Lesson video

- Hello, and welcome to another music lesson with me, Miss Miner.

And the lesson today is going to be all about exploring chords.

So let's go.

What will we cover in this lesson? We'll start off with a vocal warmup.

After that we'll understand what a chord is and how a triad is made up.

In this lesson, you will need just your body, and, of course, your voice.

Do make sure that you are clear of distractions and that you've turned off any notifications on any apps or conversations that you have running.

Do try and find a quiet place where you won't be disturbed during the lesson.

When you are ready, let's go.

Now, you might be thinking that the warmup today looks very similar to the one in the last lesson.

But, have you spotted the difference? Yes, that's right.

Instead of counting upwards from one, we count downwards from eight.

However, the pattern stays the same.

So it goes like this.

♪ 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 5 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 5 4 5 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 5 4 3 4 5 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ♪ Some might say that's a little trickier than the last one, but let's see how you get on counting backwards assigning each of those numbers with its own pitch.

Let's do it slowly together.

♪ Off we go ♪ ♪ 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 ♪ ♪ 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 5 ♪ ♪ 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 ♪ ♪ 5 4 5 ♪ ♪ 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 ♪ ♪ 5 4 3 ♪ ♪ 4 5 6 ♪ ♪ 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 ♪ ♪ 5 4 3 ♪ ♪ 2 3 4 ♪ ♪ 5 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 ♪ ♪ 5 4 3 ♪ ♪ 2 1 2 ♪ ♪ 3 4 5 ♪ ♪ 6 7 8 ♪ How did you get on? Let's try one more time at that speed.

And I would like you to trace the melody or trace the pitches with your hand as we sing.

♪ Off we go ♪ ♪ 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 ♪ ♪ 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 ♪ ♪ 5 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 ♪ ♪ 5 4 5 ♪ ♪ 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 ♪ ♪ 5 4 3 ♪ ♪ 4 5 6 ♪ ♪ 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 ♪ ♪ 5 4 3 ♪ ♪ 2 3 4 ♪ ♪ 5 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 ♪ ♪ 5 4 3 ♪ ♪ 2 1 2 ♪ ♪ 3 4 5 ♪ ♪ 6 7 8 ♪ Well done.

Now, do you think you can do it any quicker? Let's try.

♪ Off we go ♪ ♪ 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 5 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 5 4 5 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 5 4 3 ♪ ♪ 4 5 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 ♪ ♪ 3 4 5 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ♪ ♪ 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ♪ Well done.

So now, we are going to make it a little more tricky.

You are going to sing the same pattern again, but as you sing that, you are going to hear the pattern from the last lesson starting at the bottom from the number one at the same time.

That means the melody you sing and the melody that you hear will be travelling in opposite directions, getting closer together and then travelling further apart in opposite directions.

This is what we call contrary motion in music.

I would like you to sing what we have been practising today.

♪ Ready steady off we go ♪ ♪ 1 ♪ ♪ 8 ♪ ♪ 1 2 1 ♪ ♪ 8 7 8 ♪ ♪ 1 2 3 2 1 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 1 2 3 4 3 2 1 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 5 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 5 4 5 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 1 2 3 4 5 6 5 4 3 2 1 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 5 4 3 4 5 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ♪ ♪ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 ♪ ♪ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ♪ ♪ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ♪ So here's a vocabulary reminder.

The pitch is how high or low a note is.

Pause the video to practise this warmup tracing the pitch with your finger.

What happened to the pitch in that warmup? The pitch didn't change at all.

In each sequence a lower pitch was added, or in each sequence a higher pitch was added.

Point to the answer you think is correct.

That's right.

In each sequence, a lower pitch was added.

Whereas, in the last lesson, in each sequence a higher pitch was added.

But this time we started at the top and got lower and lower each time.

I would now like you to have a look at the four images on the screen.

Which do you think is the odd one out, and why? There are lots and lots of right answers to this question.

So please don't worry, if you have a few options.

I would like you to pause the video now and think about which one of these pictures could be the odd one out, and why? When you have your explanation, press play and we'll continue.

As I mentioned, there are many, many possibilities to answer this question with.

You may have decided that the choir or the group of singers were the odd ones out, because they were using their voice to produce a sound, whereas the other three were using some sorts of touch.

Or you may have decided that the ukulele was the odd one out, because it's the only instrument that you've played before.

As I said, the possibilities are endless, but I would like you think about it this way.

