First Grade Week 2 -- How Drums Work

This week the first graders got to work variety of percussion instruments from all over the world.  They learned how drumheads were originally made from animal skins that drums with skins are called membranophones.  The day ended with a fun sound identification game called "Who's that Tapping at My Window."

Homework -- complete the drum worksheet.

"Puer natus in Bethlehem" -- part 2

Here's the second part -- I think it is more challenging because of the F's. You can play along or try playing the top part of Bethlehem against it and see what kind of harmony you can make.

"Puer natus in Bethlehem" -- part 1

Recorder Ensemble -- here is the top part of our new song. Listen and follow along with your music, then listen a try to play along.

Recorder Ensemble- Playing "F"

Recorder ensemble -- excellent practice today!  

When you are practicing this week please work on making the low F.  It is a difficult note but one we will need for our new piece, "Puer natus in Bethlehem."  The chart above and the audio clip below should help you.

5th grade -- note tree

This note tree may help you with the homework from week 2.  It shows the relationship between whole notes (1), half notes (2), quarter notes (3), eighth notes (4), and sixteenth notes (5).

Clapping Piece -- Ms. Hong's Class

This piece was constructed from 4 smaller pieces of rhythm the kids in Miss Hong's class developed.  Check it out!

Fifth Grade Week 2 -- Constructing rhythm patterns

Today the fifth grade classes learned about repeating rhythm patterns -- called "ostinati" -- and how they can be used to construct music.  We used chopsticks on sheets of paper to compose our rhythmic ideas -- the chopsticks represent quarter notes (one chopstick) and eighth notes (two chopsticks) and the paper represents the underlying meter (4/4).  This fun technique was taught to me by friend and teacher James Harding. 

Later we used our patterns to construct polyrhythmic compositions like the one posted above.

Homework -- complete the rainbow rhythm puzzle box.  Remember to color your half, quarter and eighth notes before assembling.  They try clapping out your rhythm before you you glue it down.  If you can see white between the notes, you've used too few notes.  If you can't see the black outline of the puzzle box, you've used too many.

More images from First Grade Week 1

First Grade Week 1 -- the science of sound

On Wednesday and Thursday music classes began for all first graders.  The emphasis for first grade will be on how instruments work.  We began this week with the science of sound.  The students conducted several experiments to observe the effects of waves and vibrations and how the force of sound could be used to blow out a candle and flip over a coin.  We ended with a comb kazoo jam on "Round the Oak Tree."

Homework -- everybody compete the week one worksheet.  Can you come up with a name for the mystery instrument?

5th Grade Week 1 worksheet - samples 5-8

Here are the samples for questions 5-8, which are longer. Can you tell what instrument is being played?

5th Grade Week 1 worksheet - samples 1-4

5th graders -- here are the audio clips for questions 1-4 in part 2 of your work sheet. To Listen click on the play button.

Fifth Grade Week 1 -- Body percussion review

Happy Inauguration Day!  Today the fifth grade music classes started with a body percussion review.  We performed the Keith Terry piece "Hey, You, What?" as part of a larger review of how to organize rhythm so that we can play music together.

Homework -- complete the ta/ta-te worksheet.  The audio clips are posted above. 

 

Orff Ensemble -- "Keetman Canon"

Orff Ensemble -- here's a repost of the Keetman Canon melody -- first with the left hand only, then with both hands.

"Ah Ree Rang" -- 2 part Canon

Here's that two part version.

"Ah Ree Rang" -- Complete

Recorder ensemble -- here is "Ah Ree Rang" played at performance speed. Try playing along. You can also try it Canon style by starting the clip and then coming in 6 beats after the recording starts. I'll post an example of 2 part canon so you can here what I mean.

Recorder Ensemble -- Playing High "E"

Here is an audio clip explaining how to make the high E we worked on in ensemble this week. In addition to working on Ah Ree Rang, practice making E's.

First week back -- ensembles begin again

I hope everybody had a peaceful and joyous holiday.

We will be beginning with music classes for first and fifth grade next week.  In the meantime recorder and Orff ensemble began this week.  As before the schedule is: 

Recorders:   Wednesday, 7:20-8

Orff:  Thursday, 7:20-8

For this week Recorder Ensemble is working on Ah Ree Rang, which I will repost and learning to play high E.

Orff Ensemble is working the Keetman Canon.  I will repost the recording I made before the holiday for you to listen to.  Next week we will begin to develop our own accompanying melodies using A as a home note (this is also known as la Pentatonic on C)

Welcome back everybody!