Tag Archives: percussion

Issue 126: More ideas for the Large Class – Rhythm cards

Posted on March 20, 2014 by

Teaching a noisy subject like music to a class of nearly 40 children crammed into a small classroom can be a complete nightmare. You can end up spending most of the lesson bellowing “I’m waiting for you to settle down … Continue reading →

Posted in Class Teaching, Percussion, The organised teacher | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Issue 119: La Volta

Posted on January 19, 2014 by

  The theme for this half term in one of my schools is “timbre”. So save my poor aching head from trying to remember too many lessons at too many schools with too many instruments, I’m kind of incorporating it … Continue reading →

Posted in Class Teaching, Listening Music, Recorders | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Issue 105: Rabbit run on the frozen ground

Posted on September 29, 2013 by

This is a great little children’s song from Kentucky. I first came across is in Jo McNally’s “Young Voiceworks” anthology – a resource I go back to time and time again (Warm up and Stomp Cannon, Star light, star bright, … Continue reading →

Posted in Clarinets, Djembe, Early Years, Keyboards, Percussion, Piano, Recorders, Resources, Samba | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Issue 55: Introducing Percussion to Early Years

Posted on September 7, 2012 by

First day back at school, and the first music lessons of the new school year. Last term, I was lucky enough to attend a workshop run by Sarah Hennessy at the Primary School’s Music Conference organised by West Sussex Music Services. She … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Years, The organised teacher | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Issue 37 Improvisation – Olympic Sports

Posted on May 5, 2012 by

Try creating musical sequences which describe different sports. You can use vocal sounds, body percussion, school percussion, or whatever instruments you are teaching. Here are some ideas; For example; rapid sounds on a woodblock – running rubbing your hand across … Continue reading →

Posted in Composition, Olympics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Issue 26: Partner Percussion

Posted on February 17, 2012 by

This is a video of a Memphis City Orff Music concert; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvpFgUMBiqQ from the Kodaly and Orff Music Teacher’s Blog; www.herdingcatsgeorge.blogspot.com In the front right hand corner of the stage, during a song near the end of the clip, there … Continue reading →

Posted in The organised teacher | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Issue 25: Drumkit Samba

Posted on February 11, 2012 by

This is a simple rhythm to teach, and surprisingly effective. If you don’t have a set of samba instruments, try it anyway; just substitute other percussion. The rhythm patterns repeat over 8 counts; Surdo (bass drums) plays on beats 1, 5 … Continue reading →

Posted in Samba, The organised teacher | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Issue 25: Mardi Gras – 21st February

Posted on February 11, 2012 by

In many countries “Pancake Day” is known as Mardi Gras; literally “Fat Tuesday”. It is the day before the period of fasting before Easter, called Lent. The idea is to use up all your meat, fat and eggs, which are … Continue reading →

Posted in Composition, Samba, The organised teacher | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment