Lesson video

In progress...

Hi there, everybody, and welcome to our lesson on partner songs as a singing structure.

This is from our unit for "Singing for Performance: Holding a Second Part in Rounds and Partner Songs." So today I'm gonna guide you through how we can hear and sing partner songs together.

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to say, "Yes, I can identify different songs being sung in partner songs together, and I know that a partner song is when two or more different songs are sung at the same time." Let's begin by looking at today's keywords.

We start with pulse, and we know that pulse is the regular, steady heartbeat of the music.

Tempo.

Tempo is how fast or slow the music is played.

Partner songs.

Now, partner songs are two or more separate songs that fit together musically when they're sung at the same time.

And texture.

Texture is when we build music with a combination of different layers of sound.

We know how important it is to warm up our bodies, our minds, and our voices, so that we are ready to move and sing.

If we warm up the whole body, it's gonna help us stand correctly.

It's also gonna help us feel nice and at ease when we're singing, and not tense.

So we need to gently warm up.

We also stretch our vocal folds gently.

That protects our voice from injury.

And so I'd now like you to join in with this series of warmups.

Here they come.

Ready, steady, off we go.

(pats beat on legs) (students join in) (claps beat) (students follow) (clicks beat) (students follow) (taps shoulders) (students follow) (claps beat) (students follow) (pats beat on legs) (students follow) Now we are going to warm up our faces by chewing a toffee.

Find yours.

Mine's in my pocket right here.

And it's this big.

And when we put it in our mouth, we're going to begin to chew.

Let's all do it together.

It's quite tough.

Mm! It's getting a bit softer.

Do some really good chewing.

Oh no! It stuck to my teeth at the back! I have to use my tongue.

And the other bit.

Mm.

Really big chewing now.

And now we're going to do something horrible and chew with our mouth open.

Don't tell the folks at home.

Mm, delicious! We'll begin by breathing.

We'll breathe in for four, hold for one, and out for five.

Watch first.

(inhales) (exhales) You'll notice we breathe in through our nose and out through our mouth.

Let's now join in altogether.

(inhales) (exhales) Well done.

We're going to do that two more times.

Here we go.

Make sure we're feeling nice and relaxed.

And.

(inhales) (exhales) (inhales) (exhales) That's great.

We should be feeling quite relaxed, and the air should be flowing quite calmly.

This time we're going to breathe in for four, hold for one, and we're going to breathe out for six, imagining we're blowing out through a straw.

Watch first.

(inhales) (exhales) Okay, let's all do that together.

Feeling relaxed.

Shoulders relaxed.

Off we go.

(inhales) (exhales) Let's do that two more times.

(inhales) (exhales) And one more.

(inhales) (exhales) Well done.

(lively tune plays on piano) ♪ Elevator won't you take me ♪ ♪ One three five ♪ ♪ Elevator won't you take me ♪ ♪ Five three one ♪ ♪ Elevator won't you take me ♪ ♪ One three five ♪ ♪ Elevator won't you take me ♪ ♪ Five three one ♪ ♪ Elevator won't you take me ♪ ♪ One three five ♪ ♪ Elevator won't you take me ♪ ♪ Five three one ♪ ♪ Elevator won't you take me ♪ ♪ One three five ♪ ♪ Elevator won't you take me ♪ ♪ Five three one ♪ (piano plays lively tune) ♪ Elevator won't you take me ♪ ♪ One two four five ♪ ♪ Elevator won't you take me ♪ ♪ Five four two one ♪ ♪ Elevator won't you take me ♪ ♪ One two four five ♪ ♪ Elevator won't you take me ♪ ♪ Five four two one ♪ ♪ Elevator won't you take me ♪ ♪ One two four five ♪ ♪ Elevator won't you take me ♪ ♪ Five four two one ♪ ♪ Elevator won't you take me ♪ ♪ One two four five ♪ ♪ Elevator won't you take me ♪ ♪ Five four two one ♪ <v ->One bottle of pop.

</v> Be ready to join in.

And.

One bottle of pop.

Two bottles of pop.

Three bottles of pop.

Four bottles of pop.

Five bottles of pop.

Six bottles of pop.

