Lesson video

Hello, everyone, it's Mrs. Steele back again with another music lesson for us today.

Today's lesson is called "Playing a Dotted Rhythm Major Pentatonic Melody." Try saying that five times fast.

There's lots to do, so let's get started together.

Here we go.

By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to sing and play a major pentatonic melody that uses dotted rhythms. Here are the keywords that will be important in our learning together today.

The first one is rhythm, the pattern of sounds and silences that we play and sing.

Pitched percussion, an instrument that can play musical notes of one or more pitch when we strike it, for example, a glockenspiel.

Major pentatonic scale, the five notes do, re, mi, so, and la arranged in an ascending or descending order.

And finally, melody, a combination of notes to make a memorable tune.

We know that before every music lesson, it's important to warm up our voices and bodies.

We need to gently warm and stretch our vocal cords to prevent our voices from injury.

Whole-body warmups also help us to stand correctly and at ease when we sing.

Then we make the best possible sound.

Follow these whole-body warmups so that you're ready to sing.

(upbeat piano music) (feet thudding) (hands thudding) (upbeat piano music continues) (fists thudding) (hands thudding) (upbeat piano music continues) Let's warm up all the muscles of our faces.

Show me your happy face.

Show me your grumpy face.

Show me your big face.

Show me your small face.

Show me your silly face.

Show me your thinking face.

(gentle piano music) Ready? (all inhaling and exhaling) (gentle piano music continues) (all inhaling and exhaling) Echo my singing.

♪ Nu ♪ ♪ Nu ♪ ♪ Nu ♪ ♪ Ne ♪ ♪ Ne ♪ ♪ Ne ♪ ♪ Ni ♪ ♪ Mi ♪ ♪ Mi ♪ ♪ Mu ♪ ♪ Mu ♪ ♪ Mu ♪ ♪ Me ♪ ♪ Me ♪ ♪ Me ♪ <v ->Copy this tricky tongue twister.

</v> Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked? Now it's time for some more songs that will help us warm up further.

They help us to move our bodies and use our voices in lots of different ways.

First up, can you join in with the responses in "Hill and Gully Rider"? Here's the music.

(jaunty music) ♪ Ready, steady, off we go ♪ ♪ Hill and gully rider, hill and gully ♪ ♪ Hill and gully rider, hill and gully ♪ ♪ And you been down low down, hill and gully ♪ ♪ And I'm low down to the ground, hill and gully ♪ ♪ And I go down to the ground, hill and gully.

♪ ♪ And then you dance right round now, hill and gully ♪ ♪ And you better mind you tumble down, hill and gully ♪ ♪ Hill and gully rider, hill and gully ♪ ♪ Hill and gully rider, hill and gully ♪ ♪ And you been down low down, hill and gully ♪ ♪ And I'm low down to the ground, hill and gully ♪ ♪ And I go down to the ground, hill and gully ♪ ♪ And then you dance right round now, hill and gully ♪ ♪ And you better mind you tumble down, hill and gully ♪ ♪ Hill and gully rider, hill and gully ♪ ♪ Hill and gully rider, hill and gully ♪ <v ->Now join in with the singing and the actions</v> in "I Have a Car." I like this one.

It's tricky.

Have fun.

(mellow piano music) ♪ I have a car, it's made of tin ♪ ♪ Nobody knows what shape it's in ♪ ♪ It has four wheels and a rumble seat ♪ ♪ Hear us chugging down the street ♪ ♪ Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, toot, crash, beep, beep ♪ ♪ Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, toot, crash, beep, beep ♪ ♪ Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, toot, crash, beep, beep ♪ ♪ Honk, honk ♪ ♪ I have a car, it's made of tin ♪ ♪ Nobody knows what shape it's in ♪ ♪ It has four wheels and a rumble seat ♪ ♪ Hear us chugging down the street ♪ ♪ Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, toot, crash, beep, beep ♪ ♪ Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, toot, crash, beep, beep ♪ ♪ Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, toot, crash, beep, beep ♪ ♪ Honk honk ♪ And finally it's "Pass One Window, Tideo." Here's the video to show you how it goes.

