Free teacher web sites for Music topic ‘Unit 10: Play it again’

BBC Beat Machine Children can use this highly appealing and accessible game to compose their own pieces from a range of tuned and untuned percussion sounds. Especially good is the user-friendly format, with symbols for each sound which can easily be dragged and dropped into a grid. Compositions can quickly be listened to, re-drafted or emailed directly to a friend from the site. Also fits in well with Unit 16: Cyclic patterns, and for developing understanding of musical scores.

External link: BBC Beat Machine

• suitable for class use

• suitable for teachers’ personal use

This user-friendly online programme will help your children in a very visual way to understand how rhythmic patterns fit together: children can create their own patterns for a range of different rhythm instruments, and then press play to hear the results.

External link: Rhythm piece maker

• suitable for class use

• suitable for teachers’ personal use

Funky little device with instantly attractive musical results. Drag and drop buttons set in action repeating patterns on rock band style instruments. Vary how prominent the patterns are by dragging them closer/further away from the centre of the circle. You could get the children to join in with each of the patterns in groups, and maybe re-enact what's on screen in a big circle in class (move into the middle=get louder, etc.).

External link: Super-hip repeating patterns

• suitable for class use

• suitable for teachers’ personal use