Feeling the beat of music
Physical Education · Early Years · The School
Feeling the beat
Play some music with a clear beat. Clap along. Now stamp your feet along with it instead. Moving in time with a beat is a skill. It gets easier the more you practise it, just like any other skill.
Big music, small music
Loud, fast music often suits big movements. Jumping. Spinning. Waving your arms wide. Quiet, slow music often suits small movements. Tiny steps. Gentle swaying. Try both kinds of music and see how your body wants to move, without anyone telling you what to do.
Changing with the music
Play music that suddenly stops. Freeze the moment it stops. Start again the moment it starts. Listening carefully is part of moving well. Your ears tell your body what to do next, just as much as your eyes.
Pick one short piece of music. Listen to it once through, just listening. Now make up your own movement for it — nobody else's, just yours. It could be a wiggle, a spin, a stretch, anything you like. Play the music again and do your movement. Now watch a friend do theirs. Notice how different two movements can be, for the very same piece of music. Neither one is wrong, and neither is better than the other.