Y3. L16. Practise Low la,
Prior learning: None
Duration: 30 minutes
Materials: Recorders
Keywords: Beat, rhythm, singing, chanting, partners, rhymes, circle games.
Difficulty: 
Prepare
Present
Practise
Low la (la,)
Solfège assigns syllables to the notes of a scale, making it easier for students to recognise and reproduce musical intervals. In movable-do solfège, "la" is the sixth note of the major scale, and "low la" refers to the "la" that is one octave below the "do" (the tonic or the first note of the scale) of the current key. It is written as la, (with the comma).
The Curwen Hand Signs are a set of hand gestures used in music education, particularly in teaching sight-singing. John Curwen developed them in the 19th century as part of the Tonic Sol-fa method for teaching music reading. The Tonic Sol-fa method was an approach to teaching pitch and sight-singing. John Curwen's contribution with the hand signs was to provide a visual and physical way to represent musical notes and their relationships.
Each hand sign corresponds to a note in the scale, with the position and shape of the hand representing the pitch and its relative height. The signs are associated with the solfège syllables (Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Do), where each syllable represents a note in the scale. Using hand signs alongside these syllables helps singers internalise the pitch relationships within the scale, making it easier to understand and perform music accurately.
These hand signs provide a kinesthetic learning experience, allowing students to "feel" the music physically and hear it. This method is particularly effective for young learners and those who benefit from a more tactile or visual approach to music education. Music teachers using the Curwen Hand Signs report that it helps students with pitch recognition, memory, and understanding of musical intervals and scales.
Melodic development
Students add another song to their expanding repertoire, featuring low la,.
- Teach the song in a measure cadence, reminding students that the word 'long' is sung over two notes in every phrase of 'Hey Jim Along'.
- When secure, ask students where the lowest note is found in the song and on which word ['Jo' - in the word 'Josie'].
- Ask students what the solfa name of the note is [low la,].
- Using the second measure as the target phrase, sing the solfa notes re, re, do, low la, do and ask students to repeat after you.
- Students should then sing just the target phrase.
- Project the score and visually point out where low la, is to be found in the song.
Rhythmic development
Students identify a known classroom song from the rhythm alone.
- Clap the rhythm of Circle To The Left to the seated class.
- Students should clap along with you.
- Ask students to identify the song's name and sing it with you.
- Sing and clap the song in time names.
- Students should sing and clap the time names.
- Ask how often the name tikka-tikka (semiquavers or 16th notes) is to be found.
- Repeat the song and ask how many times ta and ti-ti appear.
Creative movement
Students sing, clap and move in this classic circle game.
- Students are in a circle and perform the movements indicated in the words.
- They clap, then shake, and finally join hands.
- A student is chosen to walk and stamp in time to the beat around the circle, and on the words 'cut the cake,' stop and make a soft chopping motion to the nearest two students whose hands are joined.
- The two students then walk swiftly in opposite directions around the circles, and the class pat themselves quickly to provide 'energy' to the two students.
- When you stop the game, it is repeated once more.
- See the video for details.
Listening
Students listen to another piece from carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens.
- Tell students they will listen to The Elephant, another short piece of music from The Carnival of the Animals.
- Play the track and ask the class to shut their eyes and imagine an enormous elephant walking.
- When finished, ask students which instruments they were hearing.
- Ask why the music makes us think of an elephant.
Visual learning
Students visualise the position of low la, using a fun graphic.
- Project the Solfa Street graphic with houses.
- The graphic illustrates Solfa Street, visually representing the solfa musical scale as a whimsical street where each house corresponds to a musical note that students are currently familiar with(do, re, mi, so, la). Their positions along the street denote their pitch relative to "do," with "low la" distinctively positioned at the bottom of the street, embodying the concept of musical notes being higher or lower in relation to "do."
- Explain that Solfa Street is similar to the solfa staircase, where the positions of the notes, whether higher or lower than do, are easily seen.
- Draw attention to the position of low la, currently at the bottom of the street.
- Students can be asked to draw their own houses on the appropriate lines corresponding to different musical notes.
- This activity further reinforces their understanding of the relationship between the positions of notes on the musical scale and their comparative heights, fostering a deeper connection with the concept through a personal and creative approach.
Instruments
Students discover how to play a well-known classroom song on the recorder.
- This lesson builds on students' prior learning with the notes B, A, G and D.
- Most students will be familiar with the song, and perhaps this is the first classroom song they will learn. They may be excited!
- As the melody will likely be familiar, the learning curve with this song should not be steep.
- Demonstrate how to play the song, drawing students' attention to the correct fingering and the use of gentle tonguing technique without squawking or overblowing.
- Have students play the song at a moderate tempo and monitor their performance, timing and technique.
Part work
Students clap an ostinato pattern to a song.
- Students may have recently learned this song, so it is presented again for use in an ostinato exercise.
- Clap the ostinato pattern ta, ta, ti-ti, ta and sing the song.
- Students should repeat the song and the ostinato with you.
- Repeat until secure, offering gentle guidance where necessary.
Assess
Suggested lessons
Y1. Beat II
Y1. Beat III
Y1. Beat IV