Music · Colouring and tick worksheet
High and Low Sounds: Free KS1 Pitch Worksheet
Pitch is one of the first ideas children meet in music: some sounds are high and some are low. This free printable helps Year 1 and Year 2 children connect that idea to things they already know — a tiny bird singing high in the sky makes a high sound, while a big lion roaring on the ground makes a low sound.
Children colour the scene first, then tick which thing in each pair would make the higher sound. It prints to a single A4 page and works well as a quick lesson starter, a follow-up after a singing or listening activity, or a calm task for home.
High and Low Sounds: Pitch
Free Music worksheet · Ages 5 to 7
Activity 1
Colour the picture. The little bird sings a HIGH sound up in the sky. The big lion makes a LOW sound down on the ground. Colour the bird and clouds at the top, then colour the lion and the tree.
- Colour the bird high up in the sky.
- Colour the lion down on the ground.
- Colour the tall tree that joins the high and low parts.
Activity 2
Some things make a HIGH sound and some make a LOW sound. Tick the one in each pair that would make the HIGHER sound.
- A little bird singing makes a higher sound than a roaring lion.
- A tiny mouse squeaking makes a higher sound than a big drum.
- A small bell ringing makes a higher sound than a foghorn.
- A whistle makes a higher sound than a growling dog.
High and Low Sounds: Pitchowee.worldAnswer key
- A little bird singing makes a higher sound than a roaring lion. — tick
- A tiny mouse squeaking makes a higher sound than a big drum. — tick
- A small bell ringing makes a higher sound than a foghorn. — tick
- A whistle makes a higher sound than a growling dog. — tick
What is pitch and why does it matter at KS1?
Pitch describes how high or low a sound is. A whistle, a small bell or a chirping bird sit at the high end; a big drum, a foghorn or a roaring lion sit at the low end. Pitch is one of the interrelated dimensions of music that KS1 children are expected to explore alongside tempo, dynamics and duration. Hearing the difference between high and low is an early listening skill that underpins singing in tune, matching notes and, later, reading music. Linking pitch to vivid, familiar images — small-and-high versus big-and-low — gives children a memorable hook before any musical vocabulary is introduced.
How to use this worksheet
Begin away from the page. Sing a short phrase high, like a little bird, then growl it low, like a lion, and ask children to point up or down. Make high and low sounds with classroom instruments or your voices, and have children move their hands to match. Once they have heard the contrast, hand out the sheet. Colouring the bird, clouds, tree and lion settles children and reinforces the high-up and low-down placement. They then move to the tick task, deciding which thing in each pair sounds higher. Encourage them to say their answer aloud and explain why — thinking is small and high, lorry is big and low.
Common misconceptions about high and low sounds
Children often confuse pitch with volume, assuming that loud means high and quiet means low. A roaring lion is loud but low; a quiet bird can be high. It helps to keep volume the same while you change pitch so the two ideas stay separate. Some children also mix up high meaning physical height with high meaning pitch. The bird-and-lion picture deliberately uses height to support the idea, but be ready to demonstrate that you can make a high sound with an instrument held low down, and a low sound with one held high up. Plenty of listening examples will quickly secure the distinction.
Extending the learning at home or in class
After the sheet, try a sorting game: name everyday sounds — a mouse, a tiger, a tiny bell, a big bass drum — and ask children to sort them into high and low. Use a glockenspiel or a piano app to play two notes and ask which is higher. Singing nursery rhymes and exaggerating the high and low notes builds the same skill. You could also let children invent high and low sounds with their own voices and bodies, choosing and combining them, which moves them towards the creative side of the KS1 music curriculum.
Frequently asked questions
What is pitch in music for KS1 children?
Pitch is how high or low a sound is. A bird singing or a small bell makes a high sound, while a big drum or a roaring lion makes a low sound. At KS1, children are not expected to name notes; they simply learn to hear and describe sounds as high or low, which is a key early listening skill.
How do I teach the difference between high and low sounds?
Start with your voice: sing high like a bird, then low like a lion, and ask children to point up or down. Keep the volume the same so they do not confuse pitch with loudness. Use instruments to play two notes and ask which is higher, then sort everyday sounds into high and low. This worksheet supports that with a colour-in scene and a tick task.
Is this pitch worksheet suitable for Reception or Year 1?
It is designed for KS1, so Years 1 and 2 (ages 5 to 7). Many confident Reception children will enjoy it too, especially the colouring, with an adult reading the tick questions aloud. The task is deliberately simple so the focus stays on hearing high and low.
What do children need to do on the worksheet?
First they colour the bird high in the sky and the lion on the ground, which reinforces the high-up and low-down idea. Then they read each pair and tick the one that would make the higher sound, such as a tiny mouse rather than a big drum.
Is the worksheet free and printable?
Yes. It is completely free, with no sign-up needed, and prints to a single A4 page. You can use it in class, in music sessions or at home, and print as many copies as you like.
Curriculum links
- Music KS1: use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes.
- Music KS1: listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music.
- Music KS1: experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the interrelated dimensions of music — here focusing on pitch (high and low).
- Music KS1: play tuned and untuned instruments musically (exploring high and low sounds).
Made by The Owee education team. Updated 02/06/2026. Free to print and share.
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