Seven bottles of pop, pop! Fabulous! Well done.

And now there are three more songs and games that I would like you to do to finish our warmup.

I would like you to play, "Don't clap this one back".

This is really gonna tune in our listening and helping us feel a steady pulse.

If you've not played it before, there is a video there to guide you through.

You can follow that video, and if you want to play it in your classroom without the video, you can do that too.

Secondly is "Bele Mama".

You are going to play the audio track and sing along.

Just sing gently, and the same goes for "Have you Seen the Ghost of Tom?" Listen the first time, and sing the second.

You might want to have a couple of goes, but when you're singing, we're just warming up, so we're singing softly and gently.

Okay? Pause the video there, and play and sing those where you are.

Off you go.

Fantastic.

Very well done.

So are we ready to sing? Laura says her throat's now feeling warmer.

Jun's saying, "Yes, I can hear and feel the steady pulse." And Sofia says, "This is helping me concentrate.

I'm now ready to learn." So if we're all in the zone, let's begin.

There are two learning cycles in today's lesson.

The first one is keeping a steady pulse in chants and songs.

And the second one, singing two partner songs together, which we'll come to in a mo.

Okay, we know if we're going to sing in time together, we want to feel a steady pulse.

And if we're all feeling the same pulse, we can chant, we can sing, we can move to the beat to feel that pulse together.

And here is a chant.

Aisha's singing it.

I would like you to have a listen.

Here it comes.

<v Aisha>Ready, steady, off we go.

</v> Two, four, six, eight.

Meet me at the garden gate.

If I'm late, please don't wait.

Two, four, six, eight.

<v ->So we can hear and feel that steady pulse.

</v> Now there's different ways we can show that pulse.

We can march in time to the steady pulse.

We can chant ready, steady, off we go, at the beginning, and that sets the tempo and helps us feel the steady pulse with a ready, steady, off we go.

So there's Lucas, and we can see that there's four beats.

Ready, steady, off we go.

It's a bit like saying one, two, three, four.

Now Aisha's there ready with, "Two, four, six, eight, meet me at the garden gate." She has kept just in time 'cause she is keeping the steady pulse! Ready, steady, off we go.

See it's really useful for keeping in time.

A quick check-in for you.

How can we set a steady pulse before we start singing or chanting? Is there something we can do or say to set a steady pulse? And then question number two, is there a way we can show the pulse with our bodies? Let's have a little think.

Maybe have a little check around in your class.

You can pause if you need to, to have a little discussion about it.

But there's quite a good way to set a steady pulse.

And there's lots of ways we can show the pulse with our bodies, but there's one that maybe might spring to mind.

So, "We can use ready, steady, off we go," says Jacob.

That sets a steady pulse before we start singing or chanting.

And then one way we can show the pulse with our bodies is marching to that steady beat.

Very well done if you suggested those, or maybe some other ways to show the pulse with our body.

We can also use different body percussion to keep a steady pulse.

This one goes stomp, clap, clap, clap, stomp, clap, clap, clap.

And we're going to do this four times.

Okay? What I'd like you to do is pause the video, and you're gonna find a space so you can stomp and clap freely, but the important thing is to set the steady pulse.

So either use that track there, or begin with a ready, steady, off you go, and stomp and see if you keep in time.

You'll do it four times, okay? Pause now, and I'll see you in a mo.

Very well done.

We can notice how feeling the steady pulse keeps us all in time.

Now then, this version of "Little Red Waggon" is a song from the USA.

Izzy's singing, "Jolting up and down in a little red waggon." And we're going to listen to the track, and the body percussion we've just learned, the stomp, clap, clap, clap, I would like us to play along to the track with, okay? So listen to the track, and add in that body percussion.

Make sure you've got a space.

Here comes the track.

(lively melody plays on piano) ♪ Ready steady off we go ♪ ♪ Jolting up and down in a little red waggon ♪ ♪ Jolting up and down in a little red waggon ♪ ♪ Jolting up and down in a little red waggon ♪ ♪ Won't you be my partner ♪ ♪ Jolting up and down in a little red waggon ♪ ♪ Jolting up and down in a little red waggon ♪ ♪ Jolting up and down in a little red waggon ♪ ♪ Won't you be my partner ♪ <v ->Fantastic.

