Round (music) facts for kids
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A round in music is a special kind of song. It's sung by two or more groups of people. One group starts singing, and then the next group begins the same song a little later. The cool thing is, it all sounds nice together! When a group finishes the song, they just start over again. They can keep going "round and round" many times.
Most rounds are made for 2, 3, or 4 groups of people. When you sing a round, everyone usually agrees on how many times to sing it. This way, the group that starts last also finishes last.
Contents
What is a Music Round?
A music round is a type of canon. This means that different parts of the music imitate each other. In a round, each group sings the exact same melody, but they start at different times. It's like a musical chase where everyone catches up to the tune!
Famous Rounds You Might Know
Some rounds are very well-known. For example, Frère Jacques is a famous French round. You might also know London's Burning, which is an English round. Both of these can be sung by four different groups at once.
The Oldest Round
The oldest round we know about is called Sumer is icumen in. This is a super famous piece of music! It's special because it's the oldest piece of music that was ever written down. A monk wrote it around the year 1250. This round can be sung by four groups, and it also has two low, held notes called drones.
Images for kids
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"Up and Down This World Goes Round", a three-voice round by Matthew Locke.
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A traditional German round.
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"Frère Jacques", a traditional four-voice round.
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"Tod und Schlaf", a four-voice round by Joseph Haydn.
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"Viva, Viva la Musica", a three-voice round by Michael Praetorius (1571–1621).
See also
In Spanish: Ronda (música) para niños