If I take the dgembe out of the equation, then the other three can be used to perform more than one sound, a chord.

You can play more than one sound at once on the piano.

You can play more than one sound at once on the ukulele.

And with multiple voices, you can create more than one sound at the same time.

Whereas with a dgembe, you can only really hear rhythm and one sound at one time.

Therefore, all of the instruments, apart from the dgembe were able to play harmony.

The combining of notes simultaneously, that means at the same time, to produce chords.

So now we can start to think about where, why, and how we use chords? Well, where? A ukulele is a perfect example or a guitar of where you might be able to play chords.

How? Well a chord is made up of more than one note sounding at the same time.

And you can hear that's made up of lots of different pitches.

Four in fact to make a cord.

And why do we need chords? Well, chords are really useful to accompany things to support a melody.

♪ Ukulele, ukulele playing the chords ♪ ♪ Ukulele, ukulele playing the chords ♪ And I know lots of you may have experience of playing the ukulele in school.

The piano or keyboard is another instrument that can be used to play chords more than one note at a time.

Particularly enjoyed by my cat Pickle.

Now, you may be wondering why I have a picture of some voices on here, and how on earth it can be possible to sing a chord with just one voice? Well, you'd be right.

It's not possible really to sing a chord with just one voice.

However, when forming a choir or more than one singer, you then have the ability to sing lots of different pitches at the same time.

A chord is when two or more notes are played or sung together.

So here comes a quick quiz for you.

I would like to listen to the next sound on my ukulele and tell me if it's a chord or a note? That's right.

That was a chord.

That was in fact four pitches heard together.

What about this one? That's right.

That was a single note.

What about this one? Yes, you are right.

That was a chord.

What about this one? That's a note on its own.

And this one? Yep.

That's a chord.

And finally.

And that's a chord, too.

More than one notes played at once.

So now we're going to learn how to sing a type of chord known as a triad with our voices.

Now a triad, just like the word triangle or tripod means three.

So a triad has three notes in it.

This note.

♪ Ooh ♪ This note.

♪ Ooh ♪ And this one.

♪ Ooh ♪ And together, they sound like this.

♪ Ooh ♪ We're going to learn to sing that chord.

The first note is this one.

♪ Ooh ♪ Can you sing that? ♪ Mm ♪ The second note is this one.

♪ Ooh ♪ Can you sing that? ♪ Mm ♪ And this one.

♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Mm ♪ Let's think about the lowest note.

That's.

♪ Ooh ♪ Let's see if we can sing that as part of chord.

♪ Ready, steady off we go ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ And this time without my help.

Ready, steady off we go.

♪ Ooh ♪ Well done.

Now let's try to sing the middle note of a triad.

♪ Ooh ♪ Your turn.

Let's try and sing that as part of a chord.

♪ Ready, steady off you go ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ Now without me.

♪ Ready, steady off you go ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ Now, let's try singing the highest note of the triad.

My turn first.

♪ Ooh ♪ And your turn.

♪ Off you go ♪ Well done.

Now let's try singing it as part of the chord.

♪ Ready, steady off you go ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ And without me.

♪ Ready, steady off you go ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ Well done.

Now, choose one of those notes to sing in the chord.

Ready, steady off you go.

♪ Ooh ♪ And pick a different note.

Ready, steady off you go.

♪ Ooh ♪ And pick the one note that you haven't chosen yet.

Ready, steady off you go.

♪ Ooh ♪ Well done.

Pause the video to practise singing each of the notes of a triad.

When you've done that press play and we'll carry on.

What is a chord? Is it a single note or sound? Is it a string of notes to form a melody? Or, is it two or more notes played or sung together? Point to the answer you think is correct.

Well done.

It's two or more notes played or sung together.

So that brings us to the end of the lesson.

A really big well done on all the fantastic learning you've achieved in this lesson.

I've got two final things I'd like you to do now.

Firstly, think back and identify one key thing you've learned today.

It's totally up to you what it is.

Secondly, if you'd like to, please take a picture of your work and ask your parent or carer to share it with your teacher, so that they can see all the fantastic things you've learned.

If you'd like to, please ask your parents or carer to share your work on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, tagging @OakNational and #LearnwithOak.

Now, don't forget to complete the end of lesson quiz.

Well, all that's left for me to say is thank you.

Take care and enjoy the rest of your learning for today.

Bye!.