Creating an ostinato to help us keep in time
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can create a rhythmic ostinato to help us keep in time together.
Key learning points
- An ostinato is a repeated musical pattern.
- Playing an ostinato to a strong beat can help us to sing and play in time together.
- We can create our own rhythmic ostinato to help us to keep in time together.
- We can combine different layers of sound to create texture, such as playing different ostinati at the same time.
Keywords
Pulse - the regular, steady heartbeat of the music
Beat - the playing or showing of the steady pulse, like the ticking of a clock
Rhythm - the pattern of notes that we play and sing
Ostinato - a repeating musical pattern
Texture - the layering of different musical sounds
Common misconception
An ostinato, like the rhythm of a song, changes throughout a piece of music.
An ostinato does have a rhythm, but this rhythm is repeated over and over again throughout a piece of music. The rhythm stays exactly the same.
Teacher tip
When pupils are playing ostinati, support them in whispering the words (either lyrics or, later in the lesson, "ta" "ta-di" etc) as they play. This helps them to play accurately and to feel the pulse. When splitting into parts, invite confident children to lead each team.
Equipment
Drums (enough for half the class to have one each or for a small team of 1-6 pupils), Claves (enough for half the class to have one pair each)
Licence
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