Year 6 - Music
Layering rhythms
Sing, play, perform: accompanying songs with polyrhythms
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explores different rhythm patterns from around the world. Through body percussion pupils play contrasting styles of rhythms and transfer these onto untuned percussion. They play one rhythm against another, building up layers of sound whilst maintaining a secure sense of pulse.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to layer multiple rhythms to create a polyrhythm as part of an ensemble.
Key Notes
- The lyrics and phrases of a song can be used to create a rhythmic ostinato.
- Multiple rhythmic ostinati can be layered to create a thicker texture.
- Layering 'on-beat; and offbeat rhythms creates a polyrhythm.
Vocabulary To Learn
- syncopation: rhythms that emphasise the offbeat
- rhythmic ostinato: a repeating musical idea created from a rhythmic pattern
- polyrhythm: playing two or more conflicting rhythms at the same time
- texture: the combination of different layers of sounds
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Polyrhythms are only created with syncopated rhythm patterns.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
The lyrics and phrases of a song can be used to create a rhythmic ostinato. Multiple rhythmic ostinati can be layered to create a thicker texture.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'syncopation'
rhythms that emphasise the offbeat.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Polyrhythms are only created with syncopated rhythm patterns. Correction: Polyrhythms are built from a combination of on and offbeat rhythms and rhythms that give a feeling of a different metre (beats per bar).
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 6 Music guide library.