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Junior Music at Home 8

Performing cup patterns  |  Explore and create: Typewriter music
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Enjoy these structured musical activities that we have prepared especially for you to continue your learning at home...

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Performing: Cup patterns

Take a look at the video below... 

  • What you'll need...
    You'll need two plastic cups for this activity
  • Learn the words and the rhyme first
    Follow the teacher as she goes over the words with you. Don't forget that you can rewind the video if you need more attempts at getting it right!
  • Cup patterns
    After an easy start this gets more difficult as more complicated patterns are introduced. Do each version as many times as you need before feeling comfortable moving on to the harder patterns. (Even the teacher makes a mistake near the end!)
  • Create your own patterns
    Choose a song you like, and see what pattens you can make up with just cups. See you if you can teach these patterns to someone else in your house too.

This resource is now archived

We no longer keep our Covid-19 remote learning resources up to date and there are likely broken links or missing videos or resources where third-party content has been removed at source. 


Explore and create: Typewriter music

(set by Kathryn Hindmarch from Portway Junior School)

When do the sounds made by everyday objects become music? Let’s face it, we’re surrounded by sound and some sounds are definitely more appealing than others! If there’s a musical intention, any sound maker can be used to make music. 

  • Listen

    Leroy Anderson wrote a fantastic piece of music in 1950 for an orchestra and a...typewriter! It’s very fast and the person who plays the typewriter part has to be very skilled. 

  • Play along
    Here’s a great graphic score of Leroy Anderson’s piece which you can follow and play along with. Start by tapping a steady beat and you’ll soon see how the symbols used fit with the music.
  • Feeling confident?
    Try using different sound makers for the different symbols –
    – Something that makes a short strong tapping sound for the typewriter
    – Something that sounds like a bell
    – Something that makes a whoosh sound for the arrow
    – Use your voice to make a falling rollercoaster sound
  • Play along
    Here’s a great graphic score of Leroy Anderson’s piece which you can follow and play along with. Start by tapping a steady beat and you’ll soon see how the symbols used fit with the music.
  • Feeling confident?
    When you’re more confident, try using different sound makers for the different symbols –
    – Something that makes a short strong tapping sound for the typewriter
    – Something that sounds like a bell
    – Something that makes a whoosh sound for the arrow
    – Use your voice to make a falling rollercoaster sound
  • Compose and perform
    Look around your home for a machine which is able to make a range of sounds (make sure to ask permission from an adult first!). Experiment with the sounds it makes then create your own symbols or simple pictures to represent each sound. Now combine these into your own musical score and practise what you have written.

Keep learning

Continue your musical learning with us with more Music at Home, or find out how you could start learning to play a musical instrument.

Music activities and resources for children aged 7-11 that can be done at home
Find out how your child can learn to sing or to play a musical instrument, with a range financial bursaries and instrumental loans available to support tuition.