YourStateStandards

Colorado K–6 music standards

Colorado writes its own music standards. They are published as Colorado Academic Standards – Music Adopted 2022, adopted 2022 and are not a version of a national framework. Every one is matched to a national standard.

Framework
Colorado Academic Standards – Music Adopted 2022
Adopted
2022
Source last checked
July 23, 2026
Read the official document

148 standards, kindergarten through 6th grade

  • MU.K.1.1.aK
    Echo and perform melodic and rhythmic patterns.
  • MU.K.1.1.bK
    Respond (sing, move, and play) to changes in mood or form (e.g., beat, tempo, dynamics, and melodic direction).
  • MU.K.1.1.cK
    Respond (sing, move, and play) to music, differentiating between sound and silence.
  • MU.K.1.2.aK
    Demonstrate using developmentally appropriate songs and singing games from a variety of cultures.
  • MU.K.1.2.bK
    Demonstrate speaking, singing, whispering, shouting, and inner voice (audiation).
  • MU.K.1.3.aK
    Engage in refinement and feedback processes to prepare music for performance.
  • MU.K.1.3.bK
    Self-evaluate to refine musical performance.
  • MU.K.2.1.aK
    Compose a short pattern to represent a character or idea in a story or poem.
  • MU.K.2.1.bK
    Improvise sound effects and simple patterns to stories and poems.
  • MU.K.2.1.cK
    Arrange sound effect patterns to embellish songs, stories and poems.
  • MU.K.3.1.aK
    Melody: Identify and demonstrate high/low, same/different, up/down.
  • MU.K.3.1.bK
    Rhythm: Identify/differentiate and demonstrate beat/no beat, same/different.
  • MU.K.3.2.aK
    Tempo: Identify/differentiate and demonstrate fast/slow.
  • MU.K.3.2.bK
    Dynamics: Identify/differentiate and demonstrate loud/quiet, sound/silence, same/different.
  • MU.K.3.3.aK
    Timbre: Aurally identify vocal/instrumental sounds, speaking/singing/whispering/shouting voices.
  • MU.K.3.3.bK
    Form: Aurally identify same/different, introduction, question/answer.
  • MU.K.4.1.aK
    Communicate understanding of musical ideas or moods through a variety of mediums and modalities (e.g., movement, drawing, story-telling).
  • MU.K.4.1.bK
    Apply musical concepts to describe personal preferences or reactions to music.
  • MU.K.4.2.aK
    Recognize the use of music in media.
  • MU.K.4.2.bK
    Listen and respond to various musical styles (such as marches and lullabies).
  • MU.K.4.2.cK
    Communicate how music for various purposes contributes to specific experiences.
  • MU.1.1.1.a1
    Demonstrate melodic patterns that include same/different and three-pitch melodies.
  • MU.1.1.1.b1
    Demonstrate rhythmic patterns that include quarter note, paired eighth notes, and quarter rest.
  • MU.1.1.1.c1
    Demonstrate a steady beat while contrasting rhythms are being played.
  • MU.1.1.1.d1
    Apply the concept of steady beat to music with contrasting rhythms and tempos.
  • MU.1.1.2.a1
    Demonstrate a variety of culturally diverse songs while maintaining steady beat.
  • MU.1.1.2.b1
    Demonstrate appropriate tempo and dynamic levels.
  • MU.1.1.3.a1
    Engage in refinement and feedback processes to prepare music for performance.
  • MU.1.1.3.b1
    Self-evaluate to refine musical performance.
  • MU.1.1.3.c1
    Critique expressive elements performed by others.
  • MU.1.2.1.a1
    Create and document a short instrumental and vocal pattern to accompany culturally diverse poems, rhymes, and stories.
  • MU.1.2.1.b1
    Improvise short patterns using learned pitches and rhythms.
  • MU.1.2.1.c1
    Arrange instrumental and vocal patterns to enhance culturally diverse poems, rhymes, stories and songs. (e.g., create a spooky soundscape to go with a Halloween poem; create a happy pattern to be background music for a happy part of a story)
  • MU.1.3.1.a1
    Melody: Identify and demonstrate same/different patterns, three-pitch patterns.
