Playing a melodic ostinato and singing simultaneously
Copyrighted materials: to view and download resources from this lesson, you’ll need to be in the UK and
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can play a melodic ostinato whilst singing at the same time.
Key learning points
- An effective ostinato can be played on two or three notes.
- Feeling the steady pulse helps us to play and sing in time together.
- knowing each part really well helps us to play and sing them simultaneously.
- With practice, we can sing a different tune to what we’re playing.
Keywords
Simultaneously - at the same time
Pulse - the regular steady heartbeat of the music
Ostinato - a repeating musical pattern that can be rhythmic or melodic
Tempo - the speed of the music - how fast or slow the music is played
Conductor - a person who directs the performance of an ensemble
Common misconception
We play the same tune as what we're singing.
A melodic ostinato can add more interest to the overall sound and, with practice, we can play a different tune to the one we're singing.
Teacher tip
This lesson builds gently, allowing pupils to sing whilst playing just one note, then two notes, and lastly three notes. Allow time for pupils to master each stage before moving on. Working in pairs is good as it allows the non-player to tap the steady pulse. Then pupils can swap over.
Equipment
A set of barred instruments eg xylophones/ glockenspiels (1 between 2 is fine) -boomwhackers/ sound tubes could also be used. Low sounds such as low chime bars or bass xylophones work well for drones.
Licence
Sign in to continue
Our content remains 100% free, but to access certain copyrighted materials, you'll need to sign in. This ensures we’re both staying within the rules.
P.S. Signing in also gives you more ways to make the most of Oak like unit downloads!
