the traditional rhythm symbols & their names.  I love how this combines the Sound-Feel-Sign-Name learning sequence all into one short activity.

At Halloween time I like to do a similar Rhythm Circle Game but instead I use some of the Candy Bar Rhythm Cards from Layton Music that have the same number of beats in a measure. With these longer patterns, students have to repeat their measure 3 times before clapping out another person's candy bar rhythm.