Y3. Lesson 19. Quaver followed by two semiquavers [ti-tika]
Prior learning: None
Duration: 30 minutes
Materials: Woodblocks or claves
Keywords: Beat, rhythm, singing, chanting, partners, rhymes, circle games.
Difficulty: 
Prepare
Present
ti-tika
Practise
Melodic development
Students add a new song to their ever-expanding repertoire.
- Teach the song, line-by-line, in a measured cadence.
- When secure, have the class sing without you and gently guide any student with difficulty.
- Repeat, asking for another colour to replace the word purple.
- When secure, ask the class what the song is about. Is it a nonsense song?
- Ask if students have heard of a Witchety Grub and where they might be found.
Rhythmic development
Students discover the time name for a quaver followed by two semiquavers.
- Students are seated.
- Lead the class in singing the song and clapping the beat.
- Using the first measure as a target phrase, ask how many beats are present [2].
- Ask how many sounds are on the first beat [3] and whether the sounds are even or uneven [uneven].
- Clap and describe these sounds as long and short.
- Clap and say 'long, short, short'.
- Teach that when there are three sounds on a beat, the first is long, and the other two are short; the time name ti-tika is given.
- The class should clap and repeat the phrase ti-ti-ka several times.
- Sing and clap the time names of the first four measures, i.e., ti-tika, ti-ti, ti-ti, ta x 2.
- Students should repeat after you.
Creative movement
Students practice movement and audiation in this upbeat classroom song.
- Lead the class in singing the song as students form a circle.
- As they move, they sing and stamp to the beat.
- In the second part of the song, they stop and perform the following actions (or variations)
Actions
- 'honk honk' - push horn out in front twice
- 'rattle' - shake hands
- 'toot' - index finger on nose
- 'crash' - hand on forehead
- 'beep - pull ear lobe
Practice audition (keep actions)
1st time - sing the whole song
2nd time - leave out 'honk'
3rd time - leave out 'rattle'
4th time - leave out 'toot'
5th time - leave out 'crash'
6th time - leave out 'beep'
7th time - sing with all the words
Listening
Students listen and identify sounds with the time name ti-tika.
- Explain to students that they will hear some notes from different instruments.
- As musical detectives, they must discover whether each short piece of music contains the time name ti-tika.
- Students must discover the time name if the music does not contain that name.
- Play the first track. Ask if it contains ti-tika and which instrument is used.
- Repeat for the other four tracks.
- This is an excellent exercise for developing listening skills in rhythm.
Visual learning
Students use visual learning to write ti-tika.
- Project the simple graphic of ti-tika on the board.
- Ask students to copy the pattern of one long note and two shorter notes in their notebooks.
- Remind them they are writing a quaver attached to two semiquavers in traditional names.
- Project the phrase in the score and ask students to copy the pattern.
Instruments
Students discover a traditional German folk song.
- This lesson builds on students' prior learning with the notes B, A, G, C and D.
- This is a beautiful 19th-century German folk song.
- 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 sing and clap an ostinato pattern.
- Clap the pattern ta, ta, ti-ti ta and have the class repeat with you.
- Divide the class into two groups.
- One group will clap the ostinato pattern, and the other will sing.
- Lead the class in singing the song and clapping the ostinato.
- When secure, swap the two groups.
Assess
Suggested lessons
Y1. Beat II
Y1. Beat III
Y1. Beat IV