or ... "How to have fun with a subject that's already pretty cool!"
UNABASHED ADVERTISEMENT:
Music teachers, church music teams, and music directors: Check out Dave's Praise Ways CD. This double CD set features 20 songs and 20 separate accompaniment tracks for use in classroom, chapel, and worship, including music for all seasons of the church year. Also available: Piano/guitar book, and reproducible vocal parts book.
And now, back to our regularly scheduled program ...
IDEA: This general lessons page is for YOU -- why not download some easy-to-use music learning activities? They are great for any classroom and teacher!
Read on ...
It's nice every once in awhile to break up the choral, instrumental, or general music class with some of these tried and true activities for musicians of all ages - especially those who enjoy learning AND having fun!
1 - ECHO RHYTHMS
§
Lesson
goals:
Students learn to listen and process rhythm patterns
carefully, engage in echoing, develop psycho-motor skills, and release physical
energy (i.e., let off some steam!)
§
How:
Clap
easy rhythm patterns (3 or 4 beats long) to the group. Have them immediately
clap the same pattern back to you. Keep it simple!
Variations:
As the students get better with this, develop the ideas,
such as:
§
Try
a variety of speeds.
§
Have
them help pick a nonsense syllable (like DUH!), and say it (DUH, DUH, DUH-DUH,
DUH) instead of clapping it (1-2-3+4). In this way, you develop a more broad
range of psycho-motor skills.
§
Subdivide
them into smaller groups, eventually letting each student echo you individually.
§
Use
various "body percussion" - stamping, thigh slaps, snaps, whispers,
and the like. This can also be used to help demonstrate loud and soft
(dynamics).
§
Cross-curricular: In
literature (especially poetry), art, cultures study, or history, they can make
rhythm instruments with beads, cans, sticks, paper plates, and the like.
Allow them to play along in class on songs, during videos where music is
featured, or in games and activities. Every
culture has had instruments and performance arts, so it won't take much research
to find out what the Mayans or Aztecs used for music! (Herb Alpert, I believe
...)
§
Expand
and advance: Try
a variety of time signatures: 3/4, 4/4, 3/8, and so on.
§
Write
out the patterns on the board or on a piece of paper. This builds notation
skills!
§
Write
out numerous patterns; see if they can identify which one was performed and
echoed.
§
Introduce
rhythms from a song you are currently rehearsing or plan to rehearse.
§
Have
a contest with teams and echo rhythms. Give the winners extra credit, or allow
them to choose the next song in the rehearsal.
§
Let
students lead the group. You sit
next to the other students and "be a participant".
2 - QUESTION AND ANSWER RHYTHMS
This
helps develop creativity - the answer is always different than the question!
§ Lesson goals: Students listen and process rhythmic patterns, internally compose a
variation
in response, and physically engage in producing it!
§ How: Clap a basic rhythm pattern (3 or 4 beats) to an individual. Have them
immediately clap a DIFFERENT pattern back to you. It need only be slightly
different -- keep it simple!
§ Note: This is a confidence builder when done in a positive manner, as others listen and
support each individual's "answer.” The leader must be encouraging, positive, and
praise every student! This develops listening, creativity, and other psycho-motor
skills, while releasing endomorphens (your brain's happy juice -- c'mon, SMILE!) and
physical
energy.
§
Variations:
Many
listed earlier for ECHO RHYTHMS can also be used here.
§ Try
a variety of speeds.
§ Speak
a nonsense syllable (like TAH or BLAH) in a rhythmic pattern.
§ Use various "body percussion" - stamping, thigh slaps, snaps, whispers, and the like. Don't miss the chance to teach about loud and soft (dynamics) or various tone colors (timbre).
§ Cross-curricular: Perform rhythms to accompany poetry. Use homemade rhythm instrument to relate historical accounts. In gym class, walk, sing, or exercise to a beat.
§
Expand
and advance:
Write
out patterns on the board or on paper. Point to one, and have a student
perform it for another student. Then, the second student must compose a response. This REALLY, REALLY, REALLY builds reading and notation skills!
