By Denise GagnéThemes & Variations

Teach Music Reading

with

Includes:• Teacher’s guide with songs, lead sheet, and teacher notes. • Projectable Boomwhacker notation with embedded audio.• Worksheets to teach, reinforce and assess music reading.• Accompaniment Tracks.

®

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Themes & VariationsBox 25109 Deer Park PO, Red Deer Alberta T4R 2M2

Email: tvinfo@telus.net Web Site: www.musicplay.ca Toll Free Phone or Fax: 1-888-562-4647Printed in Canada © 2014 Cover Design by Craig Cassils

ISBN Number: 978-1-927062-65-4

Teach Music Reading with Boomwhackers

by Denise Gagné

Introduction 21. Rhythm Challenge 1 q qr Q 3 2. Rhythm Challenge 2 q qr Q 43. Rhythm Game q qr Q 5Worksheet 1 - Staff 6Worksheet 2 - Letter Names 74. Let's Play CDEFG CDEFG 85. Practice CDEFG CDEFG 96. Mix Them Up! CDEFG 107. More Mix-ups! CDEFG 10 8.Step it up! CDEFG 11 9. Skip it! CDEFG 1110. Rhythm 3 h w H W 12 11. Jingle Bells CDEFG 1312. Introduce A DEFGA 1313. Jolly Old St Nicholas CD FGA 14 14. Twinkle Twinkle CDEFGGA 15 15. Whistle Daughter CDEFG 1516. Old Blue CDEFG 16 17. Oh When the Saints CDEFG 16 18. Go Tell Aunt Rhody CDEFG 17 9. Introduce B E GAB 1720. Scary B E GAB 1821. Rhythm Challenge 4 qttt 19 22. Rhythm Game qttt 2023. Biddy Biddy CDEFG 2124. Introduce High C C FG C’ 21 25. Liza Jane CDE GA C’ 2226. Rhythm Challenge 5 h. 3/4 2327. Morning CDE GA 24

Contents concept page CD28. Rhythm Challenge 6 qrt qtr 2529. Rhythm Game qrt qtr 2630. I’ve a Car CDE GA 2731. Kookaburra C EFGA 2732. Rhythm Challenge 7 e q e 2833. Rhythm Game e q e 2934. Funga Alafia CDE GA C’ 3035. Stella Ella E G A C’ 3036. Rhythm Challenge 8 q. e 3137. Ode to Joy CDEFG 3238. From the New World CDEFG 3339. Birch Tree DEFGA 3440. Hey Lidee CDEFG 3541. Soft Kitty CDEFG 3642. Frere Jacques CDEFGA 3643. Lightly Row CDEFG 3744. Rhythm Challenge 9 qrr 3845. One Bottle of Pop qrr 3846. This Old Man CDEFGA 3947. Shortnin Bread CDE GA 3948. Chatter With the Angels DE GAB 40 49. Ho Ho Watanay DE GAB 4150. This Little Light DE GAB 4151. Old Brass Wagon EFGAB 42 52. Sarasponda CDEFGA C’ 4353. Chumbara C scale 4454. Chopsticks C scale 4555. Chopsticks duet C scale 46 Compose Yourself 47Mad Minutes 1-2 48

Contents concept page CD

Permission to Reproduce: The teacher is permitted to reproduce the worksheet pages in this collection for the students in one school

Download Print Permission: The purchaser of this download ispermitted to print ONE copy only of this publication. No sharing of this copy or

the MP3s included is allowed under international copyright law.

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Teach Music Reading with BoomwhackersBoomwhackers® are light-weight, colored plastic tuned percussion tubes. They were invented by Craig Ramsell in 1995. You can purchase diatonic or pentatonic sets of tubes. To teach the songs in this collection, you’ll need 3-6 diatonic sets - C D E F G A B C’. The number of sets you’ll need depends on how many students you have in a class. The beginning songs use the notes C D E F G. If you have 20 students, you’ll need four sets. If you have 25 students, you’ll need five sets. If you have 30 students, you’ll need six sets.

Boomwhackers produce musical tones when struck together, on the floor, or against nearly any surface. When struck on the hand or the leg the sound is medium loud. When striking the Boomwhacker on the hand or leg try to find the “sweet spot” a quarter of the way down the tube. You will get good resonance when the Boomwhacker is held one quarter of the way along the tube and is struck about one quarter of the way along the other other end. When you hit a Boomwhacker flat on the floor the sound is quite loud. When one end of a Boomwhacker tube is covered with what the manufacturer calls an Octavator Cap, the pitch it produces is lowered by an octave.

Boomwhackers can be used as a rhythm instrument. If you use the pentatonic scale, C D E G A or D E G A B the tubes can be played all together to play rhythms without the sound being terribly dissonant.