  • MU.1.3.1.b1
    Rhythm: Identify and demonstrate rhythmic patterns that include one sound for one beat, two equal sounds for one beat, and one silent beat (quarter note/rest, paired eighth notes, steady beat, strong/weak, beat vs rhythm, same/different).
  • MU.1.3.2.a1
    Tempo: Identify and demonstrate faster/slower.
  • MU.1.3.2.b1
    Dynamics: Identify and demonstrate louder/softer, piano, forte
  • MU.1.3.3.a1
    Form/Structure: Aurally identify phrase, AB.
  • MU.1.3.3.b1
    Meter/Beat Groupings: Identify and demonstrate steady beat, in different meters/beat groupings.
  • MU.1.3.3.c1
    Timbre: Aurally identify pitched/non-pitched instruments.
  • MU.1.4.1.a1
    Describe specific elements of music that impact thoughts or emotions.
  • MU.1.4.1.b1
    Communicate understanding of music ideas or moods through of variety of mediums (e.g., movement, drawing, storytelling).
  • MU.1.4.1.c1
    Apply musical concepts to describe personal preferences or reactions to music.
  • MU.1.4.2.a1
    Describe how ideas or moods are communicated through music written for specific purposes (such as holiday, march, lullaby).
  • MU.1.4.2.b1
    Describe specific elements of music that impact thoughts or emotions.
  • MU.1.4.2.c1
    Create developmentally appropriate responses to music from various genres, periods, and styles (rhythm, melody, form).
  • MU.2.1.1.a2
    Demonstrate and connect melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic patterns using expressive elements.
  • MU.2.1.1.b2
    Demonstrate rhythmic and melodic ostinati in small groups.
  • MU.2.1.2.a2
    Demonstrate while using an instrumental accompaniment (e.g., bourdun).
  • MU.2.1.2.b2
    Demonstrate a variety of developmentally appropriate and culturally diverse melodies with accurate rhythm, tempo and dynamics.
  • MU.2.1.2.c2
    Make observations and draw conclusions about the rhythms, tempos, and dynamics of the music to which students are singing, playing, and moving.
  • MU.2.1.2.d2
    Apply the concepts of rhythm, tempo, and dynamics to the music to which students are singing, playing, and moving.
  • MU.2.1.3.a2
    Engage in refinement and feedback processes to prepare music for performance.
  • MU.2.1.3.b2
    Self-evaluate to refine musical performance.
  • MU.2.1.3.c2
    Critique expressive elements performed by others.
  • MU.2.2.1.a2
    Create and document instrumental and vocal patterns using known rhythms and pitches.
  • MU.2.2.1.b2
    Improvise instrumentally and/or vocally question-answer patterns using known rhythms and pitches.
  • MU.2.2.1.c2
    Arrange a song by adding an ostinato using known pitches and rhythms (e.g., let students design a minor ostinato to accompany a minor song they are singing in class; instructor gives the students the pitches and the students choose how to use them).
  • MU.2.3.1.a2
    Melody: Identify and demonstrate step/skip/repeat within a melody.
  • MU.2.3.1.b2
    Rhythm: Identify and demonstrate patterns that include sounds and silence that last two beats and four beats (half note/rest, whole note/rest).
  • MU.2.3.1.c2
    Harmony: Identify and demonstrate introductory harmony using chords (e.g., intervals, borduns, ostinato, home tone).
  • MU.2.3.2.a2
    Tempo: Identify and demonstrate presto/largo.
  • MU.2.3.2.b2
    Dynamics: Identify and demonstrate forte/piano.
  • MU.2.3.2.c2
    Articulation: Identify and demonstrate smooth/connected, short/separated.
  • MU.2.3.3.a2
    Form/Structure: Aurally identify ABA, verse/refrain, coda.
  • MU.2.3.3.b2
    Meter/Beat Groupings: Identify and demonstrate duple and triple meter/beat groupings (2/4, 3/4) and strong vs. weak beat withing a measure.
  • MU.2.3.3.c2
    Timbre: Aurally organize instruments into categories.
  • MU.2.4.1.a2
    Communicate understanding of music’s expressive qualities that influence personal preference.
  • MU.2.4.1.b2
    Communicate similarities between musical pieces.
  • MU.2.4.2.a2
    Describe varying kinds of voices and instruments and their uses in various settings.
  • MU.2.4.2.b2
    Explain their own cultural and social interests in music.
