Y4. Lesson 14. Present triple metre and the dotted mimim
Prior learning: None
Duration: 30 minutes
Materials: Woodblocks or claves
Keywords: Beat, rhythm, singing, chanting, partners, rhymes, circle games.
Difficulty: 
Prepare
Present
triple metre
Practise
Triple metre (3/4 time), is often called "waltz time.' This signature has three beats per measure, with the crotchet or quarter note receiving one beat. Each measure is counted as "1, 2, 3.
Melodic development
Students investigate the melody of a known song.
- Lead the class in singing the first verse of the song.
- The learning intention is to discover the song's form.
- Measures 1 & 2 are called A.
- Measures 3 & 4 are called B [because they sound different from A]
- Measures 5 & 6 sound the same as 1 &2 so they are also called A.
- Measures 7 & 8 are different from A and B and are called C.
- Ask the form of the song [ABAC]
- Divide the class into groups A, B and C.
- Group A will sing only the part of the song named A. Ask how many times they will sing the first two measures [2]
- Group B and Group C will only sing once. Ask why.
- Conduct the three groups to sing the song as per the form ABAC.
Rhythmic development
Students are presented with triple metre.
- Students may be familiar with this song from earlier grades, sung in a game.
- Using a hand drum, demonstrate an ostinato pattern of a strong beat and two weak beats and count 1-2-3.
- Ask students if they can hear which of the three beats is strong [beat 1]
- Teach that this pattern of strong-weak-weak is called triple metre because triple means three, and there are three beats in a measure.
- Lead the class in singing the song and playing the strong-weak-weak ostinato pattern on the hand drum.
- Ask how many beats are on the last word [3].
- Teach that a note in triple time, lasting for three beats, is called a dotted minim and has a rhythm syllable of too-m.
Creative movement
Students dance to a YM original song and freeze on command to perform rhythms with body percussion.
- Have a hand drum ready, or print the rhythm flashcards concentrating on sy-co-pa.
- Students spread out across the room.
- Start by playing music from the player, and let the students dance freely in the space.
- At random intervals, stop the music, and students should freeze. When the music stops, either:
- Show a rhythm flashcard, and the students must clap, stomp, or perform the rhythm using body percussion.
- Play a rhythm on a drum, and the students must echo it using their bodies (e.g., clapping, patting, stomping, or jumping).
- After the students successfully perform the rhythm, restart the music, and the dance continues.
- The game continues with the music starting and stopping at different intervals, with new rhythms introduced each time.
Listening
Students listen to music in 3/4 and must discover the instruments.
- Each piece of music has one strong beat and two weak beats, which means it is in triple time (or 3-metre).
- Play the first track and ask students to listen for the strong and weak beats and to clap in time while counting 1 -2-3.
- Ask what instrument is being played [guitar]
- When secure, repeat with the next track.
- Ask what instrument is being played [cello] and what articulation is used [pizzicato]
- Ask the instrument's name on the third track [trombone]. Is there one instrument or two?
- Receiving a correct answer of two, ask if the music is monophonic [single part] or homophonic [more than one part]
Visual learning
Students discover the dotted minim [too-m] that lasts for a count of three beats in triple metre.
- Project the score. The concept of dotted notes may take several learning periods to establish fully.
- Teach that the number three is shown on this staff, which tells us that the music is in triple metre.
- On the first staff, three beats are shown here as three crotchets. Each crotchet has one beat. A crotchet has a rhythm syllable called ta.
- The second staff has a minim, which has a count of two beats. It has a rhythm syllable called too. So in triple metre, this staff shows a minim for two beats and a crotchet for one beat - which adds up to three.
- The last staff shows a minim with a dot next to it.
- This is called a dotted minim with a count of three beats.
- What does the dot mean? If a dot is next to a note, it adds an extra half to its length.
- Half of two is one, which gives the dotted minim a value of three beats.
- This dotted minim has a rhythm syllable of too-m.
Instruments
Students
Part work
Students use inner hearing to sing back rhythm syllables and clap.
- Use three target triple-metre songs, such as Oranges & Lemons, London Bridge and Cuckoo.
- Sing a phrase from one song; students should clap and sing the following phrase in rhythm syllables.
- This exercise is excellent for developing inner hearing.
- Repeat with another phrase from the song.
- Repeat with another song.
- Continue as time permits.
Assess
Suggested lessons
Y1. Beat II
Y1. Beat III
Y1. Beat IV