(instrument clanking) ♪ Ready, steady off we ♪ ♪ Pass one window, Tideo ♪ (hands smacking) ♪ Pass two windows, Tideo ♪ ♪ Pass three windows, Tideo ♪ ♪ Jingle at the window, Tideo ♪ (hands smacking) ♪ Tideo, Tideo ♪ ♪ Jingle at the window, Tideo ♪ ♪ Tideo, Tideo ♪ ♪ Jingle at the window, Tideo ♪ <v ->Are you ready to sing after all of that?</v> Do your muscles feel relaxed? Is your throat feeling warm? And are you concentrating and ready to learn? Fantastic, here we go.

We're going to begin today by learning a new rhythm, ta mi.

We'll find this new rhythm in the song "Ame Ame." Listen to the music and join in.

You could create body percussion to the steady beat as you sing like the example you see here.

Here comes the music.

(mellow music) ♪ Ame ame fure fure ♪ ♪ Kaasan ga ♪ ♪ Janomede omukae uresiina ♪ ♪ Pichi pichi chappu chappu ran ran ran ♪ ♪ Ame ame fure fure kaasan ga ♪ ♪ Janomede omukae uresiina ♪ ♪ Pichi pichi chappu chappu ran ran ran ♪ <v ->We have a new rhythm in our song today.

</v> You could write it down like this.

Listen to how this rhythm sounds when it is repeated.

You might notice that it has a skipping or galloping, uneven feel.

Listen carefully.

♪ Ta mi ta mi ta mi ta mi ♪ Using our new rhythm, see if you can echo me with these rhythms coming up.

It will be my turn, then your turn.

Here's the first one.

♪ Ta mi ta, ta mi ta ♪ ♪ Ta mi ta, ta mi ta ♪ Well done, here comes the next one.

♪ Ta mi ta mi ta mi ta ♪ ♪ Ta mi ta mi ta mi ta ♪ Fantastic, here comes rhythm C.

♪ Ta mi ta mi ta ta ♪ ♪ Ta mi ta mi ta ta ♪ Fantastic, here's the last one.

♪ Ta ta ta mi ta ♪ ♪ Ta ta ta mi ta ♪ Excellent listening, everyone.

It's time for a check-in with our learning so far.

Have a go at clapping these four rhythms. After you've had a go, you could use the audio to check your answers.

Pause now and give that challenge a try.

We also use the rhythms ta, one beat, and ta-ah, two beats, in "Ame Ame." You could write them down like this.

Have a go at echoing this rhythmic phrase from "Ame Ame." It sounds like this.

♪ Ta mi ta mi ta mi ta mi ta ta ta-ah ♪ Pause the video and have a practice at that.

It's important for us to notice that ta mi and ta di are not the same.

Have a look carefully at them here.

Both ta mi and ta di are one beat long.

Both have two sounds or syllables that we clap and chant.

But there are some important differences.

In ta mi, the beat is not divided equally.

There's a long note and a short note.

But in ta di, the beat is divided exactly equally.

There are two equal notes.

It's time for a check-in.

Listen very carefully to identify which rhythm you can hear.

Do you hear the first rhythm or the second rhythm? Here it comes.

Listen carefully.

(instrument clanking) Can you point to the rhythm you think you heard? Here comes the answer.

It was the second one.

Well done if you noticed that, great listening.

Now do you hear the first rhythm or the second rhythm? Here it comes.

(instrument clanking) Which one was it this time? It was the first rhythm, excellent work.

And for the last one, do you hear the first rhythm or the second rhythm? Here we go.

(instrument clanking) Can you point to the rhythm that you heard this time? Here's the answer.

It was the second rhythm that last time.

Well done if you got those right, excellent understanding.

Let's listen to "Ame Ame" again.

This time, can you use body percussion of your choice to hold the steady beat? You could use the tap, click example that you see here or come up with something new of your own.

Here comes the music.

♪ Ready, steady, off we go ♪ ♪ Ta mi ta mi ta mi ta mi ta mi ta mi ta ♪ ♪ Ta mi ta mi ta mi ta mi ta mi ta mi ta ♪ ♪ Ta mi ta mi ta mi ta mi ta ta ta ♪ <v ->It's time for another challenge with this song now.

