Rhythmic Grid
An interactive rhythmic counting and playing app.
Rhythmic Grid is a free interactive rhythm-reading tool designed for elementary music classrooms. Generate a grid of rhythm patterns, adjust the number of rows, and use the Challenge Deck to give students different ways to read, perform, and interact with the rhythms.
Use the built-in metronome to establish a steady beat, shuffle the cards to create a new sequence, or click the Challenge Deck for a new performance challenge.
Lesson Ideas and Extensions
Rhythmic Grid is designed to be flexible—there is no single “right” way to use it! Here are some ideas for bringing it into your classroom:
Change the way students perform. Read the rhythms with rhythm syllables, clap them, use body percussion, play unpitched percussion instruments, transfer them to drums, or perform them on barred instruments. The same grid can be revisited several times using a different performance medium each time.
Put students in control. Invite students to come to the board to shuffle the rhythm cards, select the number of rows, draw a challenge, or set the metronome tempo. The teacher can certainly control the app or point to the rhythms while students perform, but giving students control provides an easy opportunity for student choice and agency.
Create your own challenges. The built-in Challenge Deck is only a starting point! Write additional challenges on cards, sticky notes, or directly on the board. These can be specific to the instruments and activities you are using that day—for example, “Barred instruments play Row 1; drums play Row 2.”
Divide the class into ensembles. Assign different rows to different groups. One group might play Row 1 while another plays Row 2, or groups can alternate rows to create a question-and-answer performance. With larger grids, assign each row to a different instrument family or section of the class.
Build an arrangement. Instead of always performing the entire grid from beginning to end, use the rhythms as building blocks for a larger piece. Decide which rows will become an introduction, A section, B section, or ostinato. Students can help determine the form.
Add an ostinato. Have one group choose a rhythm card to repeat while another group performs through the grid. Transfer the ostinato to a drum, unpitched percussion instrument, body percussion, or a single pitch/chord on barred instruments.
Use it for improvisation. Choose one rhythm card as the rhythmic framework for improvisation. Students can improvise using that rhythm on barred instruments or combine it with a limited pitch set on barred instruments.
Practice keeping a steady beat. Use the built-in metronome and challenge students to maintain the rhythm accurately at different tempos. Begin at a comfortable tempo and gradually increase the BPM as students become more confident.
Try student conducting. Give a student the role of conductor. They can point to rows or cards, determine when the ensemble begins and ends, select a challenge, or decide which group performs next.
Make it a listening challenge. The teacher or a student performs one of the displayed rhythm cards while everyone else identifies which card they heard. For an added challenge, perform two cards in sequence and have students determine the order.
Use it for quick assessment. Ask an individual student, pair, or small group to perform a row. Because the cards can be shuffled instantly, students can demonstrate rhythm-reading skills without simply memorizing a previously practiced sequence.
Most importantly, adapt Rhythmic Grid to whatever students are already doing in your lesson. The rhythms can become a warm-up, an instrumental exercise, a reading activity, an improvisation prompt, an ensemble challenge, or the starting point for a larger musical creation.