Unit A02 – Rhythm

To complete this unit students should be confident in playing or clapping the following note lengths using the notes they learn in Unit A1.

  • crotchets
  • minims
  • dotted minims
  • semibreves
  • crotchet rests

Flash Cards

Our rhythm flash cards can be used to help students develop their rhythm reading skills, and can also help support other activities like composing or improvisation.

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Stage A Rhythm – Notes Only
Different rhythmic combinations using crotchets, minims, dotted minims, and semibreves, in a 4 crotchets per bar metre.

Stage A Rhythm – Notes and Rests
Different rhythmic combinations using crotchets and minims alongside crotchet rests, in a 4 crotchets per bar metre.

Activities

  • Flash Cards There are lots of things you can do with the humble flash card to help develop rhythmic understanding.
    • Set out 2 flash cards and clap/play one of them. Ask the student to identify which one you have performed. Ask the student to clap it back or clap the other one! To increase the difficulty use more flash cards/similar rhythms.
    • Introduce new rhythms on flash cards before students encounter them in their pieces.
    • Students can clap the rhythm, play the rhythm on one/two/more notes, tap the rhythm on a table, combine the rhythm with finger flash cards, use percussion instruments or body percussion.
    • Compose a piece using rhythm flash cards as your starting point. You could includes notes at the piano or create a rhythmic piece by using body percussion or similar. As an extension create a rhythm a second part for a rhythm duet!
  • Rhythm Snap. Create your own snap cards or use duplicate sets of our rhythm flash cards. Either play for a direct snap (e.g. semibreve to semibreve is a snap) or a value snap (e.g. 4 beats to 4 beats is a snap regardless of note values used). This helps students to learn the value of individual notes and also learn what patterns of notes make up 1/2/3/4 beats etc.

Vibrant Music Teachers

  • Star Seekers is a game that tests student’s knowledge of the terms ‘crotchet’, ‘minim’, ‘dotted minim’ and ‘semibreve’, as well as the length of each of these notes.
  • Rhythm Rockets helps students develop their rhythm reading skills. Combine this activity with our flash cards to learn and test a variety of rhythms.

Study for Five
These games are available in the Beginners Theory section in the Free Music Pack. They all cover crotchets, minims, dotted crotchets, and semibreves.

  • Dragon Wars
  • Camper Van
  • Teacher on Mars

Worksheets
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Unit A1 quizzes that also include note lengths:

Note Length Introductions
Stage A Note Lengths Pack
Introduces students to the note lengths: crotchet, minim, dotted minim, semibreve, and crotchet rests (4x double sided worksheets).

Rhythm Quizzes
A2 Rhythm Quizzes (x3)

  • Quiz 1: Crotchets, minims, and semibreves (values only)
  • Quiz 2: As Quiz 1, but with dotted minims (values and names)
  • Quiz 3: As above (values and names)