</v> This one's pretty tricky.

Can you sing the rhythm to the tune of "Ame Ame"? Izzy's having a go at it here.

Try to still hold the steady beat with your body percussion as you sing.

This one might take a bit of practicing.

Here comes the music again for you to have a go.

♪ Ready, steady, off we go ♪ ♪ Ta mi ta mi ta mi ta mi ta mi ta mi ta ♪ ♪ Ta mi ta mi ta mi ta mi ta mi ta mi ta ♪ ♪ Ta mi ta mi ta mi ta mi ta ta ta ♪ <v ->Next, can you choose three different</v> body percussion actions to represent the three different rhythms in the song? You can see an example here on the screen.

An extra extra challenge is to have a go at singing the lyrics as you play that chosen body percussion.

This is very tricky and will take a lot of practicing.

You're going to want to try both of those things at your own pace where you are.

So pause me in a moment and use the audio to help you with this challenge.

Have a good time.

See you on the other side.

Welcome back.

How did you get on with that challenge? Could you hold a steady beat as you listened? Did you sing the correct rhythm names? Well done if you did.

And did you know which body percussions to do at the right time? And did anybody manage the extra challenge to sing and move at the same time? Incredible if you did all or some of those things.

There was a lot going on there.

What great musical learning, everyone.

Now let's play a major pentatonic melody together.

We are going to learn to play our song "Ame Ame" on pitched percussion.

You could use a xylophone, a glockenspiel, or chime bars to do this.

We're going to learn to play this middle line here.

This stick notation that you can see on the screen can help us to read the rhythms and the pictures of the melody.

Have a go at chanting the rhythms first.

Listen to the audio.

Then you try.

Here it comes.

♪ Ta mi ta mi ta mi ta mi ta mi ta mi ta-ah ♪ Now try singing the solfege syllables.

Here comes the audio.

Listen carefully.

Then have a go.

♪ Do, do, do, re, mi, so, la ♪ ♪ So, mi, mi, mi, re, do ♪ There are hand signs for the major pentatonic scale, and they look like this.

Have a go at singing the second line of "Ame Ame." Here comes the music.

Listen carefully.

Then it's your turn to sing.

♪ Do, do, do, re, mi, so, la ♪ ♪ So, mi, mi, mi, re, do ♪ Now we're going to have another try using this video to help us.

It's going to help us add one new hand sign each time that we sing.

We're going to begin by adding.

♪ Do ♪ Each time we hear it.

Then we'll add.

♪ Re ♪ And then.

♪ Mi ♪ And then we'll add.

♪ So ♪ And finally.

♪ La ♪ Watch the video, which will explain exactly how it works and when it's your turn to join in.

Here it comes.

♪ Ready, steady, off we go ♪ ♪ Janomede omukae ♪ ♪ Uresiina ♪ <v ->Now let's add do.

</v> ♪ Ready, steady, off we go ♪ ♪ Do, do, do, de omukae ♪ ♪ Uresii do ♪ Now let's add re.

♪ Ready, steady, off we go ♪ ♪ Do, do, do, re, omukae ♪ ♪ Uresii re, do ♪ Now let's add mi.

♪ Ready, steady, off we go ♪ ♪ Do, do, do, re, mi, mukae ♪ ♪ Mi, mi, mi, re, do ♪ Now let's add so.

♪ Ready, steady, off we go ♪ ♪ Do, do, do, re, mi, so, ka ♪ ♪ So, mi, mi, mi, re, do ♪ Now let's add la.

♪ Ready, steady, off we go ♪ ♪ Do, do, do, re, mi, so, la ♪ ♪ So, mi, mi, mi, re, do ♪ Now let's do it one more time all the way through.

♪ Ready, steady, off we go ♪ ♪ Do, do, do, re, mi, so, la ♪ ♪ So, mi, mi, mi, re, do ♪ <v ->For this melody, we're going to use these notes</v> on our pitched percussion instrument.

We're going to use.

♪ Do, re, mi, so ♪ And.

♪ La ♪ Let's find those notes on our pitched percussion instrument.

Have a go at playing them slowly ascending, going up, and then descending, going down.

