Hello and welcome to today's music lesson.

I'm Ms. Mantle and I'm gonna be your teacher for today.

Let's get started.

Today's lesson outcome is, I can sing a sea shanty in harmony and using body percussion.

So let's look at some keywords for today's lesson.

Sea shanty.

That's a folk song traditionally sung by sailors to help them coordinate their movements.

Pulse.

That's the constant underlying beat in a piece of music.

Downbeat, the strongest beat of the bar named after the downbeat a conductor makes on beat one.

Might look something like this.

Unison, when multiple parts play or sing the same notes at the same time.

And harmony, the way that different notes are played or sung together to create chords.

Today's lesson on singing sea shanties has two parts.

So part one is on Singing Wellerman in unison.

And part two is Singing Wellerman in harmony.

So let's get started with part one, Singing Wellerman in unison.

A sea shanty is a folk song traditionally sung by sailors to help them coordinate their movements.

Many traditional cultures were based around the sea and sailing, such as the Maori of New Zealand and the Vikings of Scandinavia.

They all sang while working on ships and boats.

In the modern day, sea shanties are most often heard in films or TV, often associated with pirates or other sailors.

What musical features makes this sea shanty effective for coordinating lots of sailors moving together? You might need an adult or teacher to help you find a recording of "What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor?" Pause the video now and find the music to listen to.

What did you think? It has a strong, consistent pulse, emphasized by the percussion instruments.

It's got strong rhythms and a strong downbeat to help reinforce that pulse.

And it uses memorable and repeated rhythms which are easy to learn and remember.

Let's do a quick check for understanding.

Which of these is not a typical feature of sea shanties? Is it A, a strong pulse? B, a moderate tempo? C, a complex melody? Or D, a repeated melody? What do you think? Did you get C, a complex melody? If so, well done.

That's not a typical feature of sea shanties.

Wellerman is a sea shanty from New Zealand.

It became popular when a cover version of it went viral online in 2021.

It's got two sections, a verse and a chorus.

The lyrics of the verse change each time it repeats, while the chorus remains the same.

So have a listen to the song.

Can you spot the phrase lengths and the chorus section? When you're thinking about phrase lengths, have a think about how many beats in a bar and how many bars in a phrase.

Often you'll find in music like this, there's something like four beats in a bar.

So have a listen along and also think about when the singer is breathing, because that might help you spot those phrase lengths.

Again, you might need an adult or a teacher to help you find the version of Wellerman from 2021 to have a listen to.

Pause and have a listen.

What did you think? The structure of Wellerman is verse, chorus, verse, chorus.

So you can see on the screen there, verse one, chorus, verse two, and then the chorus is repeated again.

Each phrase is two bars long, and each section lasts for four bars.

So you can see the bars here from the verse.

So bar one.

There once was a ship that put to sea.

So you can hear those four beats.

One, two, three, four.

There once was a ship that put to sea.

And then you can see bars two, three, and four.

And then for the chorus, you can also see four bars.

So again, those four beats per bar.

Soon may the Wellerman come.

One, two, three, four.

And there were two bars per phrase.

So the first phrase is the first two bars put together, and the second phrase is bars three and four.

And then the first phrase of the chorus is the first two bars put together, and the same with the second phrase of the chorus, bars three and four.

Sea shanties are often performed in unison.

This is where all of the singers sing the same melody at the same time.

The singers also provide the pulse, usually through using their bodies as percussion.

Which parts of the body do you think you can use for percussion? You could use clapping.

(clapping) You could use stamping.

(stamping) Or you could tap some other part of your body.

(tapping) For example.

So have a listen to the first verse and chorus section.

You can feel the consistent pulse in the music, both in the stamps and the strong downbeat.

There's also a four-beat introduction.

So have a listen to that first verse and chorus.

(feet stamping) ♪ There once was a ship that put to sea ♪ ♪ And the name of the ship was the Billy of Tea ♪ ♪ The winds blew up, her bow dipped down ♪ ♪ Blow, my bully boys, blow ♪ ♪ Soon may the Wellerman come ♪ ♪ To bring us sugar and tea and rum ♪ ♪ One day, when the tonguin' is done ♪ ♪ We'll take our leave and go ♪ <v ->So when we're gonna perform Wellerman,</v> you want to first establish the pulse through claps or stamps after a four-beat count-in.

So have a listen to how that works.

♪ One, two, three, four ♪ (feet stamping) (feet stamping continues) (feet stamping continues) <v ->You want to emphasize the words on the downbeat.

</v> That's beat one in the bar.

In verse one, these are the words.

Once, name, winds, and blow.

The first verse starts just after the fourth beat.

So have a listen to how that sounds.

(feet stamping) ♪ There once was a ship that put to sea ♪ <v ->Did you hear it start just after the fourth beat?</v> So you can count one, two, three, four, and then "once" is on the first bit of the next bar.

And you can see those "and" signs.

So one and two and three and four and one.

So this goes, one and two and three and four, there once.

So the word "there" is on that upbeat to bar one.

So now you're gonna join in repeating each line and then singing the whole first verse together in unison.

