Ahhh…music composition activities for upper elementary. They’re my hook. You know those kids who are too cool for school? And they’re especially too cool for elementary music class? Most of the time, those kids actually do want to be creative. They just don’t want to do it and look silly or embarrass themselves.
I’ve got some tried and true activities that help those kids get creative.
So, I get that I’m not a teacher to be the kids’ friends. Relationships are super important and it absolutely helps classroom management, but my goal is to teach children and give them the amazing opportunities music can provide. But there was this one kid who just never seemed happy in my room. He was a total sports fanatic, and no matter how much I tried to connect with him, he just wasn’t interested. He would roll his eyes and do the very bare minimum amount of work, usually not to the best of his ability. It drove me bananas! Music isn’t going to be everyone’s favorite thing, but I just wanted some sign that he sort of liked something in my class.
I’m going to share those with you some fo the activities he and his classmates did enjoy! These are tried and true activities that are cool enough for those almost-middle-schoolers but that still teach your standards and get the kids creative and making music.
The composition worksheets in the pictures of this post are part of my free music composition worksheet packet. These worksheets can be used for K-5 and are low-prep. Some of them also have editable directions so you can make it fit for your project or sub tub! You can grab the freebie here. If you need ideas of how to compose in lower elementary music grades, you can read about that here.
Creating an Ostinato
I’m a big fan of creating ostinati in my music room. I use them in every grade level because they’re such an easy way to compose and get the kids creating. We can add them to folk songs, to listening lessons, or even the popular song on the radio that they can’t stop humming. You can use instruments, chairs, or just body percussion. They’re just so versatile!
So let’s break this down a little and list out some examples. Let’s say that you want to have your upper elementary grades create an ostinato to the song Ida Red Ida Blue. Third grade might do a 4-beat body percussion ostinato individually, while 4th grade uses drumsticks on their chairs and do it with a partner, and 5th grade might create an ostinato on xylophones using the pentatonic scale.
Sometimes I’ll have the students write it down on a 1×4 matrix. This keeps them a little more accountable, let’s them practice writing rhythms they’re performing, and it gives you a chance to grade them if you need to. Writing the ostinato down also gives some kids a sense of security. They like having the paper there for them in case they forget what they came up with.
This is a great activity for students who need accommodations to help them! I have them pick two or three shapes and ask them to give each one a movement. You could also do a certain number of taps on the drum, a note on the xylophone, etc. We write it down or draw pictures of the movements on the paper so they can refer back to it. They’re still able to compose, perform, and feel successful!
16-Beat Rhythm Pieces
These matrices are one of my favorite music composition activities ever. We used a 1×4 in the ostinato example (which I would normally use for K-1), but this time we’re going to use a 4×4 paper to compose a rhythmic piece.
This is a great time to review time signatures! Explain that each box on the matrix is one beat and the row makes up a measure in 4/4 time. The kids can use any rhythms they know to create their piece. The students will then play the piece for the class using an instrument of their choice.
Once again, this is a great way to assess the students. In my district, I record grades on singing, playing instruments, reading and writing rhythms, and class conduct. So when my students play their piece, I grade them on their technique of playing the instrument as well as them playing the rhythms they wrote down. I’ll then collect their paper and give them another grade on writing the patterns correctly (did a half note take up two beats, do their sixteenth notes have two horizontal lines connecting the stems or just one, etc.) So I was able to get three grades in just this one assignment.
You could stop there and have a totally successful assignment, or you could keep going and make this into a song with note names or words. Students could take their rhythms and put them on xylophones or pianos. Underneath each rhythm they would write the note name they pick. They could also make it into a speech piece by adding words underneath. You could hang their compositions on bulletin boards or put them in a digital portfolio on SeeSaw.
Writing a Parody
Writing parodies is another one of my favorite composition activities for upper elementary music students! Here’s how I go about it.
First, I’ll give them an example. I usually make up a different melody about my dog to the song Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. If you want a book example, though, I adore Twinkle Twinkle Dinosaur! My toddler loves it and I think it would be a great way to introduce parodies to older students.
Then, we’ll do one together. We go through the process of figuring out what we could talk about, different ideas within that topic, how many syllables are in words and how we might have to come up with different words to fit the melody, and how to string it all together. So for my dog example, I came up with the topic of my dog. Then, I determined that I could talk about his spots, how he barks at things, and how he loves to play fetch. Then I came up with words that fit the melody of the song.
When I do this with my upper elementary students, I usually let them pick a partner. They need to pick out a topic together and a song they both know to change the lyrics to. For some groups, this will be the hardest part! I’ll let them pick just about anything that’s clean, whether it’s Mary Had a Little Lamb or a song they hear on the radio. Most of the time, once they get started they are able to easily create the new lyrics.
Looking to grade this activity? You could grade their singing, their effort, or the composition itself. Take this a step further by adding drums to their songs! I’ll also note that I don’t usually force older kids to perform for the class. Pushing them outside their comfort zone is important, but this can be a tender age. Sometimes it’s better for everyone if I have them perform for me while everyone else is working. Just throwing that out there, because remember that not everyone loves the attention and these tiny little eye-rolling humans need compassion and grace sometimes.
So there you have three easy music composition activities for upper elementary students! I think all of these feel doable with your classes, but they also get the kids making music and feeling in charge of their own learning!
If you liked these ideas, don’t forget that I made a free guide with a ton of composition worksheets and ideas for you. They all vary in difficulty and level of student choice and are a great addition to your classroom! After you’ve downloaded the guide, make sure you let me know your favorite way to use them by sending me a DM on instagram (@caffeinated.j)!
