Rocking the Rhythm

Tips: 

• The tempo/speed of songs can be adjusted by clicking the (-) symbol at the top of the player.
• You can adjust the volumes of the different instrument tracks for easy isolation. 

Song suggestions: Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye&Kimbra, Stand By Me by Ben E. King, Three Little Birds by Bob Marley, Shake It Off by Taylor Swift

Lesson starter: Get the students clapping their hands and tapping their feet right away. Play any of the suggested songs. Divide the class so one half stomps the eighth notes and the other half claps the quarter notes. 

15 mins: Assign beat-boxing sounds or body percussion to three groups of students and choose 2-4 measures in a song to focus on. Using the loop function, repeat a section, then teach and practice the rhythms. After students are able to produce the rhythms using sounds from the body,  it’s time to move to percussion instruments. 

Lesson plan: Divide the class into three groups. Each group has a different set of percussion instruments and a computer to practice their part in Solfeg.io. If there is only one computer in the classroom learn all three parts together and then assign each of the rhythm lines to the groups. Give time for them to practice their rhythm line together. Focusing on rhythmic accuracy/pulse. Once all three parts can play together, turn down all rhythm tracks in Solfeg.io and play the song with the rest of the virtual band. 

Hometasks: 

• Log into Solfeg.io at home and practice reading rhythms. 
• Play alone by combining all three rhythm lines. 
• Don’t have instruments at home? You can always use beat-box, clapping, download a free drum app or make your own drums! 
• Learn the rhythms for a new song

Goal aims: Playing melodies, bass lines, rhythms and chord progressions; Understanding different musical elements and building blocks; Personal musical expressions and performance; Playing in an ensemble and understanding ensemble music making; Sub-plans.

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