Y4. Lesson 3. Practise syncopation
Prior learning: None
Duration: 30 minutes
Materials: Woodblocks or claves
Keywords: Beat, rhythm, singing, chanting, partners, rhymes, circle games.
Difficulty: 
Prepare
la pentatonic scale
Present
Practise
Syncopation
Melodic development
Students discover a new syncopated song for repertoire that contains the la pentatonic scale.
- Sing the song to the class in your usual fashion and ask them to repeat each line after you.
- When secure, ask students to clap the rhythm of the first two measures.
- Ask if students recognise anything about the first two measures [three sounds on two beats].
- Ask students to name the rhythm syllable with three sounds on two beats [syn-co-pa].
- This song also prepares for the la pentatonic scale, which will be discussed in the following lesson.
Rhythmic development
Students reinforce their knowledge of syncopation.
- This video shows a syncopated rhythm in duple time.
- After playing the video, ask students what they have discovered.
- Ask the time signature [2/4] and how many beats in a measure [2].
- Ask how many sounds are in the first measure [3]
- Ask how many times the syncopa rhythm syllable is found in the song [4].
- Remind students that three uneven sounds over two beats, where the first is short, the second is long, and the third is short, are labelled syn-co-pa.
Creative movement
Students discover who has the button in this seated circle game.
- Students sit in a circle with one person sitting in the middle, who closes their eyes.
- Everyone sings the song.
- A button or other small object is passed around the circle as the song is sung.
- At the end, the student in the middle opens their eyes and has three guesses to find out who holds the button.
Listening
Students listen to five tracks to discover which feature syncopation.
- Play the first track and ask for a show of students if the music is syncopated. [Yes]
- Ask why they think the track is syncopated. Play it again and ask students to clap and say the rhythm syllable syn-co-pa.
- Remind students that syn-co-pa is three sounds over two beats.
- Play track two [Yes]
- Tracks three and four [No]
- Play track 5 [Yes]
Visual learning
Students clap the rhythm using flashcards.
- Print the flashcards (and laminate the flashcards for future use).
- Distribute the flashcards to students and ask them to study the rhythms indicated.
- Ask where the rhythm syllable syn-co-pa is found on each card.
- Choose a volunteer to clap the rhythm of one of the cards.
- Ask for a thumbs-up/thumbs-down from the class on the answer.
- Repeat with as many students as time permits.
- Refer to the diagram below to reinforce visual learning.
Instruments
Students
Part work
Students sing a known song in canon.
- Lead the class in singing Funga Alafia.
- Depending on class ability, divide into two, three or four groups in readiness for swinging in canon.
- The first group will sing at your prompt, and the second group will join after one measure.
- The third and fourth groups (if chosen) will join in at the third and fourth measures, respectively.
- The audio player gives an example of how this song works so well in canon.
Assess
Suggested lessons
Y1. Beat II
Y1. Beat III
Y1. Beat IV