Y4. Lesson 2. Present syncopation

Students are presented with the term syncopation and discover how it sounds and is notated.

By the end of this lesson, students will have:

Discovered how to recognise syncopation in a known song and express this through singing and visually.

Prior learning: None

Duration: 30 minutes

Materials: Woodblocks or claves

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

Difficulty:

Prepare

Present

Syncopation

Practise

Students discover a new syncopated song for repertoire.

Lead the class by singing the song two lines at a time.
When secure, ask students if there is anything new about the first measure [the first three sounds occupy two beats].
Ask where they have heard this rhythm before [L'il Liza Jane].
Teach that three sounds over two beats, where the pattern is short/long/short, have a rhythm name.
This rhythm name is called syn-co-pa [also called ti ta ti].
Lead the class in clapping the rhythm as you sing the first two lines.
Remind students that syncopation is the word used in music that describes this jerky rhythm.

Students practise a new song featuring syncopation.

Play the video to the class using full screen.
Play it a second time and ask what the yellow highlighted circles indicate [syn-co-pa]
Ask students to sing along with the video and keep the beat on their feet.
When secure, ask them to clap the rhythm as they sing.
Remind students that three sounds on two beats, with the second sound being the longest, have the rhythm name syn-co-pa.

Students use body movements as they sing.

For fun, ask students to pretend they are dancers from Africa.
Students form a circle. Lead the class in singing the song.
When secure, students will perform the following actions
Funga: Hands on top of head.
Alafia: Arms outstretched, palms up.
Ashay: Hands to either side of the mouth.
Ashay: Arms outstretched towards the audience, palms up.
Funga: Hands over their heart.
Alafia: Arms outstretched towards the audience, palms up
Ashay: Right arm outwards, palm up; their left hand sweeps along the right arm from wrist to elbow
Ashay: Left arm outward, palm up; their right hand sweeps along the left arm from wrist to elbow.
This song has a syncopated rhythm, so it is a good choice to continue the learning attention.

Students listen and watch a demonstration of syncopation.

Play the video of Funga Alafia.
Ask students the time signature [quadruple time or 4/4]
Ask how many beats in one measure [4]
In the first measure, there are two notes, each with one beat. Ask the time name for these notes [ta]
In the first measure, ask how many red notes are over the other two beats [3]
Teach that the notes in red are syncopated and have the rhythm syllable name syn-co-pa.

Students discover stick notation for syn-co-pa.

Project or draw the image and ask students to copy the hearts and rhythm syllables.
Ask what the green lines represent [beats]
Ask how many beats are shown [4]
Ask how many sounds are shown in the first two beats [three]
Ask what syllables are in those three sounds [ti, ta and ti]
Ask what new rhythm syllable has three sounds on two beats [syncopa]
Ask where this pattern of sounds happens. From which song and where? [L'il Liza Jane]