Tag Archives: pulse

Issue 39: Money – 7 beats in a bar

I guess everyone must know this, with its distinctive bass line. It came to mind the other day when I was teaching time signatures in a  Grade 5 theory lesson. The student said that they had had a long discussion … Continue reading

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Issue 33: Pease Pudding and London Bridge

I have made a start on my lesson planning for Wider Opportunities programmes for the coming term. I shall be using these two tunes in my keyboard, clarinet and treble recorder classes, to revise the notes that they already know … Continue reading

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Issue 27: Update on the first short samba course

Way back in September, I wrote an outline of a six-week samba “taster” course. Several months passed while the school sorted out all the administration around acquiring the samba kit, so the first course didn’t happen until this term. I … Continue reading

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Issue 26: Partner Percussion

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

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Issue 25: Drumkit Samba

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

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Issue 22: Don’t clap this one back

This is an incredibly simple little listening game, which quickly sorts out the classes that have learned focus and self discipline from those that have no idea! Keeping an internal pulse going all the time, the leader claps a four-beat … Continue reading

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Issue 19: Mega Whole-Class Singing Activity – Singing Playgrounds

On the website, www.singup.org, is a set of playground singing games called “Singing Playgrounds”, which is a wonderful resource for at least half a term’s work. At its simplest level, there are five songs to sing through, which all work … Continue reading

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Issue 13: Over the Garden Wall

Sometime during the Summer Term, 2007 So, the plan was to teach a class of thirty-two year 3 and 4 children some singing games. Sounded like fun – and it was. It was also chaos. I explained that we were going … Continue reading

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