Saturday, November 10, 2012

Thanksgiving Speech-to-Melody Piece

All my classes are divided into four groups.  I can't tell you how well this works - they can make four small-group circle, four lines in front of the projector, or a four-sided square we mold into a circle.

So, it isn't a surprise that, when I wrote this Thanksgiving speech-to-melody piece, I wrote four parts.  I used a similar piece with my 2nd graders (using Mi, Sol, and La).  This one is Do pentatonic-based (of course) although there isn't a "Re" in the piece.  I use it for 3rd (we look at everything - the structure, the rhythms, the pitches on the staff, etc) and 4th/5th (review/just for fun and also a composition extension - I ask each group to come up with a new four-beat pattern for us to use).

I have a whole plan of action, but basically we chant the lyrics, add unpitched instruments (see below), sing the lyrics, then add pitched instruments (I use metalophones, they sound more "festive").

Line 1: hand drums
Line 2: jingle bells
Line 3: wood blocks
Line 4: rhythm sticks


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