Summary
Mix and match activities to create a fun lesson about playing in a band. Integrate Solfeg.io in teaching about basics of playing together and learning chords and rhythm.
🎲 What's included in these actvitites:
- Choose a song
- Listening and analyzing the song
- Singing along the song
- Learning an practicing the chords in the song
- Learning and practicing the rhythmic tracks in the song
- Reflecting
- Ideas for homework & further lessons (Beyond the lesson)
💻 Materials:
- Solfeg.io app best used with Chrome browser
- Projector or computer and access to WIFI
- Instruments, such as acoustic or electric guitar, bass guitar, ukulele, piano, drums, percussions
Explore
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
- Choose a song
🎶 Recommended Songs:
🎲 Activity:
- Explore the song library and see what will best suit your classroom needs. Rock, pop, folk? Find out what your students like, you’ll definitely find something that will spark their interest!
- Apply filters to find the most appropriate song, for example, select a suitable difficulty level and number of chords.
- You could start with one of the suggested songs - they contain only 2 chords!
Listen, speak, sing
🕐 Time: 15 min
🎯 Objectives:
- Listen and analyze the song
- Sing along the song
🎶 Recommended Songs:
🎲 Activity:
- Introduce the song. You can pick some facts from the song description.
- Listen to the song and have your students come up with one thing about the lyrics that speaks to them, or that they like.
- Practice first by speaking the lyrics in rhythm.
- Sing with the provided vocal track. You can also try it with instrumental tracks only!
Practice
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
- Learn to play the chords in the song
- Learn to play the rhythmic tracks in the song
🎶 Recommended Songs:
🎲 Activity:
- Divide up some of the instruments among your students. You will need:
Harmony section: guitar, ukulele and piano (at least one of them).
Rhythm players: hand drums, drumset, shakers, claves or other percussion instruments.
Bass line: bass guitar (optional).
Practice!
🕐 Time: 20 min
🎯 Objectives:
- Practice the chords in the song
- Practice the rhythmic tracks in the song
🎶 Recommended Songs:
🎲 Activity:
- Practice the harmony!
If students are not familiar with playing chords, you can divide the harmonic section in two groups (or more, if you have selected a song with more than two chords) and assign one chord to each group.
Let groups practice their assigned chord.
When they are ready, try playing along the song or a specific section from the song. Groups play chords alternately.
- Practice the bass!
Bass playing will be easy if you have selected 'Motivation' by Normani or 'The Git Up' by Blanco Brown. There are only two notes in the bass part and both are played on open strings - A and E.
Practice playing the bass line separately, then play along the song (optional).
- Practice the rhythm!
Divide the rhythm section to play different rhythm lines.
You can simplify the rhythm part and select only one or two lines to be played.
Practice the rhythm separately, then play along the song.
Reflection
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
- Reflect on the parts you have learned in this lesson
🎲 Activity:
- What chords/rhythms/notes have you learned?
- What was challenging in the lesson?
- Are you ready to put the different instrumental parts together?
Beyond the Lesson
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
- Solidify the material learned in this lesson
🎲 Activity:
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by...
- Practicing their instruments and parts;
- Playing along the song. For a bigger challenge, they could try muting the track of their instrument.
Summary
In this lesson, students will have their first experience of playing in a band. They will get to know some of the instruments, most commonly used in bands. Students will learn simple chords, as well as bass and rhythm lines and practice singing and playing along the song.
The timing and pacing of the exercises in this lesson plan example are approximate and will differ depending on your students' skill level. If the pace of this lesson plan is too fast for you, divide it into several lessons. If the pace of this lesson plan is too slow for you, explore the 'Beyond the lesson' chapter at the end of this lesson plan for additional activities.
⏰ Time: 50 min
🎓 Grades: 5-12
🎯 Objective(s): As a result of this lesson, students will be able to...
- Understand the role of different instruments in a band;
- Play simple chords, bass lines and rhythm.
💡 Required Prior Knowledge and Skills:
- Basic notation;
- Basic rhythm values.