So verse one is going to have started just after that fourth beat.

So remember, one and two and three and four, there once.

And then you're gonna sing slightly stronger on the downbeat.

And the downbeats are highlighted here in purple.

So once, name, winds, and blow.

So let's sing along with the track.

So you can hear it first and then repeat it and then sing the whole first verse together.

♪ One, two, three, four ♪ (feet stamping) ♪ There once was a ship that put to sea ♪ (sea shanty music) ♪ And the name of the ship was the Billy of Tea ♪ (sea shanty music) ♪ The winds blew up, her bow dipped down ♪ (sea shanty music) ♪ Blow, my bully boys, blow ♪ (sea shanty music) ♪ One, two, three, four ♪ ♪ There once was a ship that put to sea ♪ ♪ And the name of the ship was the Billy of Tea ♪ ♪ The winds blew up, her bow dipped down ♪ ♪ Blow, my bully boys, blow ♪ <v ->And now we're gonna do the same with the chorus.

</v> You can sing the chorus a bit louder than the verse.

You start after four beats on beat one.

So this is a little bit different from the way you started the verse.

So this starts straight on beat one.

So one, two, three, four.

Soon may the Wellerman come.

And again, sing slightly stronger on that downbeat.

So you can see the downbeats in purple.

So soon, bring, one, and take.

So slightly different patterns for each line of the chorus.

Have a go at singing along with the track.

♪ One, two, three, four ♪ (feet stamping) ♪ Soon may the Wellerman come ♪ (sea shanty music) ♪ To bring us sugar and tea and rum ♪ (sea shanty music) ♪ One day, when the tonguin' is done ♪ (sea shanty music) ♪ We'll take our leave and go ♪ (sea shanty music) ♪ One, two, three, four ♪ ♪ Soon may the Wellerman come ♪ ♪ To bring us sugar and tea and rum ♪ ♪ One day, when the tonguin' is done ♪ ♪ We'll take our leave and go ♪ <v ->And then you can join in repeating each line</v> and singing the second verse together in unison.

So again, you start straight on beat one after four beats.

One, two, three, four.

She'd not been two weeks from shore.

And again, we want you to sing slightly stronger on those downbeats.

So she'd, down, the cap of captain, and take.

Have a go at singing the second verse.

♪ One, two, three, four ♪ (feet stamping) ♪ She'd not been two weeks from shore ♪ (sea shanty music) ♪ When down on her a right whale bore ♪ (sea shanty music) ♪ The captain called all hands and swore ♪ (sea shanty music) ♪ He'd take that whale in tow ♪ (sea shanty music) ♪ One, two, three, four ♪ ♪ She'd not been two weeks from shore ♪ ♪ When down on her a right whale bore ♪ ♪ The captain called all hands and swore ♪ ♪ He'd take that whale in tow ♪ <v ->So to put the whole piece together,</v> establish the pulse first with four beats of body percussion.

There might be some stamping or some clapping.

Use a count-in, one, two, three, four, before the body percussion to start together.

You should create a contrast between the verse and chorus by singing the chorus at a louder dynamic.

We want you to focus on your singing posture and good singing breathing.

So singing posture means that you're sitting up straight, your shoulders are down and relaxed, and you haven't got your legs crossed because you want to make sure you've got space to breathe.

And then good singing breathing means you're breathing deeply.

So you want to make sure you're taking a good deep breath before you start to sing.

And that means you're gonna feel your lungs and your chest and your stomach expand properly.

So you made sure you've got a good deep breath to start.

And then we want you to use some facial expressions to sell the music and sing with confidence.

We'd rather hear you sing a wrong note loudly than not be able to hear you at all.

Let's do a quick check for understanding.

Which beat does the verse start after? Is it one, two, three, or four? Well done if you got four.

So now for Task A, we're going to perform Wellerman in unison.

The success criteria for this is that we're gonna create that consistent pulse with stamps or claps.

Wait for the count-in, one, two, three, four, and give four stamps before singing.

We want you to project your voice clearly, emphasize that downbeat, sing the chorus louder than the verse to create some dynamic contrast, and that you learn and perform both verses and the chorus.

So here is a reminder of the verses and the chorus.

And why don't you have a go at singing along to the track? ♪ One, two, three, four ♪ (feet stamping) (sea shanty music) (sea shanty music continues) (sea shanty music continues) (sea shanty music continues) <v ->So having sung along,</v> let's reflect individually on your performance.

Use these questions to help you think.

Was your breathing even and steady? Did you keep your shoulders relaxed? Did you project your voice clearly? Did you emphasize that downbeat? Did you create dynamic contrast between the verse and the chorus? Did you keep to a consistent pulse? Did you show expression on your face? This really helps your voice! And did you sing with confidence? Reflect on your performance and maybe make some notes.

Let's move on to part two of our lesson, Singing Wellerman in harmony.

So have a listen to this recording of Wellerman.

How is the vocal line sung differently between the verse and the chorus? So pause the video and listen to the recording that you found earlier of Wellerman.

What did you think? "The verse is sung in unison," so everyone's singing the same notes, "but the chorus is sung in harmony." Harmony is where some of the singers sing a different version of the melody, creating chords between the voices.

