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Tempo: Arithmetic

Goal: To improve the pacing of getting faster or slower by using "counting" (speaking, counting out loud, singing, and playing).

Out of Tempo

Addition

Ritardando

Beginning

  1. Teacher prompts, “Hold a ‘ta’ while I count '1, 2.'”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher prompts, “Hold a ‘ta’ while I count '1, 2, 3.'”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher prompts, “Hold a ‘ta’ while I count '1, 2, 3, 4.'”
  2. Students do so.

Subtraction

Accelerando

Beginning

  1. Teacher prompts, “Hold a ‘ta’ while I count '1, 2, 3, 4.'”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher prompts, “Hold a ‘ta’ while I count '1, 2, 3.'”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher prompts, “Hold a ‘ta’ while I count '1, 2.'”
  2. Students do so.

Multiplication

Beginning (Ritardando over more than one measure)

  1. Teacher prompts, “Hold a ‘ta’ while I count '1,' '1, 2,' '1, 2, 3,' '1, 2, 3, 4.'”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate (Accelerando over more than one measure)

  1. Teacher prompts, “Hold a ‘ta’ while I count '1, 2, 3, 4,' '1, 2, 3,' '1, 2,' '1.'”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced (Accelerando/ritardando/accelerando)

  1. Teacher prompts, “Hold a ‘ta’ while I count '1,' '1, 2,' '1, 2, 3,' '1, 2, 3, 4,' '1, 2, 3,' '1, 2,' '1.'”
  2. Students do so.

Division

Accelerando/Ritardando within one measure.

Beginning

  1. Teacher prompts, “Hold a ‘ta’ while I count '1, 2, 3, 4.'”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher prompts, “Hold a ‘ta’ and get faster on '1, 2' and slower on '3, 4.'”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher prompts, “Hold a ‘ta’ and get slower on '1, 2,' and faster on '3, 4.'”
  2. Students do so.

In Tempo

Teacher sets up a tempo, time signature, tonality, one note per measure at first, then basic beat divisions and subdivisions, repeating one solfege per measure.

Singing, Playing.

Addition

Ritardando

Beginning

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Sing a note while I play two beats.”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Sing a note while I play two then three beats.”
  2. Students do so

Advanced

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Sing a note while I play two, then three, then four beats.”
  2. Students do so.

Subtraction

Accelerando

Beginning

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Sing a note while I play four beats.”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Sing a note while I play four then three beats.”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Sing a note while I play four, then three, then two beats.”
  2. Students do so.

Multiplication

Beginning (Ritardando over more than one measure)

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Sing a note while I play '1,' '1, 2,' '1, 2, 3,' '1, 2, 3, 4.'”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate (Accelerando over more than one measure)

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Sing a note while I play '1, 2, 3, 4,' '1, 2, 3,' '1, 2,' '1.'”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced (Accelerando/ritardando/accelerando)

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Sing a note while I play '1,' '1, 2,' '1, 2, 3,' '1, 2, 3, 4,' '1, 2, 3,' '1, 2,' '1.'”
  2. Students do so.

Division

Accelerando/Ritardando within one measure.

Beginning

  1. Teacher prompts, “Sing a note while I count '1, 2, 3, 4.'”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher prompts, “Sing a note and get faster on '1, 2' and slower on '3, 4.'”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher prompts, “Sing a note and get slower on '1, 2', and faster on '3, 4.'”
  2. Students do so.