Animal Tempos

Animal Tempos


Vocabulary

Let’s focus on just four main tempo dynamic markings: andante, moderato, allegro, and presto. Here is a helpful way to imagine four different tempos as animal speeds.


Activity

Step One: Try acting each animal move while you listen to these four pieces in this playlist:

Feel how each animal has a different tempo. The music is in order of slow to fast:

  • Andante: slow and steady like a turtle
  • Moderato: prancing around like a cat
  • Allegro: galloping like a horse
  • Presto: all-out like a cheetah

Step Two: See if your students can think of other animals or living things that move at the speeds of each of those main tempos.

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