Boomwhackers can be used in the same way that handbells are used as a melodic instrument. One player can play one or two notes of a melody. With four or five players, Boomwhackers can play melodies in the key of C. To play the melodies in this collection, it is recommended to have four sets for a class of 20, or 5-6 sets for a larger class.

Boomwhackers can also be played as a harmonic instrument. When you play three notes at the same time, a chord is produced. If the C E G notes are played at the same time, it creates the C chord. A set of projectables with chord charts is included for all the songs. To perform a song with the chord accompaniments, you need a large class or two classes. Have one class play the chords and the other class play the melody. The chords can play on every beat, or you could give the students a rhythm pattern to play the chords.

It is the goal of this collection to teach students to read rhythms, melodies and chords using Boomwhackers. The first exercises teach or review rhythms, starting with simple quarter note, eighth note patterns and progressing through more advanced rhythms and meters.

The note reading exercises and songs use four or five notes. When teaching recorder you can introduce one note at a time, but this doesn’t work with Boomwhackers. You’d need 20+ sets of tubes to be able to play one note songs, so C D E F G are all introduced at the same time. The first songs include the note names in the lyrics so you can sing along. Each of the exercises is given in the projectable twice. The first time the note names are on the note heads, and the second time the notes are colored with Boomwhacker colors. These hints will make it possible for even your weakest readers to participate and play along. If you have some students that need a greater challenge, give them two (or more) Boomwhackers so they have to play two (or more) notes. Songs are repeated to give the exercises a little more length and to provide extra practice for the students. Chumbara and Chopsticks are recorded slow-medium-fast to provide a challenge for the students and a more entertaining performance piece.

Reproducible worksheets and assessments are included in the collection so your students can practice reading, naming, and drawing notes.

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& .. ..

D. Gagne

© 2015 T&V

Rhythm Review 1: q qr

Jam Session - Improvise! D.C. al fine

Fine

1. Rhythm Challenge 1

Teaching Suggestions: The rhythm exercises are included to teach or review rhythms that will be used in this collection. Use pentatonic sets of Boomwhackers® when using them as rhythm instruments. Use CDE GA or DE GAB. If the students are learning the rhythms have them listen to the pattern and echo. If they are able to read the patterns, divide the class into two groups and have one group play the notated pattern and the second group echo. Switch.

Before you hand out Boomwhackers to your class, teach them this rule: “If you play before I say I’ll take your Boomwhacker away.” To keep management problems to a minimum, try to hand out the tubes as quickly as possible.

Copy Cat Game: When all the students have their tubes, tell them to copy what you do. Immediately lead the class in an exploration of how sound can be made on the tubes. You do the following until students have figured out your pattern, then change patterns.- hit the tube in your hand 16x - hit the tube on your leg 16x - tap the tube on the floor 16x - bang the tube flat down on the floor 8x - hit the tube twice in your hand and once on your leg, then rest q q q Q- play this rhythm in your hand, then on your leg q qr q Q- create new ways to play and have the students copy. There is a video of this activity in the Musicplay for Middle School Digital Resources.

SAMPLE

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3. Rhythm GameTeaching Suggestions: Choose one of the rhythm patterns that are given. Then, point to the note/colors that you want to play that rhythm. You can use word rhythms or time names to teach the rhythms. It is also possible to play CDE GA C together, and practice each of the rhythms four times. If there is more music than rhythms, start the rhythms again.

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Worksheet 1 Introducing the staff

Staff: Music is written on five lines called the staff.

Part A: Join the dots to make a 5-line staff.

Lines and spaces are numbered from the bottom to the top.

1 2 3 45

1 2 3 4

lines spaces

Part B: Draw notes on lines and in spaces.

space 2 line 4 space 1 line 1 space 4 line 3 space 3 line 2

Part C: Circle the higher note of each pair.

& œlower sounding notes higher sounding notes

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A high pitch is shown by placing the note higher on the staff.

A low pitch is shown by placing the note lower on the staff.SAMPLE

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Part B: Draw the following notes on the staff using whole notes.

A D E G C F A B D

Make a Hand Staff: Hold your hand in front of you with your fingers spread apart. Number your fingers 1-2-3-4-5 from the bottom to the top. That creates five lines, just as there are five lines on the staff. The spaces are found in between your fingers. Practice naming notes on your hand staff.

line 5

line 4

line 3line 2

line 1

Part A: Name the notes.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

The first seven letters of the alphabet are used to name notes in order: A B C D E F G After G is named, the letters are used again beginning

with A. In this collection we will use the notes C D E F G A B C.

