Patterning is an important foundational skill for mathematical and algebraic thinking (see the links to student work in the upper grades). This activity links patterns to music. Students use the following website:

http://www.philtulga.com/fractionbars.html *

They create patterns by moving colored musical bars to the "ruler."


This student has created a simple pattern that can be described by color (red, green, green, purple), or by letters (A,B,B,C). The added benefit of this activity is that they can hear the pattern by playing these bars. Each color is a different scaled note. Another benefit is that the bars play over and over again in a loop. Students can appreciate the fact that this is a pattern that goes on and on, never stopping.

Students then must translate the pattern to a second ruler, following the same pattern rule, but with different musical bars.

(Note: Each bar is a musical note: A through G and is labeled as such on the site. Tell the students to ignore the letter of the note, though. They are used to naming the first element in a pattern as A, the second as B, etc. They should continue to name the pattern in this manner.)

This pattern follows the same A,B,B,C pattern as the first one. When the program plays back the two patterns, the student can hear that they are the same type of pattern.

Have students practice naming patterns as they listen to the musical notes. Make a pattern like the one above. Play the pattern without letting the students see. Have the student name the pattern using letters.

If you are completing this activity in the computer lab, have one student complete the top ruler. Have another student come by to translate the pattern on the second ruler.

In this activity, students are also responsible for identifying the pattern unit which is the basic part of the pattern that repeats. On the students' worksheet, they circle the pattern unit, (which in this example would be the first four notes).


This student has recorded the pattern he made, circled the unit and named the unit (R-O-Y-G-G or ABCDD).


The student then translates the same ABCDD pattern using different bars. He has generalized the rule and then applied it to different bars and colors.


This pattern is ABCD which is translated below to another ABCD pattern.

When the website plays the patterns as musical notes, students can hear the similarities between the two patterns that follow the same rule.

Download a Worksheet for this Activity (PDF file)

1.1.1.1 recognize, describe, extend, and create repeating patterns using models.

1.1.1.2 copy, continue, and record patterns with actions, words, and objects; translate a pattern into another form.