Y2. Lesson 8. Trichord mi-re-do

By the end of this lesson, students will have:

Students demonstrate their knowledge of the solfa note re through singing and writing.

Prior learning: re

Duration: 30 minutes

Materials:

Keywords: Beat, rhythm, singing, chanting, partners, rhymes, circle games.

Difficulty:

Prepare

Present

Trichord mi-re-do

Practise

Students discover other known songs containing the trichord mi-re-do.

Questions

Students write the last phrase of Here Comes A Magpie in both stick and traditional notation.

Lead the class in singing Here Comes A Magpie.
Ask students to sing and clap the rhythm of the song.
Ask students to sing the time names of the last phrase after you.
Choose a student to write the stick notation for the last phrase on the board. Repeat with other students.
Choose a student to write the last phrase using stick notation.
Repeat with as many students as possible, time permitting.

Students sing and clap to the beat in this circle game.

Dr James Cuskelly and students of St Joseph's School, Stanthorpe.

Students form a circle with their arms raised as 'windows'.
A student is chosen to be the 'magpie' and will weave in and out of the students 'windows'.
Lead the class in singing the song.
On the words "take a little partner", the 'magpie' chooses a partner and spins around with them, holding hands.
The other students continue to sing and clap to the beat.
At the song's end, the process is repeated with a new student as the 'magpie'.

Students listen and respond to intervals.

Students are seated and attentive.
Explain that students will hear you sing two notes and tell you whether the interval is a skip or a step.
Use a tuning fork or classroom instrument to set the pitch accurately.
Begin by singing a so-mi interval. Students should copy you.
If the first solfa note was so, what was the second note?
Ask if there was a step or skip between them [skip].
Sing other intervals and repeat the process to include intervals from the five-note pentatonic scale.

Students use visual cues and discover where mi-re-do can be found on an instrument.

If you have a piano in your classroom, play mi-re-do in the key of C [for simplicity].
Explain that each of those notes moves by a step.
Have a xylophone or glockenspiel ready on your desk and play mi-re-do.

Students practice a classroom song on tuned percussion.

This arrangement is for two xylophones but can easily be adapted for glockenspiels or marimbas to take one of the parts if desired.
Divide the class into two groups, each with an instrument.
Teach the melody to the first group, demonstrating good mallet technique.
When secure teach the accompaniment.
Have both groups play together on your command and monitor students for timing and correct notes.
This exercise may take more than one learning period.

Students sing a known pentatonic song in canon.

Divide the class into two groups.
Explain that one group will sing Pumpkin Pumpkin, and the other will sing it in canon.
Conduct the first group, having set the starting pitch.
After one bar, lead the second group singing in canon.
When secure, swap the two groups over and repeat.