20: Music Theory Tip: What is Tempo and How to Practice It in Your Homeschool

Welcome to today's Music Theory Tip episode! Have you ever wondered, "What is tempo?" This essential aspect of music theory can significantly enhance your child's musical skills and appreciation. In this episode, we explore the concept of tempo, its importance in music, and practical ways to teach and practice it in your homeschool.

Episode Highlights:

• Understanding Tempo: Learn what tempo is and why it's crucial for interpreting and performing music accurately.
• Tempo Terms: Discover common tempo terms, their meanings, and BPM ranges.
• Teaching Strategies: Find out how to use visual aids, movement, rhythm instruments, and more to teach tempo at home.
• Fun Games: Engage your child with interactive games like Tempo Tag, Musical Statues, and Tempo Treasure Hunt.
• Practical Tips: Get tips on using a metronome, setting up tempo challenges, and listening exercises to reinforce learning.

Recommended Musical Pieces:

• Grave: Gymnopédie No. 3 by Erik Satie
• Allegretto: Peter and the Wolf, main theme by Prokofiev
• Adagio: "The Swan" from Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saëns
• Presto: 3 Pieces for Oboe & Piano by Michael Head
• And more to help illustrate various tempos!

Resources Mentioned:

• The "What is Tempo?" Video Lesson in the  Music in Our Homeschool Premium Membership
• Printable Pack: What is Tempo?
• Blog Post

Join us as we make learning about tempo fun and engaging for your elementary-aged homeschoolers. Enhance their musical journey and develop a profound understanding of tempo through these effective teaching strategies and activities.

Tune in now and let's dive into the world of tempo together!

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Transcript

Music Theory Tip: What is Tempo and How to Practice It in Your Homeschool E20

[00:00:00] Have you ever wondered what is tempo? Well, we've got you covered today with this quick music theory tip, including practical ways to teach it. 

Understanding tempo is a fundamental aspect of music theory that can significantly enhance your child's musical skills and appreciation.

Tempo is the speed at which a piece of music is played, and it's crucial for interpreting and performing music accurately.

Teaching tempo in a homeschool setting can be both fun and educational with the right strategies, games, and tips. Today we'll explore what tempo is and how you can effectively teach it and practice it with your elementary aged kids at home. 

So again, what is tempo? Tempo is the pace or speed at which a piece of music is performed.

Is it fast or slow? Does it stay at a steady tempo? Or does it speed up or slow down at different points in the music?

Tempo is usually indicated in beats per minute, BPM. [00:01:00] The tempo can range from very slow, such as Largo to very fast, such as presto, and understanding these different speeds helps students play and appreciate music more deeply. Choirs, orchestras, and bands follow the conductor, who uses their hands or a baton to tell the musicians what the tempo is.

Composers tell future performers of their music what the tempo is by either using a metronome marking, such as quarter note equals 90, which means 90 beats per minute, in their compositions, or using tempo terms. 

So in case you aren't, familiar with a metronome, it is a physical device that you can set near you while you are playing your instrument or singing.

And if you set it to a particular beats per minute, you can hear it ticking or tapping or making some type of beating sound or even a blinking light to tell you what that speed is. [00:02:00] The old fashioned kind used to be controlled with just gravity and a pendulum and you just slid the little marker up and down the pendulum and it would tick like that. Newer ones are either electronic and you could put a battery in them or you can even use a metronome app. 

Now let's talk about what tempo terms are. Tempo terms in musical compositions are typically in Italian. Here are some that you can learn, and I encourage you to go ahead and use a metronome or metronome app as I am going through these so you can hear how fast each of them is. 

Grave is very, very slow, sedate, and solemn, like a sloth moving, 25 to 45 beats per minute.

Lento is very slow, like a turtle walking, 45 to 60 beats per minute. 

Adagio is slow, like an adult walking slowly, 66 to 76 beats per minute. 

Andante is [00:03:00] medium slow, a walking pace like a cow walking. 76 to 108 beats per minute. 

Moderato is moderate, medium tempo, a faster walking pace, like an adult walking fast. 108 to 120 beats per minute. 

Allegretto is moderately fast. It's slightly slower than allegro, which is the next one, like an adult jogging. 112 to 120 beats per minute. 

Allegro is fast, an adult running fast, 120 to 168 beats per minute. 

And presto is very fast, like a cheetah running, 168 to 200 beats per minute.

Often the terms I just mentioned are combined with modifying words such as un poco, which means a little. Molto, which means a lot. Meno, which means less. And piu, which means more. 

And then there are some terms that refer to [00:04:00] gradual changes in tempo. Acelerando means to get gradually faster. Ritardando means to get gradually slower. Rubato is to allow the tempo to increase and decrease freely without keeping a steady beat. A tempo is to return to the original tempo. And piu mosso means with more movement. to play a little faster. 

There are some very specific musical pieces that you can listen to to hear each of these tempo speeds. And if you switch over to the blog post that goes along with this podcast episode, perhaps you didn't even know that I have a blog post that goes with every podcast episode. It's at MusicinOurHomeschool.com/Tempo. You can find the videos for each of these musical pieces I'm about to mention.

