Lesson 31 of 84 · Pitch

⭐ 30 XP🎶 Melody Meadow

African Drumming Beats (Part 2)

🎵Stage Brief #31

A slow beat feels calm and relaxed.

🎯 Your mission

Sing along — even if no one's listening.

⚡ The twist

Going up sounds happier. Going down sounds heavier. That's not magic — that's ears.

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Listen for this

🎧 Notice when the notes go UP and when they go DOWN.

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Artist Spotlight

🌟 Stevie Wonder writes melodies in his head — he can't see music notation at all.

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Mind = Blown

🤯 You only need 12 notes to make EVERY song that exists. Twelve.

Learn about african drumming beats (part 2): subdivide the beat into smaller values

What You'll Learn

A slow beat feels calm and relaxed. A fast beat feels exciting and energetic. The speed of the beat is called the tempo.

Subdivide the beat into smaller values

Understand tempo changes (accelerando, ritardando)

Notes on the Staff

Tap a note to hear it

Check Your Understanding

Question 1 of 3

What is the steady pulse in music called?

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Where you hear this in real life

The melody you can't get out of your head right now is the result of years of someone else's practice.

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Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Make up a 4-note tune. Hum it three times. See if you remember it tomorrow.

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For the dinner table

“Hum the first notes of a song you both love. Can your kid finish it?”

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