How to play the rhythm tracks of Riptide

Summary

Mix and match activities to create a fun lesson in which students will learn to play the rhythm tracks of the song “Riptide” by Vance Joy, exploring different percussion instruments and playing techniques.

💻 Materials:

• Solfeg.io web app best used with Chrome browser
• Projector or computer and access to WIFI
• Simple percussion instruments, such as shakers, maracas, guiros, tambourines, claves, wood blocks, hand drums, buckets, drumsticks etc.
• Alternatively, body percussion can be used

Dive into the song

🕐 Time: 5 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Get familiar with the song and its rhythm section
• Describe and reflect on different musical elements and their function

🎶 Recommended Songs:

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🎲 Activity:

• Open the song “Riptide”.
• Select “Notation” under “Tools” - “Visuals” on the right side of the screen.
• Click on the beginning of Chorus 1 on the timeline.
• Listen to Chorus 1.
• Discuss with students what you heard.

Do you know the song?

What is the genre/mood/tempo of this song?

What adjectives would you use to describe this song?

How would you describe the rhythm section of the song?

Get ready!

🕐 Time: 10 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Get familiar with a particular rhythm track
• Try different percussion instruments and choose a suitable one for a certain percussion track

🎶 Recommended Songs:

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🎲 Activity:

• Split students into 4 groups. Do it in a fun way, for example, invite students to draw a small object to determine the group - use sticks or buttons in four different colors or small cards with 4 different rhythmic values (half, quarter, eighth or sixteenth note).

Alternatively, you can invite students to choose a percussion instrument instead and assemble groups with similar instruments afterwards.

• Each group should have a computer or tablet with Google Chrome browser installed. Students should find “Riptide” in the Solfeg.io song library and open it on their devices. “Notation” should be selected under the menu “Tools” - “Visuals” on the right side of the screen.
• Assign one rhythm track to each group or let them choose.
• Invite each group to play Chorus 4 on their devices and listen to their rhythm track by soloing it under “Controls” - “Volume”.
• Invite each group to shortly discuss their rhythm track and what percussion instrument(s) would be the most suitable for it.
• Let students choose the percussion instruments for their rhythm tracks. Here are some suggestions:

1st rhythm track: shaker, maraca

2nd rhythm track: guiro, cabasa, tambourine

3rd rhythm track: small hand drums, bongos, claves, wood blocks

4th rhythm track: any bigger drums, buckets, drumsticks on a soft surface, cajon, conga, foot-stomping

• If you don't have enough percussion instruments for all the students, ask them to come up with suitable body percussion types or choose everyday objects to play the rhythm on!

Verse 1 & Verse 2

🕐 Time: 10 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Learn the rhythm of Verse 1 and Verse 2
• Play the rhythm part along to the song
• Collaborate in small groups

🎶 Recommended Songs:

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🎲 Activity:

• In this activity, students will work independently in groups. Each group should have one computer or tablet.
• Click on the beginning of Verse 1 on the timeline of the song player and listen to your rhythm track. You can solo it under “Controls” - “Volume”.
• Play Verse 1 again and try to play or clap along. You can loop Verse 1 by pressing 🔁 on the right side of the “Play” button.
• If the tempo is too fast, you can slow it down by pressing the “﹣” button up to 4 times on the left side of the “Play” button.
• When you're comfortable with the slower tempo, you can try playing the verse at a faster speed and try to reach the original speed!
• Now, move on to Verse 2! Listen to it once and discuss whether there are any differences between it and Verse 1.
• Play along Verse 2 until you're feeling comfortable with your rhythm track.
• You can try muting your rhythm track and playing it along to the full band or the other three rhythm tracks.

Chorus

🕐 Time: 10 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Learn the rhythm of the chorus
• Play the rhythm part along to the song
• Collaborate in small groups

🎶 Recommended Songs:

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🎲 Activity:

• In this activity, students will continue to work independently in groups. Each group should have one computer or tablet. Guide them through the step-by-step process
• Click on the beginning of Chorus 1 on the timeline of the song player and listen to your rhythm track. You can solo it under “Controls” - “Volume”.
• Play Chorus 1 again and try to play or clap along. You can loop it by pressing 🔁 on the right side of the “Play” button.
• If the tempo is too fast, you can slow it down by pressing the “﹣” button up to 4 times on the left side of the “Play” button.
• When you're comfortable with the slower tempo, you can try playing the verse at a faster speed and try to reach the original speed!
• Now, move on to Chorus 2! Listen to it once and discuss whether there are any differences between it and Chorus 1.
• Play along Chorus 2 until you're feeling comfortable with your rhythm track.
• Repeat the actions with Chorus 3 and Chorus 4.

Bridge

🕐 Time: 8 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Learn the rhythm of the bridge
• Play the rhythm part along to the song
• Collaborate in small groups

🎶 Recommended Songs:

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🎲 Activity:

• Time to learn the last remaining part - the bridge. Do it step by step just like the previous sections!

Put it all together!

🕐 Time: 5 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Play different rhythm tracks at the same time
• Play the rhythm part along to the song

🎶 Recommended Songs:

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🎲 Activity:

• Explain to students that in the next activity groups will play together and combine different rhythm tracks.
• Select a song section students like the most and loop it in the song player.
• Select two groups (for example, the 1st and the 3rd) to play the section together.
• On each repeat, select different groups.
• When students have practiced combining two or three groups a few times, invite all four groups to play together!
• Mute the rhythm tracks in the song player and invite all four groups to play along to the song.

Performance

🕐 Time: 5 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Play different rhythm tracks at the same time
• Play the rhythm part along to the song

🎶 Recommended Songs:

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🎲 Activity:

• Invite all four groups to play the whole song together!
• You can also invite several groups of 4 students to choose a section of the song and perform it one after another.
• If the class is ready for a challenge, you can mute the rhythm tracks - all four or just selected ones.

Reflection

🕐 Time: 5 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Reflect on the learning process

🎲 Activity:

• Ask these questions to the class and have a short discussion

What was the most challenging/ fun part of the lesson?

What were the differences between your rhythm track and the other three?

Homework assignment

🕐 Time: 3 min

🎯 Objectives:

• Practice the rhythm track students learned in the class
• Consolidate the concepts learned in the class
• Encourage independent music making

🎲 Activity:

Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by…

• Practicing their part at home by playing along to the song with their assigned  rhythm track muted
• Learning another rhythm track.

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