Playing a dotted rhythm major pentatonic melody
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can sing and play a major pentatonic melody that uses dotted rhythms (Ta-mi).
Key learning points
- The notes of the major pentatonic scale can be used to form melodies in folk songs.
- The notes of the major pentatonic scale are do, re, mi, so, la.
- Ta-mi is a one-beat rhythm pattern consisting of a longer duration note followed by a shorter duration note.
- The Ta-mi rhythm pattern has a slight galloping feel to it.
Keywords
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 tones, do, re, mi, so and la arranged in an ascending or descending order
Melody - a combination of notes to make a memorable tune
Common misconception
Ta-di and Ta-mi are the same because they both have two notes in one beat.
With the Ta-di rhythm both notes divide the beat equally in half. With Ta-mi, the notes are not distributed equally - the first is longer (¾ of a beat) and the second is shorter (¼ of a beat).
Teacher tip
Understanding the maths behind a rhythm doesn’t guarantee a pupil’s ability to perform the rhythm accurately. If pupils have had many opportunities to practise Ta and Ta-di then they are more likely to be able to grasp Ta-mi as they will feel and understand where the middle of the beat lies.
Equipment
Pitched percussion instruments that have the notes C, D, E, G and A. One-between-two would work well.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Why is it important to be able to play a steady beat?
Q2.A instrument is one played by striking, shaking or scraping.
Q3.Which statement is true?
Q4.Order the notes of the major pentatonic scale, from lowest to highest.
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.How many notes are there in a pentatonic scale?
Q2.What do we call this rhythm?
Q3.True or false? Ta-di and Ta-mi are the same rhythms.
Q4.List the notes of the major pentatonic scale in descending order (highest to lowest).
To help you plan your 3 music lesson on: Playing a dotted rhythm major pentatonic melody, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 3 music lesson on: Playing a dotted rhythm major pentatonic melody, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 music lessons from the Compose and Create: major pentatonic melodies unit, dive into the full primary music curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.