💻 Materials:
- Solfeg.io web app best used with Chrome browser
- Projector or computer and access to WIFI
- Instruments, such as acoustic or electric guitar, bass guitar, ukulele, piano, drums, percussions
Song suggestions:
Inspire
🕐 5 min - Explore
- Explore the song library and see what will best suit your classroom needs. Rock, pop, folk? Find out what your students like, you’ll definitely find something that will spark their interest!
- Apply filters to find the most appropriate song, for example, select a suitable difficulty level and number of chords.
- You could start with one of the suggested songs - they contain only 2 chords!
Warm-Up
🕐 15 min - Listen, speak, sing
- Introduce the song. You can pick some facts from the song description.
- Listen to the song and have your students come up with one thing about the lyrics that speaks to them, or that they like.
- Practice first by speaking the lyrics in rhythm.
- Sing with the provided vocal track. You can also try it with instrumental tracks only!
Practice
🕐 5 min - Divide the instruments
- Divide up some of the instruments among your students. You will need:
Harmony section: guitar, ukulele and piano (at least one of them).
Rhythm players: hand drums, drumset, shakers, claves or other percussion instruments.
Bass line: bass guitar (optional).
🕐 20 min - Practice the parts
- Practice the harmony!
If students are not familiar with playing chords, you can divide the harmonic section in two groups (or more, if you have selected a song with more than two chords) and assign one chord to each group.
Let groups practice their assigned chord.
When they are ready, try playing along the song or a specific section from the song. Groups play chords alternately.
- Practice the bass!
Bass playing will be easy if you have selected 'Motivation' by Normani or 'The Git Up' by Blanco Brown. There are only two notes in the bass part and both are played on open strings - A and E.
Practice playing the bass line separately, then play along the song (optional).
- Practice the rhythm!
Divide the rhythm section to play different rhythm lines.
You can simplify the rhythm part and select only one or two lines to be played.
Practice the rhythm separately, then play along the song.
Reflection
🕐 5 min - Discuss
- What chords/rhythms/notes have you learned?
- What was challenging in the lesson?
- Are you ready to put the different instrumental parts together?
Beyond the Lesson
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by...
- Practicing their instruments and parts;
- Playing along the song. For a bigger challenge, they could try muting the track of their instrument.
Visual presentation
Summary
In this lesson, students will have their first experience of playing in a band. They will get to know some of the instruments, most commonly used in bands. Students will learn simple chords, as well as bass and rhythm lines and practice singing and playing along the song.
The timing and pacing of the exercises in this lesson plan example are approximate and will differ depending on your students' skill level. If the pace of this lesson plan is too fast for you, divide it into several lessons. If the pace of this lesson plan is too slow for you, explore the 'Beyond the lesson' chapter at the end of this lesson plan for additional activities.
⏰ Time: 50 min
🎓 Grades: 5-12
🎯 Objective(s): As a result of this lesson, students will be able to...
- Understand the role of different instruments in a band;
- Play simple chords, bass lines and rhythm.
💡 Required Prior Knowledge and Skills:
- Basic notation;
- Basic rhythm values.
💻 Materials:
- Solfeg.io web app best used with Chrome browser
- Projector or computer and access to WIFI
- Instruments, such as acoustic or electric guitar, bass guitar, ukulele, piano, drums, percussions
Song suggestions:
Inspire
🕐 5 min - Explore
- Explore the song library and see what will best suit your classroom needs. Rock, pop, folk? Find out what your students like, you’ll definitely find something that will spark their interest!
- Apply filters to find the most appropriate song, for example, select a suitable difficulty level and number of chords.
- You could start with one of the suggested songs - they contain only 2 chords!
Warm-Up
🕐 15 min - Listen, speak, sing
- Introduce the song. You can pick some facts from the song description.
- Listen to the song and have your students come up with one thing about the lyrics that speaks to them, or that they like.
- Practice first by speaking the lyrics in rhythm.
- Sing with the provided vocal track. You can also try it with instrumental tracks only!
Practice
🕐 5 min - Divide the instruments
- Divide up some of the instruments among your students. You will need:
Harmony section: guitar, ukulele and piano (at least one of them).
Rhythm players: hand drums, drumset, shakers, claves or other percussion instruments.
Bass line: bass guitar (optional).
