Years 5 & 6 Home Learning Music Activities from Mrs Hemmings Week beginning 8th February
Greetings Years 5 & 6!
Did The Wellerman song give you an ear worm? I still have it playing on and off in my head and I think that some of this week’s activities are not going to help resolve it!
Please find below a variety of music activities which can be revisited, especially the website-based task using Song Maker where you can further develop your own skills in composing and editing.
Like before, I have listed previous weeks’ music work at the bottom of this document.
I hope that you are keeping safe and well and that you have some fun with these music tasks.
Have a productive week and, when it comes, have an enjoyable and relaxing half term. Well done for all your hard work! A-MA-ZING!!!
With all good wishes
Mrs Hemmings
Singing
I am learning to sing with clear diction (the way we pronounce our words) and musical expression that suits the mood and message of the piece.
Please join in with a vocal warm up and song activity which can be found using the link below. Once on the page, please scroll down to the film that is dated 2nd Feb and is led by Sharon Durant. She will also cover the song that you started to learn 2 weeks ago, Ain’t gonna let nobody. Happy singing! https://www.singup.org/singupathome/feelgood-fifteen
I am learning to create my own arrangement of a piece of music.
The Wellerman Last week we learnt some interesting facts about the song The Wellerman and you learnt to sing the song (with all six verses!) and possibly even the harmony part. You will need to know this song before going onto this week’s activities.
If you need to learn the song, here is the link from last week’s session (The Wellerman - Voyage 1 film).
https://tsatrust- my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/vhs02_tsatrust_org_uk/ETUp7rn1BHdOu9vgfUtAjDgBpP XaD0GbL3iSJRqYHuPXGg?e=61t8Ug
The Wellerman – Voyage 2 This week you will be creating your own arrangement (your own version) of The Wellerman. You have the choice of using body percussion, ‘found sounds’ or
homemade instruments, your own instruments (if you play one) or using computer programs. It may be that you decide to use a combination. If you would like to use IT but do not have a music program, please look at the instructions below in the section Composing - being creative as it describes how to use Chrome music Lab – Song Maker.
First though, you must watch the film below (The Wellerman Voyage 2) which explains the task more fully.
https://tsatrust- my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/vhs02_tsatrust_org_uk/EcRvp_u44H5LsUux BCWDmEUBSh0FqRQmLM09lqzn9SzqLQ?e=1bj5Zf
Composing - being creative
I am learning to use an IT music program to compose and arrange music.
Chrome music Lab – Song Maker
Chrome music Lab – Song Maker Over the last few weeks, we have had an experiment and play with a tool called Melody Maker from Chrome Music Lab. This week I would like us to explore Song Maker. Song Maker is more complex than Melody Maker and it allows us
to compose more interesting and longer tunes (melodies) and to create an accompanying rhythm part.
Choose your notes and make your rhythm Like Melody Maker, each different note name has a different colour - these
match the Boomwhacker colours and, as before, you play a note by clicking a square in a column. However, with Song Maker you can have more than one note playing at a time.
To delete a note, just click the square again or click the undo button which is located at the bottom right of your screen.
Below the pitched notes, there are two rows of dots which is the rhythm part. When you click on the dots, you will discover that there are two rhythm sounds which are shown by either a blue circle or a blue triangle. To delete a sound, just click the circle or the triangle again or click the undo button.
To hear what you have composed, click the play button and it will keep playing your piece on a loop until you press the stop button.
Change the voices and speed (tempo) You can change the voice sounds on both your melody and rhythm parts by clicking on the icons which are located at the bottom left of your screen.
Next to these icons is the tempo slider which sets the speed of your music.
Here is a link to a piece made in Song Maker which demonstrates some of the things that I have described above. https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song- Maker/song/6026516840841216 Please do play and explore. If you would like to start your own piece, either click the restart button found on the top right of the Song Maker page or click on this link https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/
NEXT… and this links to The Wellerman activity above Once you feel more confident with using Song Maker, try to create your own version of The Wellerman.
The Wellerman melody (tune) uses more pitched notes than just the C major scale (C,D,E,F,G,A & B) that you have been using. You may remember when we have discussed using the white and black keys on a piano or keyboard? The Wellerman uses some of these black keys.
