Y1. Lesson 31. Indigenous music
Prior learning: None
Duration: 30 minutes
Materials:
Keywords: Beat, rhythm, singing, chanting, partners, rhymes, circle games.
Difficulty: 
Prepare
Present
Indigenous music
Practise
za
Melodic development
Students develop their rhythmic and inner hearing skills.
- This song develops melodic skills and audiation (inner hearing).
- The class can be seated or stand in a circle.
- Lead the class in singing the song.
- Explain that students will replace the letter in the word BINGO with claps. Every time they sing, the number of claps increases.
- 1. Replace the 'O' in 'B-I-N-G-O' with a clap.
- 2. Replace the 'G-O' with two claps (a clap for each letter).
- 3. Replace the 'N-G-O' with three claps (a clap for each letter)
- 4. Replace the 'I-N-G-O' with four claps (a clap for each letter).
- 5. Replace 'B-I-N-G-O' with five claps (a clap for each letter).
Questions
- What animal did the farmer have?
- What was its name?
Rhythmic development
Students continue to develop their understanding of a crotchet rest, za.
- Students are seated and attentive.
- Project the graphic.
- With students seated and attentive, sing Candle Burning Bright whilst pointing to the time names.
- Ask the class to sing with you.
- When finished, explain that they will now sing the song using time names only, including za.
- Ask a volunteer to come forward and point to the time names on the board.
- Have the class clap the rhythm and nod their heads on za. Ask what other movements could be made on za.
Questions
- What is the name for a beat of silence?
- What is the name of one sound on a beat?
- What is the name for two sounds on a beat?
- Do you think there could be more than two sounds on a beat?
Creative movement
Students listen and respond creatively to the sound of the didjeridoo.
- Students spread out across the room. Have the audio player ready!
- Explain to the class that they will hear the sounds of a didjeridoo and are to move their bodies expressively when the sounds are played.
- The first track is a didjeridoo sounding like a kookaburra.
- Ask students to pretend they are kookaburras and to move and flap their wings.
- Play the second and third tracks. Ask students to imagine what animal these sounds represent.
- This exercise is excellent for creative and imaginary play.
Listening
Students discover how a didgeridoo is played and its uses in Indigenous music.
Reproduced with permission from Zaine Davis.
Questions
- Apart from music, what else was a didjeridoo used for? [healing].
- Ask students if they think a didjeridoo is an easy instrument to play.
- Ask students what a didjeridoo is made from.
- Ask students if the didjeridoo sounds like any other instrument they have heard.
- Students are seated and attentive. Have the video ready to project on the board.
- Explain to the class that they will watch and listen to a video where they will discover how a didjeridoo can make sounds to represent native animals, such as a dingo and kangaroo.
- Play the video, and at the conclusion, ask students what they have discovered from the video.
- Ask students what their favourite sound was.
Visual learning
Students discover the shape and use of Indigenous instruments.
- Project the four images in the PDF.
- Ask how these instruments might be played.
- Explain that the didjeridoo is played by blowing in a special way and makes a variety of sounds.
- The bullroarer is a carved piece of wood connected to a cord and spun quickly over the head. It is only used on special occasions.
- Gum leaves are used by placing one between your two thumbs with your hands together and blowing.
- Clapsticks are made of wood and make a similar short sound to a clave.
Instruments
Students use untuned percussion to improve outback rhythms.
Questions
- What animals live in the outback?
- What sounds do they make?
- Distribute untuned percussion instruments in your usual fashion.
- Explain to students that they must pretend to be musicians in the outback or desert country.
- Play the background music from the audio player.
- Begin by setting a ti-ti, ta rhythm on a shaker; those students with shakers or egg beaters should follow you.
- Ask students with tambourines or claves to keep a steady beat as the rhythm continues.
- As the students continue playing, ask those with triangles to pretend they are desert animals and to add sounds whenever they like to show the movement of those animals.
- The intention here is to allow expressive play and imagination.
Part work
Students clap back teacher-led patterns, except for the one called 'catch me out."
- Students stand and are attentive.
- Project the "catch me out" graphic of a rhythm pattern on the board.
- Explain to the class that they are musical detectives and will clap back every pattern except a "catch me out pattern".
- Clap the "catch me out pattern".
- Clap any new four-bar rhythm, and then students should echo clap back.
- The intention is that students must always clap back after you except when you clap the "catch me out" rhythm.
- Any student who claps the "catch me out" pattern must sit down when you decide to clap that pattern.
Assess
Suggested lessons
Y1. Beat II
Y1. Beat III
Y1. Beat IV