C D E F G A B C

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Worksheet 2 Letter names

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4. Let's Play CDEFGTubes needed C D E F G1 bar intro

Teaching Suggestions: The lyrics of this song describe the note’s placement on the staff. Before playing the song, quiz the students on note placement. For example:- Which note is on the first line?- Which note has it’s own line?- Which note is found just under the staff?- Which note is in the first space?- Which note does the treble clef circle?

Have the students show where the notes are found on the “hand staff.”Sing the song showing the notes on the hand staff and then sing and play the song with Boomwhackers.®

Chords: Boomwhackers can play rhythms, harmonies and melodies. If you’d like to have the students play the harmonies for this song, project the chord projectable and have half your class play the chords and the other half the melody.

& cSoprano 1

1 measure intro.

œ œ œ œ œ œC is on its own line.

C

œ œ œ œ œ ŒD is just a bove.

G

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& œ œ œ œ œ œE is on the first line.

C

œ œ œ œ œ ŒF is in the space.

F

& œ œ œ œ œ œTre ble clef cir cles G.

C

œ œ œ œ œ ŒF is in the space.

F

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& œ œ œ œE E first line.

C

œ œ œ œD D un der.

G 7

œ œ œ œC C C has

C Fine

œ œ œŒ

its own line.-

& ..∑ ∑

1. Let’s Play CDEFG

D. Gagné

SAMPLE

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& cSoprano 1

2 measure intro. with pick-up.

œ œ œ ŒJin gle bells,

C

œ œ œ Œjin gle bells,

œ œ œ œjin gle all the

.˙ Œway.- - -

& œ œ œ œOh, what fun it

F

œ œ œ œ œis to ride in a

C

œ œ œ œone horse o pen

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˙ ˙sleigh.-

& œ œ œ ŒJin gle bells,

C

œ œ œ Œjin gle bells,

œ œ œ œjin gle all the

.˙ Œway.- - -

& œ œ œ œOh, what fun it

F

œ œ œ œ œis to ride in a

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œ œ œ œone horse o pen

G 7

wsleigh.

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10. Jingle Bells11. Jingle BellsTubes needed C D E F G2 bar intro

12. Introduce ATubes needed D E F G a2 bar intro

& cSoprano 1

2 measure intro.

œ œ œ œ œ œ œD is un der neath the staff.

D m

œ œ œ œ œ ŒE is on first line.

C

œ œ œ œ œ œF is in the first space.

D m

œ œ œ œ œ ŒG is se cond line.

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& œ œ œ œ œ œ œA is in the se cond space.

D m

œ œ œ ŒA A A

œ œ œ œ œG G G F F

C D m Fine

œ œ œ ŒE E D

C D m

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& ..∑ ∑

18. Introduce A

D. Gagné

Teaching Suggestions: Try playing the chords as well as the melody using the chords projectable.

SAMPLE

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22. Rhythm GameTeaching Suggestions: Choose one of the rhythm patterns that are given. Then, point to the note/colors that you want to play that rhythm. You can use word rhythms or time names to teach the rhythms. It is also possible to play CDE GA C together, and practice each of the rhythms four times. If there is more music than rhythms, start the rhythms again.

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& cSoprano 1

2 measures intro.

œ œ œ œ œ œ

Lit tle Red plays high C,

F

œ œ œ Œthird space C.

œ œ œ œ œBig Red plays mid dle

œŒ Œ Œ

C.- -

& ..œ œ œ œGreen plays G on

C 7

œ œ œ Œse cond line.

œ œ œ œFirst space F on

F Fine

œ œ œ Œse cond line.

2

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32. Introduce C’

D. Gagné

23. Biddy BiddyTubes needed C D E F G2 bar intro

Game Directions: Players sit in a circle with cupped hands outstretched. As the song is sung, one player goes from child to child pretending to drop the ring into each one’s fists. At the end of the song, the children (those who didn’t pretend to get the ring) try to guess who has the ring. The one who is correct, gets to drop the ring next time. You can also put the ring on a string and pass from one child to the next.

24. Introduce High CTubes needed c f g c'2 bar intro

& 42Soprano 1

4 measure intro.

œ œ œ œ œ œBid dy Bid dy hol' fas'

C

œ œ œ œlos' my gold ring,

œ œ œ œ œ œCar ry me to Lon don

G 7

œ œ œ œcome back a gain.

C

- - - - -

& œ œ œ œ œ œBid dy Bid dy hol' fas'

œ œ œ œmas ter gold ring,

œ œ œ œ œ œCar ry me to Lon don

G 7 Fine

œ œ œ œcome back a gain.