🕐 20 min - Practice the parts
- Practice the harmony!
If students are not familiar with playing chords, you can divide the harmonic section in two groups (or more, if you have selected a song with more than two chords) and assign one chord to each group.
Let groups practice their assigned chord.
When they are ready, try playing along the song or a specific section from the song. Groups play chords alternately.
- Practice the bass!
Bass playing will be easy if you have selected 'Motivation' by Normani or 'The Git Up' by Blanco Brown. There are only two notes in the bass part and both are played on open strings - A and E.
Practice playing the bass line separately, then play along the song (optional).
- Practice the rhythm!
Divide the rhythm section to play different rhythm lines.
You can simplify the rhythm part and select only one or two lines to be played.
Practice the rhythm separately, then play along the song.
Reflection
🕐 5 min - Discuss
- What chords/rhythms/notes have you learned?
- What was challenging in the lesson?
- Are you ready to put the different instrumental parts together?
Beyond the Lesson
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by...
- Practicing their instruments and parts;
- Playing along the song. For a bigger challenge, they could try muting the track of their instrument.
Visual presentation
Summary
In this lesson, students will have their first experience of playing in a band. They will get to know some of the instruments, most commonly used in bands. Students will learn simple chords, as well as bass and rhythm lines and practice singing and playing along the song.
The timing and pacing of the exercises in this lesson plan example are approximate and will differ depending on your students' skill level. If the pace of this lesson plan is too fast for you, divide it into several lessons. If the pace of this lesson plan is too slow for you, explore the 'Beyond the lesson' chapter at the end of this lesson plan for additional activities.
⏰ Time: 50 min
🎓 Grades: 5-12
🎯 Objective(s): As a result of this lesson, students will be able to...
- Understand the role of different instruments in a band;
- Play simple chords, bass lines and rhythm.
💡 Required Prior Knowledge and Skills:
- Basic notation;
- Basic rhythm values.
💻 Materials:
- Solfeg.io web app best used with Chrome browser
- Projector or computer and access to WIFI
- Instruments, such as acoustic or electric guitar, bass guitar, ukulele, piano, drums, percussions
Song suggestions:
Inspire
🕐 5 min - Explore
- Explore the song library and see what will best suit your classroom needs. Rock, pop, folk? Find out what your students like, you’ll definitely find something that will spark their interest!
- Apply filters to find the most appropriate song, for example, select a suitable difficulty level and number of chords.
- You could start with one of the suggested songs - they contain only 2 chords!
Warm-Up
🕐 15 min - Listen, speak, sing
- Introduce the song. You can pick some facts from the song description.
- Listen to the song and have your students come up with one thing about the lyrics that speaks to them, or that they like.
- Practice first by speaking the lyrics in rhythm.
- Sing with the provided vocal track. You can also try it with instrumental tracks only!
Practice
🕐 5 min - Divide the instruments
- Divide up some of the instruments among your students. You will need:
Harmony section: guitar, ukulele and piano (at least one of them).
Rhythm players: hand drums, drumset, shakers, claves or other percussion instruments.
Bass line: bass guitar (optional).
🕐 20 min - Practice the parts
- Practice the harmony!
If students are not familiar with playing chords, you can divide the harmonic section in two groups (or more, if you have selected a song with more than two chords) and assign one chord to each group.
Let groups practice their assigned chord.
When they are ready, try playing along the song or a specific section from the song. Groups play chords alternately.
- Practice the bass!
Bass playing will be easy if you have selected 'Motivation' by Normani or 'The Git Up' by Blanco Brown. There are only two notes in the bass part and both are played on open strings - A and E.
Practice playing the bass line separately, then play along the song (optional).
- Practice the rhythm!
Divide the rhythm section to play different rhythm lines.
You can simplify the rhythm part and select only one or two lines to be played.
Practice the rhythm separately, then play along the song.
Reflection
🕐 5 min - Discuss
- What chords/rhythms/notes have you learned?
- What was challenging in the lesson?
- Are you ready to put the different instrumental parts together?
Beyond the Lesson
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by...
- Practicing their instruments and parts;
- Playing along the song. For a bigger challenge, they could try muting the track of their instrument.
Visual presentation
