How do I choose a tempo when making a beat?

The speed of music (tempo) can greatly impact people’s perception of the music or how they feel when listening to it.

Think About

• How does the speed of the music (the tempo) affect the music?
• How does the tempo of music affect people?
• What would your favorite song sound like sped up or slowed down?

Get Started

1. Use either Groove Pizza or Splice Beat Maker to make a simple beat.

We suggest making up whatever you like, but if you need a starting point you can try this pattern:

Groove Pizza	Splice Sounds Beat Maker

1. Now, try listening to your beat at different tempos. Try 60 BPM – 100 BPM

With Groove Pizza you can drag the BPM bar to different tempos:

With Splice Sounds Beatmaker you can type the exact tempo you want, click the small white up & down arrows, or use the drop down tempo menu.

Think About and Answer the Following Questions

1. Think about and answer the following questions:
   
   1. What genre does the beat sound like at 60 BPM, at 90 BPM at 120 BPM?
   2. What other sounds would you add to make it sound more like that genre?
2. How does the tempo impact the way you feel when listening to the beat?

Share What you Learned

If you are using the LRNG platform:

• Go back, find out what to submit, and complete the XP
• If you want, you can then learn even more with the optional “Go Further!” activities below

If you are not using the LRNG platform:

• Continue below and share with your teacher or organization:

Sharing What You Learned

• Share a brief post that describes how tempo impacts the sound and feel of a beat.