C

- - - - - -

& ..∑ ∑ ∑ ∑

15. Biddy Biddy

Teaching Suggestions: When you introduce a new note, reinforce the reading of the new note with the mad minutes found on page 48. Hand staff games are another really easy way to reinforce the reading of new notes. Start by pointing to the notes of the C scale. Then, call out a letter name of one of the notes in the C scale and have students point to it on their hand staff as quickly as they can. For C, specify if it’s high C or middle C. (For middle C, they’d point to a space below the staff; for low D, they would touch their pointer finger against the lowest finger of the hand staff.) Increase the speed as they improve so that they eventually develop instant recall of the notes of the C scale on the staff.

SAMPLE

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& .. ..

D. Gagne

© 2015 T&V

Rhythm Review 5: 3/4

Jam Session - Improvise! D.C. al fine

Fine

26. Rhythm Challenge 5

Teaching Suggestions: The rhythm exercises are included to teach or review rhythms that will be used in this collection. Use pentatonic sets of Boomwhackers when using them as rhythm instruments. Use CDE GA or DE GAB.

Copy Cat Game: When all the students have their tubes, tell them to copy what you do. Immediately lead the class in an exploration of how sound can be made on the tubes in ́√ meter. You do the following until students have figured out your pattern, then change patterns. - hit the tube in your hand 6x then hit the tube on your leg 6x (123, 123, 123, 123) repeat- tap the tube on your leg 6x, then bang the tube flat down on the floor 2x (123, 123, 123, 123) - create new ways to play in ́√ meter and have the students copyRepeat until the students are all “following” you.

SAMPLE

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27. MorningTubes needed C D e G a2 bar intro

Teaching Suggestions: In the publication “Listening Fun with Scarves and Tennis Balls” there is a wonderful movement activity choreographed to this piece. Visit www.musicplay.ca and search for Listening Fun for more information on this publication. The publication comes with a video so you can see children learning and doing the activity. This selection would sound lovely if played on melody bells instead of Boomwhackers.®

& 43Soprano 1

2 measures intro.

œ œ œ

C

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

& œ œ œ œ œ œ

G 7

.˙

C

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

& ..œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

G 7 Fine

.˙

C 2

22. Morning

Grieg was born in Norway in 1843. His mother was his first music teacher. Then he studied at the Leipzig Conservatory where he learned piano and musical theory. His music was romantic. He was a master of miniature musical forms. His music used the melodies and rhythms of Norway. This is called nationalism. Grieg worked to promote the music of Norway. In 1867 Grieg started the Norwegian Academy of Music. Because of his nationalistic style, the Norwegian government granted him an annual salary of 1600 crowns to help him write Norwegian music. His popularity throughout Europe increased and he was admired by such greats as Brahms and Tchaikovsky. Grieg was successful, but he was shy. He spent his later years away from public attention, though he continued to compose music. “Morning” is the theme of one of the movements of the Peer Gynt Suite. Grieg wrote this as incidental music for the play Peer Gynt by famous Norwegian author, Ibsen.Search for a performance of this work on YouTube.

Edvard Grieg1843-1907

SAMPLE

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55. Chopsticks DuetTubes needed c d e f g a c'

& 43Soprano 1 œ œ œœ œ œG 7

œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ

C

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G 7

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& œ œ œœ œ œ

C

œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œG 7

œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ

C

œ œ œœ œ œ

& œ œ œœ œ œ

G 7

œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ

C

œ Œ œœ œ ˙ œ˙ œ

G 7

˙ œ˙ œ

& .˙ .˙

C

œ œ œœ œ œ .˙ .˙

G 7

œ œ œœ œ œ .˙ .˙

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& ˙ œ˙ œG 7

˙ œ˙ œ .˙ .˙

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œ œ œœ œ œ ˙ œ˙ œF

˙ œ˙ œG 7

& .˙.˙

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œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œG 7

œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ

C

œ œ œœ œ œ

& œ œ œœ œ œ

G 7

œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ

C

œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œG 7

œ œ œœ œ œ

& œ œ œœ œ œ

C

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G 7

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C

.˙

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36. Chopsticks

4 bar intro

SAMPLE

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Compose yourself1. Use the beat chart to create an eight bar rhythm pattern in 4/4. Use only these notes: q qr Q . Write the rhythms under the hearts. Perform your rhythm for your teacher before writing your melody.

2. Use the following tubes: CDE GA or DE GAB. Experiment with different notes on each beat. (Don’t change notes on eighth notes.) If you use CDE GA your melody must end on C. If you use DE GAB your melody can end on E or G. Pencil the letter names under the rhythms. Try it out. If your group likes the way it sounds, keep it. If your group doesn’t like the way it sounds, change it.

3. Write your notes and rhythms on the musical staff. Each student should practice writing the song on the staff.

Composed by: ________________________

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