  • MU.2.4.2.c2
    Identify and connect specific songs/music to specific settings (holiday, religious, celebratory).
  • MU.3.1.1.a3
    Demonstrate learned melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic phrases using expressive elements.
  • MU.3.1.1.b3
    Demonstrate and connect songs with multiple rhythmic or melodic ostinati in small groups.
  • MU.3.1.1.c3
    Demonstrate and interpret melodies based on the pentatonic scale.
  • MU.3.1.2.a3
    Use accurate vocal and instrumental techniques when singing and playing instruments.
  • MU.3.1.2.b3
    Demonstrate two-part songs (e.g., rounds, partner songs) using speech, body percussion, singing, movement, or instruments.
  • MU.3.1.2.c3
    Use notation to accurately perform rhythms and melodic direction.
  • MU.3.1.3.a3
    Engage in refinement and feedback processes to prepare music for performance.
  • MU.3.1.3.b3
    Self-evaluate to refine musical performance.
  • MU.3.1.3.c3
    Critique expressive elements performed by others.
  • MU.3.2.1.a3
    Create and document a melodic and/or rhythmic composition using known rhythms and pitches.
  • MU.3.2.1.b3
    Generate and improvise musical ideas within a musical structure (e.g. rondo).
  • MU.3.2.1.c3
    Arrange an accompaniment to support a musical idea using known rhythms or pitches.
  • MU.3.3.1.a3
    Melody: Identify and demonstrate musical symbols by name or function.
  • MU.3.3.1.b3
    Rhythm: Identify and demonstrate four sixteenth notes, dotted half note.
  • MU.3.3.1.c3
    Harmony: Identify, perform, or respond to harmonic changes using tonic and dominant chords (e.g., intervals, bourdun, ostinato, home tone).
  • MU.3.3.2.a3
    Tempo: Identify and demonstrate accelerando/ritardando.
  • MU.3.3.2.b3
    Dynamics: Identify and demonstrate crescendo/decrescendo.
  • MU.3.3.2.c3
    Articulation: Identify and demonstrate legato, staccato.
  • MU.3.3.3.a3
    Form/Structure: Aurally identify rondo.
  • MU.3.3.3.b3
    Meter/Beat Groupings: Identify and demonstrate various time signatures including 2/4, 3/4, 4/4.
  • MU.3.3.3.c3
    Timbre: Aurally identify instruments and families.
  • MU.3.4.1.a3
    Communicate how expressive qualities (such as dynamics, modality, tempo and meter) are used to reflect expressive intent.
  • MU.3.4.1.b3
    Communicate similarities and differences in music.
  • MU.3.4.2.a3
    Describe vocal and instrumental timbres and their uses in various cultures.
  • MU.3.4.2.b3
    Communicate similarities and differences in music used for holidays, celebrations, and day-to-day life from various cultures.
  • MU.3.4.2.c3
    Discuss reasons that different kinds of music are important to different people and cultures.
  • MU.4.1.1.a4
    Demonstrate three-part vocal and/or instrumental rounds.
  • MU.4.1.1.b4
    Demonstrate learned melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic patterns using expressive elements.
  • MU.4.1.1.c4
    Demonstrate and differentiate between songs in major and minor keys.
  • MU.4.1.2.a4
    Demonstrate melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic patterns with attention to tempo, dynamics, and articulation learned from notation.
  • MU.4.1.2.b4
    Demonstrate tempo, dynamic and articulation indications in musical examples.
  • MU.4.1.3.a4
    Engage in refinement and feedback processes to prepare music for performance.
  • MU.4.1.3.b4
    Self-evaluate to refine musical performance.
  • MU.4.1.3.c4
    Critique expressive elements performed by others.
  • MU.4.2.1.a4
    Create and document melodic and/or rhythmic composition in known form using known rhythms and pitches.
  • MU.4.2.1.b4
    Generate and improvise musical ideas using known rhythms and pitches.
  • MU.4.2.1.c4
    Arrange a known melody by changing a musical component such as the style (e.g., students in a small group can arrange a song giving it a rap or rock ‘n’ roll feel using cymbals and drums).
  • MU.4.3.1.a4
    Melody: Identify and perform, or respond to in major/minor tonalities.
