Y2. Lesson 11. Practice texture
Prior learning: Texture
Duration: 30 minutes
Materials:
Keywords: Beat, rhythm, singing, chanting, partners, rhymes, circle games.
Difficulty: 
Prepare
Sixteenth notes
Present
Practise
Texture
Melodic development
Students discover the difference between melody and accompaniment.
- Teach that melody is the tune that you hear. In a song with words, it will be the notes that the words are sung to.
- Teach that the accompaniment is the music underneath. The accompaniment music might have only one layer, or it might have many.
- Play the first track on the audio player.
- Ask students if the singing is the melody or the accompaniment. Is there one layer or more than one layer?
- Play the second track. Here, the singer is accompanied by a piano. Ask if there is one layer or more than one.
- The third track has the singer, piano and strings.
- Ask if this track has one layer or more than one layer. Is there an accompaniment to the singer?
Rhythmic development
Students use body percussion to practice ta & ti-ti.
Dr James Cuskelly and students of St Joseph's School, Stanthorpe.
- Students are seated and attentive.
- Explain that the class will sing Bluebells using the time names ta and ti-ti.
- Students will put ta on their shoulders and ti-ti on (for example) their noses, as in the video.
- Choose a student to come forward but facing away from the class to sing and perform the rhythm patterns as described.
- Lead the class in singing the song and monitor the chosen students' performance.
- When finished, choose another student to take their place and repeat the process.
Creative movement
Students are unconsciously introduced to sixteenth notes in this body percussion circle game.
- Students form a circle, facing towards the centre.
- One student patrols around the inner part of the circle, facing the rest of the students.
- For "No-one in the" students tap out the rhythm on their knees.
- For "house but", students perform a rhythmic clap.
- For "Dinah, Dinah", the student in the middle and the student they are facing clap their right hands together, then clap their own hands, followed by clapping their left hands together and their own hands (similar to the pat-a-cake hand motion).
- The other students continue clapping the rhythm.
- Repeat the above actions for each phrase of the song. After each phrase, the student in the middle takes a step to their right, clapping with a different student each time (a total of four different students, one for each phrase).
- At the conclusion of the song, the student at the centre of the circle exchanges places with the student whose hands they last clapped.
Listening
Students listen to intervals to determine the solfa.
- Play the first audio track, containing the so-mi interval [C scale]
- Students should sing both notes of the interval using a neutral syllable.
- Ask if the first note is so, what is the second note [mi]
- Ask students to sing the so-mi interval.
- Repeat the process with the other tracks.
Visual learning
Students use rhythm syllables to decipher a series pf patterns.
- Project the rhythm syllables on the board [toggle fullscreen]
- Explain to the class that they will read the first line (in yellow) using the rhythm syllables of ta, ti-ti and too.
- Choose a student to say and point to the first line when secure.
- Repeat with the next three lines in turn.
Instruments
Students play Lucy Lockett on tuned percussion.
- Divide the class into two groups, one group will use glockenspiels and the other marimbas or similar instruments.
- Teach the melody of Lucy Lockett to the first group, using a good mallet technique.
- When secure, teach the accompaniment to the second group.
- When secure, lead both groups to play together and conduct whilst monitoring class progress.
- This exercise may take more than one learning period to master.
Part work
Students practice l-s-m using arm movements or hand signs.
Dr James Cuskelly and students of St Joseph's School, Stanthorpe.
- Students are seated and attentive.
- Lead the class in singing Lucy Locket, showing the notes as hand signs or just a pointed finger at the head, shoulders and lap.
- Students should copy you as they sing.
- Choose individual students to come forward to sing and use arm movements along with the class.
- Repeat with other students as time permits.
Students section
Assess
Suggested lessons
Y1. Beat II
Y1. Beat III
Y1. Beat IV