Y1. Lesson 26. Ostinato
Prior learning: Rhythm
Duration: 30 minutes
Materials:
Keywords: Beat, rhythm, singing, chanting, partners, rhymes, circle games.
Difficulty: 
Prepare
Present
Ostinato
Practise
Barlines & duple metre
Melodic development
Students discover that an ostinato is a piece of music that is repeated over and over again.
- Students are seated and attentive.
- Invite students to sing Snail Snail.
- As they do so, sing the first two words as an ostinato.
- Ask students if they heard anything different.
- Ask students to repeat the song again if you do not receive the correct answer that you were singing the same words over and over.
- Divide the class in two. One half will sing the song, and the other will sing the ostinato of the first two notes.
- When finished, teach that the two words you sang over and over is called an ostinato.
An example of how this may sound is on the audio player. The song and ostinato pattern repeats twice.
Rhythmic development
Students discover an ostinato pattern to accompany Hot Cross Buns.
- Lead the class in singing Hot Cross Buns. Explain that students will clap a pattern as they sing, but this pattern is not the rhythm.
- Clap the ostinato pattern below as you sing the song.
- Ask the class to repeat this pattern by clapping as they sing.
- Explain that this pattern is repeated in the song and is called an ostinato. Clap the pattern once again.
- Repeat the song to reinforce the ostinato. Assess if students are clapping the correct pattern.
- Divide the class in two, and explain that one half will clap the ostinato pattern and the other half will clap the beat as they sing the song again.
- Extension: Have half the class clap the ostinato pattern and the other half clap the rhythm.
Creative movement
Students sing and keep the beat in this circle game.
Just from the kitchen, shoo-li-loo,
With a handful of biscuits, shoo-li-loo,
Please, [students name], shoo-li-loo,
Fly away over yonder, shoo-li-loo.
- Students form a circle.
- Lead the class in singing the song. There are several variations on this song (including a call-and-response).
- Choose a student on the third line and sing their name in the song.
- That student will then 'fly away' to the other end of the circle.
- The song repeats again, and another student is chosen on the third line.
- Dr James uses this opportunity to change the key by a semitone for each repetition. This unconsciously develops students' understanding of pitch.
Listening
Dr John Davis explains the two types of rhythm that some Indigenous Australians use.
Dr John Davis
Questions
- What is JD holding in his hands?
- What is the pattern for saltwater country?
- Play the video to the class. Tell students that Dr John Davis, or JD as he prefers to be called, speaks a few words of his native Barrungam Language to introduce himself.
- JD explains that Indigenous Australians acknowledge two different parts of the country. These are ‘freshwater’ country and ‘saltwater’ country.
- He explains the pattern for ‘freshwater’ is slow & constant because freshwater is largely in pools. The main source of freshwater is rain.
- The pattern for ‘saltwater’ is faster – heartbeat rhythm: II II II II
- This is a ‘saltwater’ pattern because the water flows faster – and is always tidal, and the movement is constant!
- When the video is finished, demonstrate the pattern for freshwater and saltwater country by clapping.
- Ask the class to repeat them with you.
Visual learning
Students investigate where the barlines and time signature are placed in two songs.
Questions
- What do barlines tell us?
- Why is there a 2 at the beginning of the song?
- Why is there a double barline at the end of a song?
- Students are seated and attentive.
- Project [full screen] the first score on the board.
- Sing the song using a neutral syllable and point to each note in turn,
- Ask the class to name the song.
- Students will then sing the song using the lyrics.
- Invite students to show the strong and weak beats. Mark the strong beats with an x.
- Ask students about the pattern of strong and weak beats [2] and choose a student to write 2 at the beginning of the song.
- Rub out the first x and replace it with a barline.
- Choose a student to mark the next barline. Continue till the end.
- Ask what happens at the end of the song. [double bar line]
- Choose a student to draw the double barline.
- Repeat with the next song.
Instruments
Students play I'm a Bear using marimbas and xylophones.
- Distribute glockenspiels and marimbas in your usual fashion. Substitutions for these instruments are perfectly acceptable.
- Begin by leading the class in singing the song.
- Teach the melody on the glockenspiel in two-bar phrases.
- When secure, teach the ostinato on the marimba.
- When secure, ask both sets of players to commence playing on your command.
- Conduct the song in duple metre.
- Assess each group for timing and accuracy of playing.
- Offer gentle guidance as required.
Part work
Students use creative body percussion and sing a classroom song.
- When students are familiar and confident with the song, introduce the accompanying body percussion movements to enhance engagement and learning.
- Sing the song and demonstrate the following actions in sync with the beat:
- "Naughty pussy cat": Students point at an imaginary cat using their index finger.
- "You are very fat": Students pat their tummies with their hands. [This line can be replaced with "You can catch a rat" to remove the word "fat" with its negative connotations.]
- "You have butter on your whiskers": Students pat their heads.
- "Naughty pussy cat": Students pat their knees.
- Maintain a steady beat and ensure each student accurately performs the movements.
- This activity promotes coordination and rhythm comprehension, adding kinesthetics to the learning experience.
Assess
Suggested lessons
Y1. Beat II
Y1. Beat III
Y1. Beat IV