England · Grades 1–6
An English cup-passing game for Grades 1–6. Teaches ti and fa in solfège through a rhythmically complex and highly engaging activity. A perennial favorite in elementary music classes.
About this song
Cup Beats is an English cup-passing game suitable for Grades 1 through 6. The game has become a modern classic in elementary music education — the viral cup game format is immediately familiar to students, making it one of the easiest activities to motivate.
Musically, Cup Beats works with low ti, ti, and fa in solfège — three of the more challenging pitches that round out the major scale. The rhythmic coordination required for the cup-passing pattern builds steady beat, motor coordination, and ensemble listening.
The full teaching demonstration is available inside a Singing Classroom subscription.
Watch Deborah teach Cup Beats with real students.
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Common questions
Cup Beats spans Grades 1–6. Different grade levels focus on different solfège pitches and levels of rhythmic complexity.
The song teaches low ti, ti, and fa in solfège, along with steady beat and rhythmic coordination through the cup-passing activity.
The full demonstration is available to Singing Classroom subscribers. A free 7-day trial gives access to all 150+ songs.
The real problem
Every teacher knows this feeling. You find a song, try it on Monday, and something goes sideways — the kids don't engage, you're not sure how to introduce it, the lesson loses momentum. It's not that the song was wrong. You just didn't have a clear picture of how it actually goes.
That's what makes The Singing Classroom different. Every song in the library — including this one — has a full video of Deborah teaching it with real students. You don't have to guess how to introduce it, how to structure the activity, or how to handle the tricky moments. You watch it. Then you teach it.
150+ songs. Every one demonstrated. No more hoping it works — you already know it will.
The real problem
Every teacher knows this feeling. You find a song, try it on Monday, and something goes sideways — the kids don't engage, you're not sure how to introduce it, the lesson loses momentum. It's not that the song was wrong. You just didn't have a clear picture of how it actually goes.
That's what makes The Singing Classroom different. Every song in the library — including this one — has a full video of Deborah teaching it with real students. You don't have to guess how to introduce it, how to structure the activity, or how to handle the tricky moments. You watch it. Then you teach it.
150+ songs. Every one demonstrated. No more hoping it works — you already know it will.
The real problem
Every teacher knows this feeling. You find a song, try it on Monday, and something goes sideways — the kids don't engage, you're not sure how to introduce it, the lesson loses momentum. It's not that the song was wrong. You just didn't have a clear picture of how it actually goes.
That's what makes The Singing Classroom different. Every song in the library — including this one — has a full video of Deborah teaching it with real students. You don't have to guess how to introduce it, how to structure the activity, or how to handle the tricky moments. You watch it. Then you teach it.
150+ songs. Every one demonstrated. No more hoping it works — you already know it will.
One subscription gives you the complete Singing Classroom library — 150+ folk songs and singing games, every one with Deborah’s full video demonstration, teaching guide, and animated game instructions. Cup Beats is just one of the songs waiting for you.
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