What is pitch?
There are lots of sounds all around us. We use different words to help describe these sounds.
In music, pitch is the word we use to describe how high or low a sound is.
The squeak of a mouse is a high pitched sound while the roar of a lion is a low pitched sound.
Watch: YolanDa - Bass face
Listen carefully to the different instruments as YolanDa and her band play.
Can you move along with the different high pitch and low pitch sounds?
Yolanda: Okay, band jammers this song is all about the pitch. Pitch is how high or how low the song goes.The bass is low so when you hear it play low make your best bass face.
Keyboardist: Every time you hear the bass play low , I wanna see you make a bass face.
All: Bass face!
Keyboardist: Every time you hear the bass play low , I wanna see you make a bass face.
All: Bass face!
Saxophone soloAll: Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Heyyah!Haow
Keyboardist: Every time you hear the sax play high, I’m gonna see you put your hands up.
All: Up high!
Keyboardist: Every time you hear the sax play high, I’m gonna see with your hands up.
All: Up high!
Saxophone solo
Vocalist: Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! She’s playing low, real low. Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! She’s getting higher though.She’s getting higher, higher, higher. Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! She’s getting higher. Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! She’s getting higher.
Higher! Higher! Higher! Higher! Higher! She, she’s getting higher, ho ho ho ho. Oooooooooo stop! I really wanna see that bass face. Every time you hear the bass play low .I wanna see you make a bass face.
All: Bass face
Vocalist: Every time you hear the sax play high. I wanna see you with your hands up
All: Up high
Saxophone solo
Vocalist: Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Woo!
Yolanda: Well done everybody! Great bass faces! Well done band jammers, we’ll see you soon. Keep on jamming.
Watch: What instruments play high or low pitch sounds?
Some instruments like the flute or violin are perfect for playing high pitch sounds.
Other instruments like the double bass or the tuba are best for playing low pitch sounds.
Some instruments like the piano can play both low and high pitch sounds.
Explore high and low pitch instruments with these musicians from the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
Pitch perfect challenge
It's time to move! Ask family and friends to play along with this game about pitch.
Mr Brown: I think it time to see if you are pitch perfect with a listening game.
Katie: Ooh I love a game.
Mr Brown: You’re going to need to close your eyes for this one. The rules are simple. If I play the lower pitch chime bar, the low c, you have to sit down and touch the floor with your hands. If I play the higher pitch chime bar, the high g, you have to put your hands in the air.
Katie: Bring it on. I’m all ears. And join in any way you can. You can raise your arms when you hear the high note and sit down or touch the floor when you hear the low note. Are you ready?
Mr Brown: You’ve got until the buzzer sounds. Here we go.
Chime bars
Buzzer
Katie: That was harder than I though Mr Brown. I had to really listen carefully.
Mr Brown: I’m impressed. Great work Katie.
Activities
Pitch detectives
What pitch sound do you think a guitar would make?
High, low or both?
The answer is both! Guitars can play both high pitch and low pitch sounds.
Now with family or friends, make a list of the sounds you can hear around you.
It might be a car passing by, the doorbell or birds outside.
Do they make high pitch or low pitch sounds or both?
Quiz
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