Beat and Tempo

Can you feel a little thump-thump-thump inside your chest. That is your heart. It is a secret rhythm just for you. Now, put your hands together and clap-clap-clap. Do you feel that. It is a sound you can make all by yourself. When a happy song comes on, your feet start to tap-tap-tap all on their own. You just want to wiggle and dance. That feeling, that steady little pulse, is me. I am Beat. And my best friend, who tells me to go fast or slow, is Tempo.

I have been around for a very, very long time. Since the first people lived on Earth, they knew me. They did not have big drums or shiny guitars, but they had their hands and their feet. Tens of thousands of years ago, they would gather around warm, crackling campfires at night. They would clap their hands and stomp their feet on the ground, making a wonderful rhythm together. Clap-stomp, clap-stomp. I helped them march together in a long line. I helped mommies and daddies sing soft, slow lullabies to help their babies fall asleep. I even make work feel like fun. I am everywhere in nature, too, like the steady drip-drop of rain on a roof or the sound of your feet walking on a path. Thump, thump, thump.

I am still with you today. I am in all your favorite songs. When you hear a super fast song, that is my friend Tempo telling me to hurry up, and you want to dance and jump around. When you hear a sleepy, slow song, Tempo tells me to be calm and quiet, and it makes you feel cozy and relaxed. I help everyone feel happy, calm, or excited. Anytime you clap your hands, stomp your feet, or dance to the music, you are playing with me. So listen close. Can you feel my beat right now.