In the classroom — The singing staircase

The singing staircase

Lesson 1 · listen, sing and feel the pulse

Teacher's guide. © 2026 Music Motion.

For: ages 8 to 12, the whole class. Length: 50 minutes.

What they learn: to hear pitch, to sing a note and to feel the pulse.

What you need: a computer with speakers and, if available, a projector. No music knowledge needed: the keyboard and the tuner do the work; you guide.

Before the lesson (5 minutes, at home): open the Cosmic Keyboard, press Z X C V B N M and listen to the scale from C to B. Open the tuner and sing a note to see how it shows it.

Before you start: the pulse

What is the pulse?

The pulse is the steady heartbeat of music: always the same distance apart, like the tick-tock of a clock or footsteps when walking. When we clap along to a song, we are clapping the pulse. Everyone who plays or sings together follows the same pulse.

The metronome is the machine that marks that beat with a light and a sound, so the class stays together. Its speed is measured in BPM, beats per minute: 60 BPM = one beat per second. More BPM, faster.

Where to find it in the Cosmic Keyboard

The pulse button and the metronome panel in the Cosmic Keyboard
  1. Open the metronome: press the pulse button (1), the one with a little musical note, in the third row from the top, next to FX.
  2. The PULSE · METRONOME panel (2) appears below the keyboard.
The parts of the metronome panel
  1. Choose the tempo (the speed of the pulse). The easiest way: press tap several times in a row, at the speed you want; the metronome measures it and shows the BPM. You can also turn the knob next to tap: it raises or lowers the BPM, and the list shows the musical name of that tempo (for example Andante · 76 or Moderato · 92). Or pick a tempo straight from the list. To begin, go slow: about 60 BPM.
  2. Start it with start. The light (the circle) flashes on every beat.
  3. To hear it, switch on click. The two knobs on the right adjust the click: the first one, its volume; the TONE knob, whether it sounds higher or lower.
  4. To close it, press ⊗, at the top right of the panel.

The lesson, step by step

  1. 10 min

    Listen

    On the right of the Keyboard is the RECORDINGS list (if you can't see it, press ☰ recs). Press ▶ on Bach's “Sinfonia No. 1”. Ask:

    “Does the music go up or down? When does it sound like it's coming home?”

    There are no wrong answers: the point is to listen carefully.

  2. 10 min

    The staircase

    Play Z X C V B N M slowly, one key at a time. The class sings each note on “la”. Then from the top down.

  3. 10 min

    The echo

    You play one key of the staircase; the class sings it. Then two keys in a row, then three. A pupil comes up to play and the class answers.

  4. 10 min

    The tuner

    A pupil sings a long note in front of the computer, with the tuner open. Everyone sees the name of the note being sung. Repeat with others.

    “Who can sing exactly the same note as the keyboard?”

  5. 10 min

    The pulse

    Open the metronome (pulse), set a slow tempo with tap, press start and switch on click (see “Before you start: the pulse”). The class claps the pulse while you play the staircase, one key per beat. To finish, a volunteer plays the staircase alone, following the pulse.

The keys and their notes

Z
X
C
V
B
N
M

The bottom row of the computer keyboard is the staircase: from Z (C) to M (B). One octave higher, the same staircase starts on A, and another one higher on Q.

How to tell it worked: most of the class sings back a note that was played, and the class keeps the pulse with their claps through the whole staircase.

These lessons are a starting point. Each teacher can design the examples to suit their own class. For our part, we will keep adding lesson topics according to the requests we receive through the contact form.

✂ cut out and take home

Let's play with music at home

For parents · 10 minutes a week · no music knowledge needed

Today in class we learned to sing the notes of the keyboard. This week, play together:

Z
X
C
V
B
N
M

Each key on the bottom row is a note: Z is C, X is D… up to M, which is B.

  1. Open the keyboard on the computer: musicmotionsuite.com/apps/mmk-demo.html
  2. The echo: one person plays a key between Z and M; the other sings it. Then swap.
  3. The tuner: your child sings a long note in front of tuner.mariomaurano.com and looks at its name. Can they sing the same note as the keyboard?

The microphone only works on your computer: nothing is recorded or sent. No sign-up needed.