§ Try
a variety of time signatures: 3/4, 4/4, 3/8, and so on.
§ Write
out numerous patterns, and have them identify which one was performed and echoed.
§ Play
"Mystery
Rhythm"
-- using patterns on the board or
paper, they must determine if the one clapped/performed was printed out, or
not shown. This is for advanced rhythm readers.
§ Split
the class into pairs, letting the first person be the "question",
and the second being the "answer".
After a few moments, let them switch roles.
Walk around, listen, compliment, and select a pair to demonstrate one
of their "sentences" for the rest of the group.
§ Let
students assume the "leader" role for the group; sit down next to the others and
participate.
If you enjoy these few refresher ideas, remember that MMME exists to help you teach music more effectively and enhance your school's or church's music program!
* * * * * * *
3 - TIMBRES (COLORS OF SOUND)
§
Lesson
goals:
Students will explore and learn that different
timbres (sound colors) provide a variety of sounds used to create interest in
art composition of all styles.
§
How:
People
can explore their own voice and its various tones and colors!
Pick a simple word like "Yes" or "Fine"; pronounce it
with a different inflection each time it is spoken. (Try saying "Fine"
excitedly, bored, admiringly, sarcastically, and so on.)
See who can rack up the greatest number of "voice colors."
Sound variations help to demonstrate timbre.
§
Another
How:
Let
students pick out music from their own collection which has a variety of sound
colors. Have them play an excerpt in class, explaining the different sounds they
heard.
§
Teaching
Christian values: Share
and explain how standards for appropriate music selections are important.
This may lead to what exactly IS
God-pleasing entertainment! Allow for plenty of discussion and questions.
Hints:
Values
are
not extracted from the musical INSTRUMENTS and SOUNDS; focus on lyrics
and meaning.
Also, point out that most radio and TV
stations have NO interest in the values expressed in music.
§
You
pick a musical selection rich with a variety of sounds.
Challenge them to hear every tone color, instrument, percussion effect,
and so on. Remember, voices are
instruments, and voice colors can change. Voices combined for harmony also create new tone colors.
§
Cross-curricular: Using
a variety of sounds and/or instruments, have the students work in small groups
to write or present a story or puppet show with sound effects. Or, produce a commercial for a product. Listen to soundtracks from movies or backgrounds from
cartoons, shows, or commercials. This easily leads to discussion on how musical
and sound arts are used to create moods, suggest feelings, and provide emotional
expression.
§
Expand
and advance: Bring
in instruments of any type, or invite someone who will do this. There may be
older band students who will do a class demonstration.
Or, find a parent, community orchestra member, vocal ensemble, hand bell
group, or whatever. Discuss timbres.
§
This
can also be done with simple rhythm instruments, a piano, or a cheap little
keyboard. (You'd be surprised how many kids have them at home!)
Have students explore how many different sounds can be produced with each
instrument -- loud, accented, smooth, majestic, soft, gentle, and the like.
§
You
can have the students write a brief description of the instruments and their
assorted "colors". You
can give a quiz by demonstrating a sound, then having students assign a color to
the sound. (Bowed violin = yellow, loud trumpet = purple, and so on.)
§
As
you listen to other musical groups in your school perform for a concert,
assembly, chapel, or church service, have your students discuss the timbres
and variety of sounds.
Go ahead -- download the page ... none of this is original anyway... it's been around a long, long time! But you'll see that it still works! Have fun as you help musicians in your program to "sing to the Lord a new song!"
4 - Fun with FORM
§ Lesson goals: Students will IDENTIFY and LABEL basic form in music.
§
How:
From
nursery rhymes and hymns to pop songs and symphonies, musical art has form.
Form changes occur when elements of music change, like the speed,
melody, harmonies, rhythmic action, and so on.
Using simple directives, like raising the hand when you hear the
chorus, or standing tall for a verse, students learn to recognize and signal
awareness of FORM. Some of the
best examples are found in songs with verses and choruses/refrains.