Well done.

</v> So did you move on the right lyrics? Let's have a quick check.

It should be jolting up and down on a little red waggon.

Jolting up and down on a little red, and so on.

If you did that, very well done.

So we're gonna listen to the first verse and sing the second time round.

This song is sung, same words but twice through.

The first time, we're gonna listen.

And the second time, you're going to sing.

Now I'll notice, and you'll notice, if you're feeling the steady pulse, you'll be singing in time together.

Okay, here comes the track.

Be ready to join in the second time round.

</v> Izzy says that she could feel the pulse, which was helping her to sing in time together with everybody.

And Lucas says he listened out for the ready, steady, off we go, and that set the tempo.

Fantastic.

What you're now going to do is sing and do your body percussion at the same time.

So make sure you've got space for your stomp, clap, clap, clap, and be ready to sing your jolting up and down in a little red waggon.

I'm gonna pop the track on.

Are you ready? Here it comes.

Hope you did.

Lucas says, "Did you listen and watch each other to help stay in time and not get faster?" We don't want to quicken the tempo.

Sometimes we're tempted, and it's quite natural for us to just start to get a bit quicker.

But if we're feeling the pulse, we are keeping in time, and hopefully not speeding up.

If you managed that, really well done.

It's time to move on to the second of our learning cycles, which is singing two partner songs together.

So partner songs are two songs at the same time, and they fit together.

They fit together musically.

So these two songs, you might know this one, you might know, "Do you know the Muffin Man?" Especially if you've seen Shrek, where the Gingerbread Man says, "Do you know the muffin man?" And Lord Farquaad says, "The muffin man?" "The muffin man!" So maybe you've heard that one before.

But I'll wager fewer of you have heard "Why shouldn't my goose?" This is a song all about how the value of poultry affects a goose's singing voice.

Aisha's singing, "Why shouldn't my goose sing as well as your goose when I paid for my goose twice as much as yours?" And these songs work together, because their tunes fit when we sing them at the same time.

Have a listen.

♪ Ready steady off we go ♪ ♪ Why shouldn't my goose ♪ ♪ Sing as well as your goose ♪ ♪ When I paid for my goose ♪ ♪ Twice as much as yours ♪ ♪ Why shouldn't my goose ♪ ♪ Do you know the muffin man ♪ ♪ Sing as well as your goose ♪ ♪ The muffin man ♪ ♪ The muffin man ♪ ♪ When I paid for my goose ♪ ♪ Do you know the muffin man ♪ ♪ Twice as much as yours ♪ ♪ Who lives on Drury Lane ♪ ♪ Why shouldn't my goose ♪ ♪ Do you know the muffin man ♪ ♪ Sing as well as your goose ♪ ♪ The muffin man ♪ ♪ The muffin man ♪ ♪ When I paid for my goose ♪ ♪ Do you know the muffin man ♪ ♪ Twice as much as yours ♪ ♪ Who lives on Drury Lane ♪ <v ->Very good, lovely!</v> I'd like you to now listen to something different.

This is the example of, "Have you seen the ghost of Tom?" Which is our round.

Just have a listen to this.

We remember that the round is a song structure where we sing the same melody, but at a different time.

Here it comes.

♪ Have you seen the ghost of Tom ♪ ♪ Long white bones with the skin all gone ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ooh ♪ ♪ Wouldn't it be chilly with no skin on ♪ ♪ Have you seen the ghost of Tom ♪ ♪ Long white bones with the skin all gone ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ooh ♪ ♪ Wouldn't it be chilly with no skin on ♪ <v ->And we're going to think about our keyword texture.

</v> So both rounds and partner songs are structures that can create texture.

So, as Andeep explains, the more partner songs that are sung at the same time, the thicker the texture.

And as Sam says, the more parts in a round, the thicker the texture.

And Jun says, "Well, just a couple of layers, that could be a thinner texture, and lots of layers of sound make a thicker texture." Okay, I got a quick check for you now.

I'm gonna give you two sound bites, and I'd like you to tell me which of these is a round and which are partner songs.