So Grave, listen to Gynopedie number three by Eric Satie. To hear [00:05:00] Allegretto, listen to Peter and the Wolf, the main theme by Prokofiev. To hear Adagio, listen to The Swan from Carnival of the Animals by Saint Saëns. To hear Presto, listen to Three Pieces for Oboe and Piano, number three, Presto by Michael Head. For Moderato, listen to For Children, volume one, number 26, Moderato by Bela Bartok. For Lento, listen to the Copellia Waltz by Leo Delibes. For Allegro, listen to Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks by Modest Mussorgsky. And to hear a piece that changes tempos often, listen to Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Johannes Brahms. 

Now let's switch over to some very practical homeschool strategies, teaching strategies, for tempo.

First of all, start with the basics. Begin by explaining the [00:06:00] concept of tempo in simple terms. Even very young children can understand this. Use a metronome to demonstrate how tempo can change the speed of the music. Set the metronome to different BPM settings and let your child hear and feel the difference.

Number two is to use visual aids. These can be helpful and effective in teaching tempo because the Italian words are hard to grasp. I especially find it easier to see a word when I'm trying to learn a new concept. So create a chart with various tempo markings, writing the words largo, adagio, andante, allegro, presto, all of the terms, and their corresponding BPM ranges. And then the child can see it to associate with the specific speeds.

Number three is to incorporate movement. Physical movement can help children internalize tempo. Play different pieces of music and encourage your child to move to the beat. They can march, [00:07:00] dance, or clap along, adjusting their speed to match the tempo of the music.

And number four is to use simple rhythm instruments and play along with music you're listening to. Hand drums, rhythm sticks, shakers, and specify what tempo marking they're playing at as they're playing, and they'll begin to feel the difference between the slower and the faster speeds. And it will help children to practice steady beat.

Number five is to watch the 15 minute What is Tempo video music lesson that I recorded that's included in the Music in Our Homeschool Plus Premium membership. If you check the show notes in the description, you can find links to all of the things that I am mentioning in today's episode. 

Number six is to use the What is Tempo printable pack. In this printable pack, it's eight pages long, you find a page that lists all the tempo markings with their corresponding metronome speeds. You have matching [00:08:00] pages so the child can match the term to the correct definition. There's answers and there are two beat maps and I want to tell you what a beat map is.

A beat map is a page that has different characters or symbols on it, and it helps a child as they're listening to a piece. They will actually tap the beats as they're listening along. So they're doing two things. They're tapping to the steady beat, but they also have to have the specific beat map that goes with the time signature of that piece.

If it's in 2/ 4 time, there are only two characters per line. If it's in 3/ 4 time, there are three symbols per line. If it's in 4/ 4 time, there four symbols per line, and so on. So you can find a couple of beat maps in the What is Tempo printable pack as well. And that is linked in the show notes and description.

Now I wanted to tell you that I have a few more pieces to listen to for a lot of these tempo terms. You [00:09:00] can switch over to the blog post to find all of them, but let me just mention a couple here. To hear Allegretto, you can listen to Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, the second movement. Andante, listen to Pachelbel's Canon in D. For Largo, listen to Handel's Largo from Xerxes. And for Presto, listen to Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, the fourth movement. 

Now I have a few fun games that you can play to practice tempo at home in your homeschool. One is called Tempo Tag, and in this game, you'll designate one child as the Tempo Master. The Tempo Master sets a tempo by clapping or using a metronome. The other children must move around the room, following the tempo. The tempo master can change his speed at any time and the others must adjust their movements accordingly. This game not only teaches tempo but also helps children develop quick reaction times and listening skills.

Number two is [00:10:00] musical statues, similar to freeze dance. Play a piece of music with varying tempos. When the music stops, the children must freeze in place. This game helps them listen carefully to changes in tempo and react quickly, making it a fun way to reinforce tempo recognition.

And the third game is Tempo Treasure Hunt. You can hide several flashcards of tempo markings around your house or yard. Play a piece of music and ask your child to find the correct tempo marking that matches the speed of the music they're listening to. This game combines physical activity with musical listening skills. 

Now here are some tips for practicing tempo at home. If your child plays an instrument such as piano, violin, guitar, recorder, or ukulele, incorporate metronome practice into their daily practice routine. Start with slower speeds and gradually increase as they become more comfortable. This will help them develop a steady [00:11:00] sense of rhythm and improve their ability to maintain a consistent tempo. 

Number two are tempo challenges. Set up some daily or weekly tempo challenges. Choose a piece of music and ask your child to play along to it on a simple rhythm instrument such as a drum or rhythm sticks at different tempos. This not only helps them understand how tempo changes the character of the music, but also enhances their technical skills and flexibility. 

The third one, listening exercises. Listening to a variety of music can help children develop a sense of tempo. Play recordings of different pieces, and ask your child to identify the tempo. You can use a metronome to check their answers, making it fun and educational. 

So let me wrap up today. Teaching tempo in your homeschool can be rewarding and enjoyable, and by using a variety of the teaching strategies, fun games, and practical tips I shared today, you can help your child develop a strong [00:12:00] sense of tempo and enhance their overall musical abilities.

Remember to keep the learning process fun , and your child will not only understand tempo, but also develop a lifelong love for music. And until next time, keep the music alive.