Pitch, Tone, and Beat
Background Information & Activities

© 1999-2012 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Explore the wonderful world of music with your children! This movie will introduce pitch, tone, and rhythm and explore different instruments. We recommend listening to music together and pausing to discuss what they have heard. Which instruments are used? How does this song differ from another song? You may want to review the Sound movie and build a cross-curricular connection with science.

Review with children that pitch describes how low or high a sound is. Together, brainstorm some things that make a high-pitched sound, like a mouse's squeak, a scream, and a triangle. Discuss what makes a low-pitched sound, such as a tugboat and a tuba. Invite students to sing a low note and a high note. Remind children that some instruments have higher pitches than others. Brainstorm different instruments and sort them by pitch. A piccolo, flute, and a triangle are much higher than a cello, bass guitar, and a tuba. Some instruments have a wide range–a piano can play fairly low and fairly high notes. Explore different instruments, and ask children to explain how a pitch can be changed. On a guitar, as well as many other stringed instruments, a string is pressed down on the neck while it is plucked or strummed in order to change the pitch. On a recorder, different holes are covered to change the pitch, while on a trumpet keys are pressed down.

Tone, or timbre, describes the quality of a sound. Tone does not, however, refer to loudness (volume). Tones from a whistle are sharp, while a cello or acoustic guitar might have warm tones. A trumpet or saxophone can have bright tones. However, they can also have warm tones. One instrument often has many tones depending on how it is played. If possible, experiment with different instruments and invite children to describe their tone. On the Internet, you can find audio samples from different instruments and an orchestra, which is a group of musicians who play instruments that differ in pitch and tone.

Rhythm is the beat of a song. Play a piece of music together and clap along to the beat. Some songs are faster than others. Play different songs and invite children to describe the rhythm. Is it fast? Is it jumpy? You may want to play songs across different genres–such as a hip-hop song and a classical waltz. Remind your children that rhythm can change in a song–it can speed up, slow down, or even stop.

Music is a combination of pitch, tone, and rhythm. There are many ways to combine them, so there are many different kinds of music! Encourage your children to name different styles of music, such as pop or country. How are they different?

See more lesson plans and resources: BrainPOP Educators.

Pitch, Tone, and Beat Teacher Activities

© 1999-2012 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

High and Low

Fill glasses with different amounts of water. Then hit each glass lightly with a metal utensil. Ask students to differentiate between high or low pitches. Why might the pitch change depending on how much water is in the glass? Discuss as a class. Then pour some water out or add some water to a glass and explore how the pitch changes.

Rhythm Challenge

Pose a challenge to your students. Play different songs on the computer or a CD player and have students move to the beat. Discuss how the beat starts, stops, and changes, and how we can move our bodies differently depending on the rhythm, tone, and pitch. Sometimes high pitches make us want to move faster, and low pitches sometimes make us slow down.

Pitch, Tone, and Beat Family Activities

© 1999-2012 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

A Cappella

Voices can be low, high, and everything in between. Have your child sing the lowest note he or she can. Then have your child sing the highest note. If possible, listen to an a cappella group together. Many colleges or communities have a cappella groups, such as barbershop quartets or choirs. Have your child experience how low and high voices can come together to create music!

Sound Walk

Go on a walk with your child. Have him or her listen carefully to different sounds. Which sound is high? Which is low? Birds might make high-pitched sounds, while a dog's barks might have a much lower pitch. What rhythm do your footsteps make? Challenge your child to change the rhythm of his or her footsteps.