Because you will be using more different pitched musical notes in your music creating and making your piece longer, you will need to use the scroll bar on the right hand side of your screen to see all the different pitches and the scroll bar at the bottom of your screen to view all your work.
Use the link below to explore creating music using the white and black pitched notes of a piano keyboard. https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song- Maker/song/6706959919611904
Use this link to start your arrangement of The Wellerman. (I have given you some clues to the pitch that is needed). Good luck! https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song- Maker/song/5978167936811008
Listening activity
When listening to a piece of music, I can express my own thoughts and feelings about the music and am able to identify some of the inter-related dimensions of music (structure, dynamics, pitch and timbre, pulse, rhythm, sound effects and so on).
I am sure that you will have heard of the famous rock band Queen? It was formed in London in 1970 and Freddie Mercury was their lead singer and piano player. He was an amazing musician who sadly died in 1991. Brian May was (and still is!) the lead guitarist of the band and has many skills including having a PhD in astrophysics! (A PhD is the highest qualification of study that you can earn. People study hard for years to achieve this and are awarded the title of ‘Dr’ - Dr Brian May. Astrophysics is a space science that employs the methods and principles of physics in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena – WOW!!)
Some of Queen’s most famous songs include We Will Rock You and Bohemian Rhapsody.
Bohemian Rhapsody – some facts Freddie Mercury wrote Bohemian Rhapsody at home in London in 1975. The entire song lasted 5 minutes and 55 seconds – a very long song for that time and many radio stations refused to play the whole thing.
It was the most expensive rock single ever made at the time and was no 1 in the UK singles chart for 9 weeks. It sold over 1 million copies. This song was different as it has no verse / chorus structure as normal but instead has six main sections. • Introduction – A CAPELLA (no accompanying instruments) 4 -part HARMONY • BALLAD - piano and Freddie Mercury • Guitar SOLO – Brian May • Choral operatic section • Hard Rock section • Outro - slow
There are sudden changes in style, tone and tempo throughout the song which is unusual for a rock song. There was much use made of multi-tracking. The vocal parts were practised continually for 10 - 12 hours per day! There were 180 separate overdubs which were then sub-mixed until a wall of sound was produced. The final sound used the instruments of drums, bass, piano, timpani, electric guitars, keyboards and tam-tam (a large metal gong!)
So now watch and listen to the song. Try and recognise when a new section of music comes. Look out for Brian May’s guitar solo.
https://tsatrust- my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/vhs02_tsatrust_org_uk/EcTGuW2b- gFGjs8ax_-hJGcBDTAe-tWFmWAmJHHBZF6HBg?e=afBQge
Ever seen this version of Bohemian Rhapsody? https://www.youtubekids.com/watch?v=tgbNymZ7vqY&hl=en-GB
Year 5 you may be interested in this clip. https://www.youtubekids.com/watch?v=PvOF5anPAwo&hl=en-GB
Brian May playing The Wellerman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXIZBq_MJF0
Previous weeks’ learning
Ain’t gonna let nobody. https://www.singup.org/singupathome/all-songs Click the link and it should bring up this website page.
16 beat introduction (4 chords) (Verse 1) Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me around, Turn me around, turn me around. Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me around, Keep on walkin’, keep on talkin’, Walkin’ to the freedom land.
(Verse 2) Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me, Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me, Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me, Keep on walkin’, keep on talkin’, yeah.
Beatboxing for 16 beats
(Verse 3) Ain’t gonna let nobody, Ain’t gonna let no, no, nobody.
**Repeat verses 1, 2 and 3 together**
You might have noticed there is just backing music between the 2nd and 3rd verses. This backing music lasts for 16 beats (counts) and is an opportunity for you to either have a go at making up some cool moves OR have a go at beat boxing. You will be better than me at it I’m sure!