Okay? I'm going to play A first.

Here it comes.

♪ Fish and chips and vinegar ♪ ♪ Vinegar vinegar ♪ ♪ Fish and chips and vinegar ♪ ♪ Pepper pepper pepper pot ♪ ♪ Fish and chips and vinegar ♪ ♪ One bottle of pop ♪ ♪ Two bottles of pop ♪ ♪ Vinegar vinegar ♪ ♪ Three bottles of pop ♪ ♪ Four bottles of pop ♪ ♪ Fish and chips and vinegar ♪ ♪ Five bottles of pop ♪ ♪ Six bottles of pop ♪ ♪ Pepper pepper pepper pop ♪ ♪ Seven bottles of pop pop ♪ ♪ Fish and chips and vinegar ♪ ♪ You can't put your muck ♪ ♪ In my dustbin ♪ ♪ Vinegar vinegar ♪ ♪ My dustbin my dustbin ♪ ♪ Fish and chips and vinegar ♪ ♪ You can't put your muck ♪ ♪ In my dustbin ♪ ♪ Vinegar vinegar ♪ ♪ My dustbin's full ♪ ♪ Pepper pepper pepper pot ♪ (overlapping songs continue) <v Teacher>All right, got that one?</v> Now I'm going to play B.

Have a listen to this.

(piano plays solemn tune) ♪ Round and round the earth is turning ♪ ♪ Turning always into morning ♪ ♪ And from morning into night ♪ ♪ Round and round the earth is turning ♪ ♪ Turning always into morning ♪ ♪ Round and round ♪ ♪ The earth is turning ♪ ♪ Turning always into morning ♪ (overlapping song continues) (overlapping song continues) (overlapping song continues) (overlapping song continues) ♪ And from morning into night ♪ (piano plays solemn melody) <v ->Okay, did we identify the difference?</v> I can tell you that A, they were partner songs.

They're songs that can be sung at the same time because they fit together musically.

And B, that one was a round, because we're singing one song, that different groups begin singing the same melody at different times.

If you got that right, super duper.

Well done.

We're gonna add some body percussion to our chant now.

So with our two, four, six, eight, meet me at the garden gate.

We are going to stomp and clap.

So for the first line, we'll have four stomps.

For the second line, four claps.

Back to four stomps.

And four claps.

So it'll go two, four, six, eight, meet me at the garden gate, if I'm late, please don't wait, two, four, six, eight.

I'm gonna pop the track on, and I'd like you to join in with that, please.

<v Woman>Ready, steady,</v> off we go.

Two, four, six, eight, meet me at the garden gate.

If I'm late, please don't wait, two, four, six, eight.

Ready steady off we go.

Two, four, six, eight, meet me at the garden gate.

If I'm late, please don't wait.

Two, four, six, eight.

<v ->Super duper, very well done!</v> So hopefully you managed to stomp and clap and chant at the same time.

So we can chant two different things at the same time as well.

That time we chanted one thing, and we made some sound with our body percussion.

How about this? Another chant, which fits with two, four, six, eight, is "Engine engine number nine, going down the Bristol line.

See it sparkle.

See it shine.

Engine engine number nine." And of course you can change the word Bristol to wherever you're from.

Down the Chester line, down the Wigan line, down the Southampton line, down the London line.

Really makes no odds.

Have a watch of this video.

This is me and my pal, Ebony, doing these chants together.

Have a listen to see how they fit, because we are keeping a steady pulse.

Ready, steady, off we go.

Two, four, six, eight- <v ->Engine engine number nine-</v> <v ->Meet me at the garden gate-</v> <v ->Going down the Bristol line-</v> <v ->If I'm late-</v> <v ->See it sparkle-</v> <v ->Please don't wait-</v> <v ->See it shine-</v> <v ->Two, four, six, eight.

</v> <v ->Engine engine number nine.

</v> <v ->Okay.

</v> Now we're going to add some body percussion to the engine chant, okay? It's just the opposite of what we were doing before.

'Cause the first line is gonna be claps.

Second line stomps.

Back to claps.

Finishing with stomps.

That's just the opposite way around to the other one.

