Grade by Grade
A. Dance / C. Music · Music and Dance

Music: High and Low, Loud and Soft, Fast and Slow

C1.2 C2.1 C2.2About 30 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can hear and sing high sounds and low sounds.
  • I can tell if a tune goes up, goes down or stays the same.
  • I can sing and play loudly and softly (dynamics).
  • I can sing and play fast and slow (tempo).
  • I can tell how a song makes me feel and why the music sounds that way.

Words to know

pitch
How high or low a sound is. A bird's chirp has a high pitch. A big drum has a low pitch.
melody
The tune of a song: notes that go up, down or stay the same.
dynamics
How loud or soft music is.
forte
An Italian music word that means loud. Its symbol is f.
piano
An Italian music word that means soft (quiet). Its symbol is p.
tempo
How fast or slow the music goes.
timbre
The special sound of each voice or instrument that lets you tell them apart. Say it "TAM-ber".

Listen around you

Close your eyes and listen. A chickadee singing outside is a high sound. A big truck rumbling by is a low sound. A whisper is soft. A smoke alarm is loud!

Musicians have special names for all these differences. Let's learn them.

A black-capped chickadee with its beak open, singing on a snowy branch.
A chickadee's song is a high sound. Can you think of an animal that makes a low sound? AI-generated image

Pitch: high and low

Pitch is how high or low a sound is.

  • High sounds: a bird chirping, a mouse squeaking, a whistle.
  • Low sounds: a bear growling, a foghorn, a big bass drum.

A tune can move up (getting higher), move down (getting lower), or stay the same.

lowhigh
A melody climbing up like stairs, from low to high.

Show pitch with your body

When the music goes high, reach up high. When it goes low, touch your toes. When it stays the same, keep your hands still.

Try singing "I'm a lit-tle tea-pot". The first part climbs up, step by step. Can your hands climb up too?

Dynamics: loud and soft

Dynamics means how loud or soft the music is.

  • Forte (say "FOR-tay") means loud. Its symbol is f.
  • Piano (say "pee-AH-no") means soft. Its symbol is p.

Music can also get louder little by little, or softer little by little.

pffingertip tapslight rainwhole-hand patsheavier rainstomp!thundergetting louder (crescendo)
A thunderstorm sound story starts soft (p, piano) and gets louder little by little until it is loud (f, forte).

Tempo: fast and slow

Tempo means how fast or slow the music is. A song for a race might be fast. A lullaby is slow.

Timbre: the sound's special colour

Every voice and instrument has its own sound. That's how you can tell Grandma's voice from your cousin's voice on the phone, or a drum from a bell, even with your eyes closed. This special sound is called timbre.

ElementQuestionOpposites
PitchHow high or low?high ↔ low
DynamicsHow loud or soft?loud (forte, f) ↔ soft (piano, p)
TempoHow fast or slow?fast ↔ slow
DurationHow long or short is each sound?long ↔ short
TimbreWhat does the sound sound like?e.g. bell ↔ drum ↔ voice
Some elements of music
Just for fun

Why did the singer bring a ladder to music class?

To reach the high notes!

Worked example

Example: Why does this music feel that way?

Your grown-up sings a lullaby slowly and softly. How does it make you feel? Why?

  1. Listen to the tempo. It is slow.
  2. Listen to the dynamics. It is soft (piano).
  3. Think about the feeling: slow and soft music feels calm and sleepy.
  4. Say why: "I feel sleepy because the music is slow and soft."

The lullaby feels calm and sleepy because it is slow and soft. Musicians choose the tempo and dynamics on purpose to match the feeling they want.

Worked example

Example: Make a sound story with dynamics

Tell a sound story about a thunderstorm using only your hands and feet.

  1. Start softly: tap your fingertips on the table like light rain. (piano)
  2. Get louder little by little: pat with your whole hands. The rain is getting heavier.
  3. Loudest: stomp your feet for thunder! (forte)
  4. Then get softer and slower as the storm goes away... until there is silence.

The storm story uses dynamics (soft, louder, loud, softer) and tempo (it slows down at the end). The music shows the story without any words!

Hands-on activity

High, low, loud, soft game

You need: a grown-up and a few things that make sound (pot and spoon, a plastic container of rice, keys, a whistle or your voice).

  1. The grown-up hides behind a chair and makes a sound.
  2. You guess: Is it high or low? Loud or soft? Fast or slow?
  3. Then guess what made the sound. (You are using timbre!)
  4. Switch: you make the sounds and the grown-up guesses.
  5. Last round: sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" slowly and softly, then fast and loudly. Which way do you like better? Why?

Your turn

1

Sing a high "ooh" like a bird. Then a low "ooh" like a bear.

2

Say your name softly (piano). Then loudly (forte).

3

Clap fast, then clap slowly. Which element of music is this?

4

What does the symbol f mean?

5

Is a mouse squeak high or low?

6

A song for a parade is fast and loud. How might it make you feel?

7

With your eyes closed, how can you tell a drum from a bell?

More practice: warm-up

1

Is a lion's roar loud or soft?

2

Is a lullaby usually fast or slow?

3

What does piano mean in music?

4

Is a big drum high or low?

5

Show with your hand: a tune that goes up.

More practice: on your own

1

Sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." On the second "twin-kle", does the tune go up, go down or stay the same?

2

You want to play music for a sleeping baby. Choose: loud or soft? Fast or slow? Why?

3

You want music for a hockey game when your team scores. Choose: loud or soft? Fast or slow?

4

Name the element: "This music gets quieter and quieter."

5

Sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" very slowly. How does the tempo change the feeling?

Challenge

1

Make up a sound story about a moose walking closer and closer, then walking away. Use dynamics.

2

Why do you think scary music in movies is often low and slow?

3

Sing "Happy Birthday" two ways: fast and loud, then slow and soft. Which fits a birthday party better? Explain.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

How high or low a sound is, is called its ___.

2.

What does forte (f) mean?

3.

Which sound is low?

4.

Tempo is about ___.

5.

A lullaby is usually ___.

6.

You can tell a bell from a drum with your eyes closed because each has its own ___.

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 1 students explore the elements of music, especially pitch (high/low, going up/down/same), dynamics (loud/soft), tempo (fast/slow), duration and timbre (the unique sound of an instrument or voice). They also explain how music makes them feel and why ("It's slow and soft, so it feels calm").

How to help:

  • Talk about music you hear together: "Is this fast or slow? How does it make you feel?"
  • Play "high/low" with your voice, reaching up and down with your hands.
  • Use the Italian words forte and piano in daily life ("Piano voices, please, the baby is sleeping!").

Common difficulties:

  • Confusing high/low with loud/soft. Many children call a loud sound "high." Separate them: sing a high, soft sound, then a low, loud sound.
  • Getting louder when going faster. Practise a fast, soft rhythm (tiny mouse feet) and a slow, loud one (giant footsteps).