The Sound Rap

To introduce Rhythm, I usually do the “Sound Rap” activity with the students. I ask them to think of animal, vehicle or instrument sounds and write those sounds in two verses, like that of poems. I usually show them the pattern of words, like four sounds in a line (meow, broom, ting, click), so they complete 16 sounds in a verse.

With my grade 2 students, I often just ask them to have two sounds in a line to make up eight sounds in a verse. Whoever finishes first gets a merit and a chance to go to the keyboard, where they can use the headphones and recite the words they have written as rap, with the assigned register that I give them from the beat bank on the keyboard.

For example, I use 34 Hip Hop or 28 Euro-beat, and I just adjust the tempo to a slower one for them to recite their sounds as a sound rap to the beat. Once the other students finish, and there aren’t many keyboards available, I gather them near the vocalization area of my music room, and there I have another keyboard where I can play a certain register and have them listen to it.

I might also call on an individual to try rapping their sounds to the beat, or I usually give them the cue when to start.

The students find this activity very cool. After which, I have them practise their sound rap, improvise, make different body percussion accompaniments and perform it in class, where I’ll have the chance to grade them and enjoy it myself.