So you'll have engine engine number nine going down the Bristol line, see it sparkle, see it shine, engine engine number nine.

Okay, I'll pop the track on, and I'd like you to do that.

Here it comes.

<v Woman>Ready steady off we go.

</v> (metronome ticks) Ready steady off we go.

(metronome ticks) <v ->Magic.

Well done!</v> Now then, we are going to split into two groups, and we'll have one half of the class going, "Two, four, six, eight, meet me at the garden gate." And then the other half of the class are, "Engine engine number nine, going down the Bristol line." Okay, so you'll notice that you are chanting different words, and you're doing the opposite body percussion actions to the other group.

Your challenge is to concentrate on what your group's doing, and keep in time to the steady pulse.

Okay? So pause the video here, and practise that where you are.

Remember, if you are not using that steady pulse, you want to give a very clear, "Ready, steady, off we go," because that will set the tempo.

See you in a mo.

Okay, very well done! What I'd like you to do is simply tap just on your knees gently the beat of this song.

So I'll pop the track on in a moment for "Why shouldn't my goose?" And I'd like you to notice the tempo of the steady pulse.

Just notice it as you are tapping gently on your knees.

Okay? Here comes the track.

Ready, steady, off we go.

♪ Why shouldn't my goose ♪ ♪ Sing as well as your goose ♪ ♪ When I paid for my goose ♪ ♪ Twice as much as yours ♪ ♪ Why shouldn't my goose ♪ ♪ Sing as well as your goose ♪ ♪ When I paid for my goose ♪ ♪ Twice as much as yours ♪ <v ->Great.

</v> And now I'd like you to tap the beat to this song.

Just the same as what you did before.

Tapping gently on your knees.

Here comes the track for this one.

Ready, steady, off we go.

♪ Do you know the muffin man ♪ ♪ The muffin man the muffin man ♪ ♪ Do you know the muffin man ♪ ♪ Who lives on Drury Lane ♪ ♪ Do you know the muffin man ♪ ♪ The muffin man the muffin man ♪ ♪ Do you know the muffin man ♪ ♪ Who lives on Drury Lane ♪ <v ->So did you notice the tempo</v> and the length of the song is the same as the last one? So "Muffin Man" is sung at the same tempo as "Why Shouldn't My Goose?" And they are the same length.

Okay, here's a check.

True or false? "You can't sing two songs together.

They'll clash and they won't sound musical at all." Is that true or is that false? Have a little think about it.

Is it possible to sing two songs together? And tell you what, in your classroom, point if you think it's true or point if you think it is false.

Let's find out if you're right.

It's false.

Two songs with tunes that work together can be sung together to the same steady beat.

Great news! Because here's another one.

This is "A Ram Sam Sam", and it's a song that comes from Morocco in Northwest Africa, and "A Ram Sam Sam" doesn't directly translate, but "guli guli guli" is "tell tell tell".

It's part of a longer song, but we're just going to use this bit.

Have a listen to how it goes.

(piano plays lively tune) ♪ Ready steady off we go ♪ ♪ A ram sam sam ♪ ♪ A ram sam sam ♪ ♪ Guli guli guli guli guli ♪ ♪ Ram sam sam ♪ ♪ A ram sam sam ♪ ♪ A ram sam sam ♪ ♪ Guli guli guli guli guli ♪ ♪ Ram sam sam ♪ ♪ A ram sam sam ♪ ♪ A ram sam sam ♪ ♪ Guli guli guli guli guli ♪ ♪ Ram sam sam ♪ ♪ A ram sam sam ♪ ♪ A ram sam sam ♪ ♪ Guli guli guli guli guli ♪ ♪ Ram sam sam ♪ <v ->Now you've heard it.

</v> I'd like you to listen again, and this time join in, singing the second time round.

Okay? Here comes the track again.

Be ready to join in the second time round.

I'll pop the track on now, and I'd like you to listen the first time, and join in singing, "Jolting up and down in a little red waggon" the second time.

Are you ready? Here comes the track.

