Y2. Lesson 25. Melodic canon
Prior learning: Canon
Duration: 30 minutes
Materials: Woodblocks or claves
Keywords: Beat, rhythm, singing, chanting, partners, rhymes, circle games.
Difficulty: 
Prepare
Present
Melodic canon
Practise
Inner hearing
A melodic canon is a musical composition or performance technique where two or more voices or instruments play the same melody but start at different times. The voices or instruments perform the melody in such a way that one begins the melody. After a specific interval (temporally or in the musical score), another voice or instrument plays the same melody, creating an overlapping and harmonious effect.
Melodic development
Students sing a classic song in canon.
- Explain that students will sing Baa Baa Blue Sheep.
- Lead the class in singing the song until secure.
- Divide the class into two groups.
- Explain that the song will be sung in canon, which means that both groups will sing but the second group will start at a different time.
- The first group should start singing.
- Lead the second group to follow after two measures.
- Closely monitor the results and offer gentle guidance to any students having difficulty.
Rhythmic development
Students clap a rhythm and discover the song's name.
- Students are seated and attentive.
- As in the previous lesson, project the graphic on the board.
- Ask students to clap the first rhythm pattern and ask for the song's name. [Are you sleeping]
- Lead the class in singing the song.
- Ask where the strong beats are found and for the metre [4].
- Repeat for the second song [Buttercup].
- Repeat for the third song [Candle Burning Bright].
- Repeat for the fourth song [Dinah].
Creative movement
Students enjoy this classic song and game.
- Choose two students to become the "gatekeepers." These children stand facing each other with their arms raised to form an arch, creating a "gate."
- The rest of the students form a line and walk under the arch while singing "Oranges and Lemons".
- As students walk under the arch, the gatekeepers lower their arms to "capture" one child by closing the arch at a specific point in the rhyme.
- The student caught in the arch becomes either an "orange" or a "lemon" for the next round.
- The game continues with the captured student joining the gatekeepers. They will help form the arch, and the remaining students continue to walk through and sing the rhyme.
Listening
Students use inner hearing to identify known songs.
- Students are seated and attentive.
- Begin by playing the first few bars of a known song on a tuned classroom percussion instrument, such as a glockenspiel.
- Choose a smile song to begin with, such as Snail Snail.
- Choose a student to identify the song.
- Once the song is correctly identified, ask the class to sing with you from the beginning.
- Repeat the procedure with another song, perhaps with increasing difficulty.
- These exercises are excellent in developing inner hearing.
Visual learning
Students revise their knowledge of symbols used in music.
- Students are seated and attentive.
- Project the graphic on the board.
- Explain to students that you will point to each symbol in turn and ask a volunteer to answer.
- Begin with the first symbol [crescendo]. Ask a student what the symbol means.
- If the answer is incorrect, choose another student.
- Give clues such as humming and getting louder as you open your arms vertically.
- Repeat, moving through each symbol in turn, canvassing answers.
- This is an excellent exercise for the revision of prior knowledge.
Instruments
Students discover how to play Ring O' Rosy on tuned percussion.
- Divide the class into two groups, one group will use glockenspiels and the other xylophones or similar instruments.
- Teach the melody of Ring O' Rosy 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 use a target phrase as an ostinato pattern.
- Lead everyone in singing Apple Tree until secure.
- Divide the class into two groups.
- One group will sing the song, and the other will sing an ostinato pattern using so and mi.
- For the ostinato group, practice until secure.
- Count the song in and have both groups sing.
- When secure, switch the groups over.
Assess
Suggested lessons
Y1. Beat II
Y1. Beat III
Y1. Beat IV