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What are pulse and rhythm?

Part of MusicPlaying and PerformingYear 1Year 2

A cartoon of a girl playing drums. A clock is in the background to show time.

What is pulse?

The pulse is a steady beat that runs through the music.

It's a bit like a heartbeat or the tick-tock of a clock.

When you listen to a piece of music, you might find yourself tapping your foot along to the beat. This is the pulse.

A cartoon of a girl playing drums. A clock is in the background to show time.
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Watch: What are pulse and rhythm?

Discover the difference between pulse and rhythm with Anna Meredith and Lightning Jelly.

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What is rhythm?

Rhythm is a pattern of sounds of different length.

Duration is how long a sound is.

If you play a pattern of sounds of different durations, you've made a rhythm!

A cartoon of Anna Meredith showing Aysha a pattern of sounds of different length
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A cartoon boy clapping his hands and stamping his feet in time with music.

Watch: YolanDa - Do the funky elephant walk

In this video YolanDa and her band do the funky elephant walk.

Can you use your hands or feet to clap or stomp along with the rhythm?

A cartoon boy clapping his hands and stamping his feet in time with music.
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A cartoon boy looking up.

Glossary

Here are the meanings of some important words.

Pulse - The steady beat that runs through the music.

Rhythm - A pattern of sounds of different lengths.

Duration - How long a sound is.

A cartoon boy looking up.
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