Changing the texture of the vocal line creates extra interest in the chorus.

The harmony follows a similar shape to the melody but starts two notes lower.

So follow the shape through as you listen first to the melody that's represented by the green line, and then with the added harmony that you can see on the purple line.

Have a listen.

♪ One, two, three, four ♪ ♪ Soon may the Wellerman come ♪ ♪ To bring us sugar and tea and rum ♪ ♪ One day, when the tonguin' is done ♪ ♪ We'll take our leave and go ♪ ♪ One, two, three, four ♪ ♪ Soon may the Wellerman come ♪ ♪ To bring us sugar and tea and rum ♪ ♪ One day, when the tonguin' is done ♪ ♪ We'll take our leave and go ♪ <v ->Did you notice that the shape</v> changes slightly in the middle? The last five notes are in unison.

Let's do a check for understanding.

What is singing in harmony? Is it A, when multiple parts sing the same melody? B, when some parts sing different rhythms? C, when some parts sing different lyrics? Or D, when some parts sing different pitches? What do you think? Well done if you got D.

Harmony is when some parts sing different pitches.

So have a listen for the first time through the chorus and then join in singing the harmony part together.

So remember, you start on the first beat of the bar in the chorus.

So one, two, three, four, soon.

And then you're going to need to change the shape of the harmony and you'll have sung the words "us sugar and" all on the same note.

So have a go at that with the track.

♪ One, two, three, four ♪ (feet stamping) ♪ Soon may the Wellerman come ♪ ♪ To bring us sugar and tea and rum ♪ ♪ One day, when the tonguin' is done ♪ ♪ We'll take our leave and go ♪ ♪ One, two, three, four ♪ ♪ Soon may the Wellerman come ♪ ♪ To bring us sugar and tea and rum ♪ ♪ One day, when the tonguin' is done ♪ ♪ We'll take our leave and go ♪ ♪ One, two, three, four ♪ ♪ Soon may the Wellerman come ♪ ♪ To bring us sugar and tea and rum ♪ ♪ One day, when the tonguin' is done ♪ ♪ We'll take our leave and go ♪ <v Ms. Mantle>Now sing the harmony</v> when the melody is added above.

So for this, you're gonna have changed the shape of the harmony and sang the words "us sugar and" all on the same note.

And you're gonna make sure you didn't want to deviate from the harmony part to match the pitch of the melody.

That can be quite difficult sometimes, but have a go.

♪ One, two, three, four ♪ (feet stamping) ♪ Soon may the Wellerman come ♪ ♪ To bring us sugar and tea and rum ♪ ♪ One day, when the tonguin' is done ♪ ♪ We'll take our leave and go ♪ ♪ One, two, three, four ♪ ♪ Soon may the Wellerman come ♪ ♪ To bring us sugar and tea and rum ♪ ♪ One day, when the tonguin' is done ♪ ♪ We'll take our leave and go ♪ ♪ One, two, three, four ♪ ♪ Soon may the Wellerman come ♪ ♪ To bring us sugar and tea and rum ♪ ♪ One day, when the tonguin' is done ♪ ♪ We'll take our leave and go ♪ <v ->In which section of Wellerman</v> is there singing in harmony? Is it A, the verse? B, the chorus? Or C, both the verse and the chorus? It's B, the chorus.

If you got that right, well done.

How is the harmony line different from the main melody? Is it A, the harmony line is higher pitched? B, the harmony line is lower pitched? Or C, the harmony line is a mix of higher and lower pitched? What do you think? Well done if you got B, the harmony line is lower pitched.

So now let's move on to Task B, Singing Wellerman in harmony.

We're going to add the harmony into the chorus.

So the success criteria for this is identify who's gonna sing the harmony line in the first chorus and swap over for the second chorus.

Sing the verse in unison and the chorus in harmony.

Create a consistent pulse with stamps or claps.

Wait for the count-in and give four stamps before singing.

Sing the chorus louder than the verse to create some dynamic contrast.

And make sure you keep that good singing posture and breathe deeply between the phrases.

♪ One, two, three, four ♪ (feet stamping) (sea shanty music) (sea shanty music continues) (sea shanty music continues) (sea shanty music continues) <v ->So let's have a go at that.

</v> We're gonna add the harmony into the chorus.

Sing along with the track.

Let's reflect on how you did.

Use these questions to help.

Were you able to hold your line, your pitches, in the harmony section? Did you remember your singing posture and deep breathing? Did you create dynamic contrast? Did you keep to a consistent pulse? Did you show expression on your face and sing with confidence? If you rehearsed in small groups, what strategies did you use to keep the performance together and to rehearse successfully? Have a think about your answers and maybe write some of them down.

Let's summarize today's lesson on singing sea shanties.

Sea shanties are a type of folk song that were traditionally sung by sailors to coordinate their movements.

They have a strong pulse to help this coordination, and a catchy, repeated melody.

We can sing them in unison, when everyone sings the same melody, or in harmony, and emphasize the downbeat to help show the pulse.

Thanks for joining me for today's lesson.