Tag Archives: pulse

Subdividing the Pulse – Movement

One of my piano teachers, the one that taught me through to my Teaching Diploma, was fanatical in demanding accuracy in subdividing the pulse. So much so, that when I heard a subway busker playing Bach on her flute, it … Continue reading

Posted in Class Teaching, Djembe, Lessons that have happened | Tagged , | Leave a comment

17/60 March to the Beat

I learned this activity at a training day earlier this week, and have been trying it out yesterday – three times! With year 1 (just 5 of them, as reception had already gone home), a year 3 and 4 class, … Continue reading

Posted in Class Teaching | Tagged , | Leave a comment

15/100 1,2,3 It’s Good to Be Me

Great song for Keystage 1 and Early Years; It is on www.singup.org, and also on youtube here, with words and signing; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igmU0b65WCU and here, as a backing track and words only; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYexa_3uFGc I haven’t tried signing properly it yet. I … Continue reading

Posted in Class Teaching, Early Years, Lessons that have happened, Percussion, Songs | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Issue 143: Grandma, Grandma – a complete samba lesson

The toughest class I teach at the moment is the very last one on a Friday afternoon. It doesn’t really matter which class, age group, instrument – I’m beginning to think that the problem lies in the words “Friday Afternoon”. … Continue reading

Posted in Samba | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Issue 104: The “Deda Robot” Game, and the “Cyborg” game

On the whole I try and post about things that anyone can do without having bought expensive CDs and books. I’m wary of encouraging people to buy a particular resource, especially when it costs around £30. However the ACBlack “Developing Music … Continue reading

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

Issue 100: An Octave of Boomwhackers

Last week, I posted on my cunning plan to add boomwhackers to two of my samba groups to allow for larger classes of around 40 children. I had some time to spare, and occupied myself with working out how to … Continue reading

Posted in Samba | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Issue 42: Help With Sight-Reading – Keeping the Pulse and Rhythm

I discovered early on – probably at about Grade 2 – that I couldn’t actually cope with counting numbers out loud “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and ” while trying to read and play handfuls of notes. I … Continue reading

Posted in Sight Reading | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Issue 40: Olympic and Jubilee Celebrations – The National Anthem

The school will be celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee with a playground party and the singing of the National Anthem. That gave me an idea; Resources; Enough copies of the National Anthem sheet below; all the pitched percussion you can lay … Continue reading

Posted in Lessons that have happened, Songs | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment