MUSIC WARM UPS:

The following warm ups can be used to either start a music lesson or at any other spare time you may have during the day. We need to try and create as many musical opportunities for the children as possible!

Follow me:

• Start by copying teacher’s actions of 4 beats using different body parts (e.g. by clapping 4x, followed by stamping feet 4x) to establish a steady beat/pulse. • Once established, teacher starts by beating 4 (e.g. tapping head 4x) then children copy, but teacher will now be beating using a different body part (e.g. clapping 4x) so children will always be 4 beats behind. • Finish by teacher folding arms whilst class finish their last 4 beats. • Repeat until children confident, then teacher to choose a child to lead. • Challenge the children by starting 8 beats before them.

Switch:

• Clap a steady beat/pulse with the whole class, teacher to ‘drop out’ once the beat/pulse is steady. • Teacher to now clap a simple rhythm for the class to follow. • Split the class into 2 groups. Half the class establish a steady beat/pulse by clapping. Once they can be left on their own, repeat the simple rhythm from earlier. Teacher to ‘drop out’ once this group is confident. • When the teacher shouts ‘Switch’, the group clapping the beat/pulse clap the rhythm and the rhythm group clap the pulse. • Challenge: repeat with more complicated rhythms, split class into 3 groups, have 2 rhythms instead of a steady beat and a rhythm.

Follow that rhythm

• Teacher to write 3 simple rhythms on the board (or from notation cards). • Class to clap each rhythm with the teacher. • Once class is confident, teacher to number each rhythm then clap them in any order. • Children to guess the order of the rhythms. • Teacher to now pick a child to lead this warm up. • Encourage children to create their own rhythms including those with rests. WORLD MUSIC - GAMELAN

These lessons are about building up layers of sound associated with Gamelan music (a style of music from Indonesia) and can be linked to a learning journey on The Rainforest.

SESSION 1

Warm up: ‘Switch’ / ‘Follow me’

1. Clap on the first beat of the bar

• As a class, children to all count up to 4 and repeat keeping in time. • Discuss the need for a steady beat in music (show metronome) • Now all clap on the first beat only. • Repeat clapping on the first beat and counting beats 2,3 and 4 silently in their heads.

2. Clap on beats 1&3 – as a class counting beats 2 and 4 in their heads

3. Clap on every beat 1,2,3,4

Split class into 3 groups.

• Introduce each group once the preceding group has established their beat • Group 1 - stamp on 1 st beat • Group 2 - clap on beats 1 and 3 • Group 3- 2 fingers on palm of hand for each beat • Fade out by stopping group 3 first followed by group 2 then finish with group 1

4. Introduce untuned percussion instruments

Discuss instruments. Introduce one group at a time (as above)

Group 1: drums (beat 1) Group 2: wood blocks (beats 1 and 3) Group 3: claves (beats 1,2,3 and 4) Swap round to ensure all children try each group SESSION 2 Recap last session and repeat as a warm up splitting the class into 3 groups using stamping, clapping and tapping.

In this session the steady beat work will now be transferred to tuned percussion instruments e.g Glockenspiels and xylopohnes.

Introduce the pentatonic scale of C. This uses the notes C,D,E,G and A. We will use all of them apart from D.

Practise each group as a class Group 1 Play the following on beat 1, each note is therefore lasting for 4 beats.

C (count 2,3,4)

E (2,3,4)

G (2,3,4,)

A(2,3,4)

Group 2 Now repeat, but each note will only last for 2 beats

C (2) E (2) G (2) A (2)

Group 3 Now repeat but each note will only last for 1 beat - C E G A

Groups 1, 2 and 3 together Split class into 3 groups ready to play all the patterns together. Start with group 1 on the bass instruments (C 2,3,4 E 2,3,4 G 2.3.4 A 2,3,4) Once established, leave this group and start group 2 (C 2 E 2 G 2 A 2) Once established, leave this group and start group 3 (C E G A ) End by stopping group 3 first, then group 2 then group 1 finishing the piece on a C.

SESSION 3

To repeat this session if required and build in opportunities for children to improvise using the same notes and fitting to 8 beats. Teacher can split class into smaller groups and encourage children to use instruments) from session 1 (to keep the beat) with glockenspiels and xylophones or chime bars used in session 2.