Carnegie Hall

Most music has meter. When the rhythmic beats of a work are organized into groups of two, the work is in duple meter (2/4). When the beats are organized into groups of three, the work is in triple meter (3/4), and groups of four, quadruple meter (4/4).

• Listen to one of the works in the Link Up repertoire that is in quadruple meter—such as “Come to Play” (complete) or “Toreador” from Carmen—while students walk or march to the beat of the music.
• Listen to The Blue Danube (complete) while students skip or gallop to the beat of the music. Students may also try sliding or chasséing to the beat of the music.
• Next, listen to a variety of works in different meters, including those outside of the Link Up repertoire. Ask students to respond to the meter and tempo that they hear by either walking/marching or galloping/skipping.
  • Which movement matches the tempo and overall feel of the beat?
• Create a freeze dance: Try a variation on this activity by stopping the music at various points and challenging students to freeze in creative shapes when the music stops. For example, students can explore basic shapes that are round, wide, narrow, and twisted.

Explore Triple Meter by Dancing the Waltz with The Blue Danube

• When the rhythmic beats of a work are organized into groups of three, the work is in triple meter. In triple-meter dance forms like the waltz, the pattern is strong-weak-weak.
• Explore triple meter using the imagery of the Danube River.
• Invite students to hold their recorder like a boat paddle and listen to The Blue Danube (complete).
  • Imagine you have a paddle. Imitate the motion of paddling on both sides of the boat.
• While listening, paddle to the beat of the music.
  • Downstroke on the strong beat (1). Lift the “paddle” and switch sides on the weak beats (2 and 3).
• Invite students to repeat the activity while standing. Students can take a gentle step forward on beat one to imitate gliding around the water and feel the strong downbeat.
• Encourage students to make eye contact while passing other classmates in their “boats.”
• Try splitting students into two groups—one group performing the recorder part and the other singing and paddling down the river.
• Try creating water sounds with instrumental sound effects, such as metallophones and rain sticks.

Mhande Meter

Mhande is a sacred dance rhythm from Zimbabwe. It has its own distinct meter, called mhande meter which is counted in a 1-2, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3 pattern. Tanyaradzwa Tawengwa’s piece “Mhande” features the mhande meter throughout the song. Using the Mhande Rhythm and Dance Instruction video, your students can learn the mhande rhythm and some basic mhande steps.

Students can learn to conduct duple meter, triple meter, and quadruple meter using the diagrams below and the Conduct Like a Maestro video resource. Using a baton or their hand, students can learn the patterns below. After practicing each pattern, play different works in the Link Up repertoire while students conduct the music.

• Body percussion patterns are a great tool for discovering new meters or identifying the meter of a musical work.
• Introduce the following body percussion patterns to track the steady beat in various meters.
  • 2/4: pat, clap
  • 3/4: pat, clap, snap
  • 4/4: pat, clap, snap, clap
  • 5/4: pat, clap, snap, clap, tap chest
• Play “Come to Play” (complete), “Shibolet Basadeh” (complete), or other works from the Link Up repertoire in 2/4 and 4/4 meters, and invite students to find the pattern that fits best.
  • Why did you choose the pattern that you did?
• Explain why the 2/4 and 4/4 patterns feel right for these works.
• Repeat activity with the audio track The Blue Danube (complete) to discover 3/4 meter, and the audio track “The Dancing Moonlight” (orchestral version) to discover 5/4 meter.
• Guess the Meter: Make a playlist of favorite class songs and invite students to identify the meter by trying out the different patterns. As you introduce each work in the Link Up repertoire, use these body percussion patterns with a “mystery listening” session to discover the meter of each piece together.
• Invite students to share:
  • What do you notice about the different patterns and how they feel in your body?
  • What part of the pattern feels the heaviest and most important?
  • Which pattern is your favorite?
  • Which patterns could we put together to create a new, longer pattern?
• For an added challenge, students can turn to a partner and partner clap instead of snapping while performing the different patterns.

Students can explore and practice different meters by playing passing games using bean bags, stones, rhythm sticks, cups, or other objects. You can create patterns to accompany any meter. Below is one four movement pattern that can be used with any of the Link Up repertoire works in 4/4 meter.

• Begin in a seated circle. Students should be seated so that they can reach the ground in front of their neighbor to pass an object.
• Play “Cidade Maravilhosa.” Ask students to identify the meter while listening and tapping the pulse. Use the body percussion pattern strategy.
• First, teach the motions and words used in the beat-passing game without the objects:
  • Begin by asking students to point to the right.
  • Practice the first three beats of the pattern: “clap,” “grab,” “knee.”
    • “Clap”: Clap on beat one of the pattern.
    • “Grab”: Pick up the object with your right hand on beat two.
    • “Knee”: Touch the object to your right knee on beat three.
  • Practice the fourth beat of the pattern: “pass.”
    • “Pass”: Touch the ground in front of your neighbor to the right.
• Practice the full pattern slowly as many times as needed: “clap,” “grab,” “knee,” “pass.”
• Once students are comfortable with the pattern, add one object. The object will travel around the circle while all the students continue practicing the motions and words. Remind students to follow the object closely so they are ready when it gets to them.
• Add a second object to the circle and repeat. Gradually add more objects as your students continue practicing the activity until all the students have one.
• For an added challenge, ask students to change the direction of the pattern every few phrases, or when an added sound cue is played, such as a gong or cymbals. Practice performing the pattern in the opposite direction slowly at first.
• Invite students to suggest new patterns for passing games.