If you would like to develop your beatboxing skills, take a look at these masterclasses with the amazing SK Shlomo. https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/beatboxing-masterclass-with-shlomo
The Wellerman – Voyage 1 film
https://tsatrust- my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/vhs02_tsatrust_org_uk/ETUp7rn1BHdOu9vgfUtAjDgBpP XaD0GbL3iSJRqYHuPXGg?e=61t8Ug
I find this song very catchy and it has given me an ear worm this week! (An ear worm is where you have a tune continually sounding inside your head – it can be very annoying)
Listening activity
When listening to a piece of music, I can express my own thoughts and feelings about the music and am able to identify some of the inter-related dimensions of music (dynamics, pitch and timbre, pulse, rhythm, sound effects and so on).
A beatbox was originally a literal box that DJs and producers in the 1970s would use.
As hip-hop developed in the 1970s and people started rapping, others started to imitate drums sounds so that they could accompany rappers. Many people might think that beatboxing is only about improvising (makings something up as you go along without preparing and planning it) and that you do not have to learn much. If you listened to SK Sholmo last week and followed his teaching film about how to beatbox, I think you’d feel differently!
Watch the film, The Beatboxer and the Orchestra, by clicking on the link below and answer the questions below the film box. https://www.thewhybooks.co.uk/single-post/listening-activity-18-the-beatboxer-the- orchestra
I can play my rhythm part independently keeping to a steady beat while another rhythm part is being performed.
Now have a try at performing by clapping or tapping given rhythms in time with The
Wellerman song. The rhythms in the film below are made up of crotchet notes (fly) and quaver notes (Spi-der) . There are two different parts. Try performing part 1 first (the red part) then replay the film and try part 2 (the blue part). You could always get a family member to join in - you try playing one of the parts while they play the other one. Good luck!
The Wellerman tap-along
https://tsatrust- my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/vhs02_tsatrust_org_uk/EeTcCgLWKzlJgSVjFkOOGr8BH LS9OHVW-nfmm4qCxEw1RQ?e=bKrZOU
Composing - being creative
Incredibox – layering sound loops to make music. When we experiment with layers of sounds in music (voices or instruments) we describe this as the texture. The texture can be described as being ‘thin’ if only one or two sounds are being made, whereas if there are lots of sounds being produced at once, we would describe the texture as being ‘thick’. You can experiment with texture using Incredibox. Click the link below which will take you to a free web-demo. (*Please note that sadly you may not be able to access the free web-demo on some devices with a smaller screen) https://www.incredibox.com/demo/
Once you’ve clicked on the link, you are taken to this page in Incredibox. Choose from the top four characters - Alpha, Little Miss, Sunrise or The Love - as these are free and do not cost anything.
Click on your chosen character and the page will load. Once your chosen character is loaded, press the play icon which will take you to a page like the one below. You should see seven characters in a line and a collection of symbols in buttons beneath them. Simply drag one of the symbols to one of the characters on the screen and listen to the sound it makes. Each symbol is a different vocal sound.
If you hover over one of the characters, you will get the option of either muting the sound, only playing that sound or removing the sound so that you can try another one.
Enjoy experimenting with the different vocal sounds and building different textures within your pieces. Have fun!
I wonder who your favourite character is and what is your favourite vocal sound?
I can create and edit simple melodic patterns in C major using technology.
Chrome music Lab - Melody maker Melody is the musical term for a tune. Every song you would have sung has a melody. This week we are going to look at how to make one ourselves using a tool called Melody Maker from Chrome Labs. There are some instructions and ideas below. Enjoy experimenting and most importantly have fun! https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Melody-Maker/
Choose your notes Click in one box for every column on the screen and press the play button at the bottom to hear what that sounds like. You can change your mind and click on different ones as you go to explore what melody it creates. (You may remember playing the Boomwhackers in your music lessons where each different coloured tube has a different pitched note. The colours of these are the same as the pitches in this Melody Maker)
Change the speed (tempo) You can control the speed using the slider in the same strip as the play button. What does it do to your melody?
Leaving a gap (music rests) What happens if you leave an empty box? What does it do to your melody? Do you like it?
Mix things up a little (pitch) Most melodies have a mixture of repeated notes and next-door steps with a few leaps from high to low. Try and get a good mix of these in your melody.
Also try… There’s another button with two squares and an arrow (next to the play button). When you’re happy with your melody, click this. What does it do? Can you explain?
completed Wellerman no harmony https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/song/5943042540830720 completed Wellerman with some harmony https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/song/6250641454792704