  • MU.4.3.1.b4
    Rhythm: Identify and demonstrate dotted quarter/eighth, eighth note triplets.
  • MU.4.3.1.c4
    Harmony: Identify, perform, or respond to basic harmonic patterns. (e.g., I-V, V-I).
  • MU.4.3.2.a4
    Tempo: Identify and demonstrate fermata.
  • MU.4.3.2.b4
    Dynamics: Identify and demonstrate mezzo forte, mezzo piano, pianissimo/fortissimo.
  • MU.4.3.2.c4
    Articulation: Identify and demonstrate accent.
  • MU.4.3.3.a4
    Form/Structure: Aurally identify a variety of forms including recurring themes, interludes, canons and theme/variations.
  • MU.4.3.3.b4
    Meter/Beat Groupings: Identify and demonstrate music in 6/8.
  • MU.4.3.3.c4
    Timbre: Aurally identify 2+ parts.
  • MU.4.4.1.a4
    Evaluate how a variety of musical elements influence musical performance and preference.
  • MU.4.4.1.b4
    Communicate similarities and differences in music from various historical periods with music of today.
  • MU.4.4.2.a4
    Describe vocal and instrumental timbres and their uses throughout American music history.
  • MU.4.4.2.b4
    Communicate similarities and differences throughout the history of American music.
  • MU.4.4.2.c4
    Analyze the influence of the musics of various cultures and their role in American history (Caribbean, Western European, Native American, African, etc.).
  • MU.5.1.1.a5
    Demonstrate and compare and contrast harmonic changes in songs (e.g., major vs. minor, blues, chord progressions, etc.).
  • MU.5.1.1.b5
    Demonstrate learned melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic patterns using expressive elements.
  • MU.5.1.1.c5
    Demonstrate songs in major and minor keys.
  • MU.5.1.2.a5
    Demonstrate multi-layered rhythmic and melodic pieces and songs (e.g., rounds, partner songs, descants) learned from notation.
  • MU.5.1.2.b5
    Demonstrate following the director’s indications for expressive elements.
  • MU.5.1.3.a5
    Engage in refinement and feedback processes to prepare music for performance.
  • MU.5.1.3.b5
    Self-evaluate to refine musical performance.
  • MU.5.1.3.c5
    Critique expressive elements performed by others.
  • MU.5.2.1.a5
    Create and document a melodic and/or rhythmic composition with accompaniment to present a chosen style or mood.
  • MU.5.2.1.b5
    Generate and improvise musical ideas over an accompaniment (e.g., 12-bar blues, changing chord ostinati or other accompaniment, vocal ostinati).
  • MU.5.2.1.c5
    Arrange an accompaniment to go with a melody
  • MU.5.3.1.a5
    Melody: Identify and demonstrate awareness of whole/half steps.
  • MU.5.3.1.b5
    Rhythm: Identify and demonstrate syncopated rhythms.
  • MU.5.3.1.c5
    Harmony: Identify, perform, or respond to extended harmonic patterns (e.g., I-V, V-I, I-IV-V-I).
  • MU.5.3.2.a5
    Tempo: Identify and demonstrate written tempo symbols.
  • MU.5.3.2.b5
    Dynamics: Identify and demonstrate the written symbols for dynamic changes.
  • MU.5.3.2.c5
    Articulation: Identify and demonstrate learned written articulations.
  • MU.5.3.3.a5
    Form/Structure: Identify D.S. al Coda, D.C. al fine, 1st/2nd endings.
  • MU.5.3.3.b5
    Meter/Beat Groupings: Identify the purpose of the top and bottom number in a time signature.
  • MU.5.3.3.c5
    Timbre: Aurally identify 3+ parts, and various world instruments.
  • MU.5.4.1.a5
    Discriminate between both musical (rhythm, melody, tempo) and nonmusical (text, feelings) elements that influence musical performance and preference.
  • MU.5.4.1.b5
    Discuss the difference between preference versus quality of musical works.
  • MU.5.4.2.a5
    Describe the use of various timbres and rhythmic patterns and their uses in various historical periods and cultures.
  • MU.5.4.2.b5
    Communicate similarities and differences in music from various historical periods.
  • MU.5.4.2.c5
    Communicate ways in which music has been important to people throughout historical periods.

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