TMS Music Blog – keep playing and singing

Over the next few weeks watch out for some singing and rhythm games that you can do whilst at home.

HOT CROSS BUN COMPOSITION

With Easter around the corner here’s the simple song: ‘Hot Cross Buns’.
It works well as a clapping game—and can also be sung as a round (a song where someone starts and then the next person starts a line later).

Watch the clip of Hot Cross Buns and think about the pitch and rhythm used in the song.

Can you find something to play it on at home? – Saucepans? Cups? A keyboard? Or make up your own clapping game. You’ll need three objects / sounds that produce a different pitched note.

Put them in order of highest to lowest and see if you can follow the examples to play your own version and let me or your class teacher know how you get on!

PITCH

Pitch is the word we use to describe how high or low a sound is.  Generally the smaller the instrument the higher the pitch.

RHYTHM

Over the last few terms we’ve been exploring rhythms—looking at quavers, crotchets and rests.  Look at the picture and clap / tap the rhythm.

LYRICS
You could have a go at making up your own lyrics for your own version of the song. Here are some examples from TMS Y2 children.
‘Banana, pineapple, purple onions, banana’ – Talya, Veryan class
‘Lemonade, lemonade, with cold ice cubes, lemonade’ – Amelia, Veryan class
‘Hot cross buns, cheese on toast, watermelon watermelon, hot cross buns’ – Callum, Veryan class

LISTENING LINKS

Musicians around the world are finding brilliant ways of playing together.   Watch and listen here

Musicians playing around the world 

What instruments can you spot in their performance?  What sections of the music did you like?  How did the music make you feel?

KEEP PLAYING

For all of you who are learning an instrument – keep on playing and singing at home and I look forward to hearing you again when we’re back at school.  Violin and viola players – I know that Emma has been teaching you with zoom lessons.  Keep going!

KS1—With Easter around the corner you may enjoy this—counting down the eggs as they hatch

KS2—Fancy having more of a go at body percussion.  Ollie from ‘Beat Goes On!’ is doing a daily online slot—see his first day here at

Ollie is great and was part of the cast of Stomp for a while.  Good for brain and soul!

Keep singing!

Mrs Browning