(piano plays lively tune) ♪ Ready steady off we go ♪ ♪ Jolting up and down in a little red waggon ♪ ♪ Jolting up and down in a little red waggon ♪ ♪ Jolting up and down in a little red waggon ♪ ♪ Won't you be my partner ♪ ♪ Jolting up and down in a little red waggon ♪ ♪ Jolting up and down in a little red waggon ♪ ♪ Jolting up and down in a little red waggon ♪ ♪ Won't you be my partner ♪ <v ->Beautiful singing.

</v> Really well done.

We're now going to listen to "A Ram Sam Sam" and "Little Red Waggon" sung together as partner songs.

Now the reason they work together is because their tunes fit together musically.

Have a listen.

(piano plays lively tune) ♪ Ready steady off we go ♪ (singing both songs together) (both songs continue) <v ->Very nice!</v> So our job is to feel the steady pulse.

We're going to listen again, and this time you're going to tap the beat, and you have to keep the tempo steady.

We're not speeding up, okay? So just tapping gently on your knees, here comes the track again.

I would like you to tap and show me that you're feeling the steady pulse.

Here it comes.

(piano plays lively tune) ♪ Ready steady off we go ♪ (singing both songs together) (both songs continue) <v ->Well, you are fabulous.

</v> Really well done.

It's time for our final task of this lesson.

We're gonna sing "A Ram Sam Sam", and we just carry on singing it when "Little Red Waggon" starts, okay? So we'll pop the track on.

And your only job is to not be put off if someone else is singing "Little Red Waggon" on the track.

We're just continuing singing "A Ram Sam Sam", okay? Now, to be successful at that, you can tap the beat as you sing.

That might help you feel the pulse and keep in time.

Listen to each other to help you stay together.

And sing confidently, but not too loudly.

And you should just be able to hear that texture building.

Okay? So here comes the track.

Be ready to sing along.

Here it comes.

(piano plays lively tune) ♪ Ready steady off we go ♪ ♪ A ram sam sam ♪ ♪ A ram sam sam ♪ ♪ Guli guli guli guli guli ♪ ♪ Ram sam sam ♪ ♪ A ram sam sam ♪ ♪ A ram sam sam ♪ ♪ Guli guli guli guli guli ♪ ♪ Ram sam sam ♪ ("Little Red Waggon" comes in) (both songs continue together) (both songs continue) <v ->Fantastic!</v> If you managed to keep singing "A Ram Sam Sam" even when "Little Red Waggon" started, that's absolutely fantastic, and you are well on your way to mastering our final task, which is singing in two groups.

So one half of your class will begin by singing "Jolting up and down in a little red waggon", and the other half will be singing "A ram sam sam, a ram sam sam".

Okay? After you've done that, you can swap and sing the other song so you're confident in both.

All right? You're going to use the track because it gives us the tempo and the pitch, the tune that we're singing in.

And you'll hear that "ready, steady, off we go." That sets the tempo for you.

Both groups come in confidently.

Remember our success criteria.

We're singing confidently, but not too loudly, so that we can hear what's going on musically.

We can hear both parts and the track.

Okay? You're gonna pause the video now, and you are going to practise that a couple of times where you are, both times round, so each group ends up singing both songs.

Off you go.

Gosh, did you just have a go at singing two different songs at the same time? That's fantastic.

Well done.

I wonder what helped you to be successful.

Laura says, "Well, we tapped the beat, that helped us stay in time.

And we sang confidently, which helped us when the second song started." So for task one, they were tapping, and they kept singing their "Ram Sam Sam" even when "Little Red Waggon" started.

And then Lucas says, "Well, those two songs fitted together because they were the same length, and they were sung at the same steady beat." So if in your classroom, you didn't get quicker, you maintained that steady beat, and felt the pulse throughout, no doubt it sounded absolutely super.

Really well done.

And that's almost all we have time for for today.

So let's have a recap on what we've learned.

We know that two or more songs can fit together musically, and that we call them partner songs.

For partner songs to fit together, they should be sung at the same steady beat.

Feeling the pulse, that really helps each group stay together and enables the two songs to sound good together.

And lastly, layering up partner songs together is a way of building texture, making a thicker texture musically by adding more partner songs.

Really well done for today, and I cannot wait to see you for the next lesson.

Bye for now!.

I've finished the video