Pause the video now to find your notes and practice them slowly.

Let's keep practicing by playing this rhythm on each note of the major pentatonic scale in turn.

We're going to start by playing this rhythm on do.

Then we'll play it on re, then mi.

We'll play that same rhythm on so.

And finally, we'll play the same rhythm on la.

Here's a video to show you exactly how that works.

Then press pause to try practicing that rhythm on each note of the major pentatonic scale in term.

Here's the video for you.

(instrument resonating) (instrument continues resonating) Now let's practice the melody slowly on our pitched percussion instruments.

It can be helpful to break the melody down into little chunks and practice these smaller chunks a lot of times.

Have a look at this video, which will help you learn how to practice really well.

Then press pause to have a go at your own practice on your pitched percussion instrument.

(instrument clanking) <v ->I'm practicing to play that part of the tune.

</v> There are lots of things that you can do to help you practice.

Let's first of all think about the rhythm, and we can clap that to make sure we've got it right.

It goes like this.

(hands smacking) Okay? So I think I've got that part right.

Now I can play that rhythm on the xylophone.

I'm gonna play it on the low do.

(instrument resonating) Okay, so I think I've got that bit right now.

So let's think about the tune.

The tune goes like this.

♪ Do, do, do, re, mi, so, la ♪ ♪ So, mi, mi, mi, re, do ♪ So it goes up and down in pitch, which means it's going to go up my notes and down the scale.

So it's good to see a shape in the music because that sometimes helps us to remember it and to see patterns in music as well.

So next I'm going to break the tune up into little chunks and just try a little bit at a time.

And I'm going to practice quite slowly.

(instrument resonating) Okay, so that's the first part of the tune, and then the second part goes like this.

(instrument resonating) Okay, so I'm gonna put those two bits together.

(instrument resonating) So I sometimes find that jump a bit tricky to do.

So I'm going to practice that jump (instrument resonating) a few times over.

(instrument resonating) Okay, I think I've got that now.

And then the end of that tune goes (instrument resonating) back down to do again.

So let's see if I can put it all together.

I'm still going to go slowly now.

(instrument resonating) Okay, so I'm gonna try it a bit faster now.

(instrument resonating) Great.

<v ->Now that we've had a lot of practice,</v> let's have a go at performing "Ame Ame" with this structure here.

We're going to sing, then play on our percussion instruments, and then sing again.

Watch this video to see how that goes.

Then press pause and have a go at performing "Ame Ame" with this structure.

♪ Ready, steady, off we go ♪ ♪ Ame ame fure fure kaasan ga ♪ (instrument resonating) ♪ Pichi pichi chappu chappu ran ran ran ♪ <v ->To help us think about our performance,</v> let's watch this video carefully.

(instrument resonating) (instrument continues resonating) What did you think of that playing? Like the video, did you play an accurate ta mi rhythm each time? Did you play each of the notes evenly and accurately, keeping a steady pulse? Congratulations if you did.

Let's watch this next video now.

What can you notice? (instrument resonating) Were you able to play the melody with an accurate ta mi rhythm like in the video? And did you play all of the correct notes playing to the steady pulse? Let's watch this final video together.

As you're watching, think carefully about these questions.

How does your performance compare? Did you know when to sing and when to play when you were performing? And were you able to play and sing accurately with a steady, constant pulse? Watch the video carefully to think about those aspects of your performance.

♪ Ready, steady, off we go ♪ ♪ Ame ame fure fure kaasan ga ♪ (instrument resonating) ♪ Pichi pichi chappu chappu ran ran ran ♪ <v ->We've come to the end of our lesson together today.

</v> So let's have a think about everything that we've been learning.

We know that the notes of the major pentatonic scale can be used to form melodies in folk songs like in "Ame Ame" today.

We know that the notes of the major pentatonic scale are do, re, mi, so, and la, and we've learned a new rhythm, ta mi.

We know that it's a one-beat rhythm pattern that consists of a longer-duration note followed by a shorter-duration note.

And we know that the ta mi rhythm pattern has a slight galloping feel to it.

What fantastic musical learning, everybody, today.

I can't wait to see you for the next one.

Bye.