3 simple song & canon activities for your music classroom
Comments Off on 3 simple song & canon activities for your music classroomRead on for ideas for how to use these simple songs & canons along with links to some great activities, available via the Music Teachers’ Digital Library (note, some are free, but others are only accessible with a subscription).
Speak Kind Words
Let’s have a look at a new take on an old classic—Speak Kind Words which uses the melody and rhythm of Hot Cross Buns.
Use the available audio, which is pre-recorded with me singing the song with the words, in solfa and in rhythm names.
You can also expand the activity possibilities with the ready-to-print flashcards.
Within the downloadable PDF you can how this song can be used to prepare or practice concepts. Give this tired tune some new life with the Speak Kind Words lyrics!
Movement Canon
I love teaching my students to sing canons.
Often this can lead to really fun and collaborative opportunities, as well as ratcheting up the challenging aspects of concepts for practice.
As a great entry point to canons, let’s start with Canon Hunting.
It’s a simple, four-part canon using only do re mi and so along with crotchets, quavers and crotchet rests.
Start your students off learning this one to get their heads around the concept of canon, before progressing onto a movement canon activity like this one.
- Divide the class into two separate circles, one in each half of the space or room.
- Students in the first group begin singing the canon and walking (on the beat) in a clockwise direction around the circle.
- When this first group/circle begin singing the second line of the canon (2.) the second group/circle begin singing the song in canon (from the beginning, 1.) while walking (on the beat) in a clockwise direction around the circle.
- When each group/circle finish the canon and begin singing it through again they change the direction they are walking in.
Watch The Water
Are you looking for a great way to practice so and triple metre or 3-4 time?
Well, I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for Watch The Water, even though I wrote it!
It comes with a flashcards set as well—perfect for practicing crotchets, quavers and crotchet rests and do re mi so —simple and engaging!
There’s also three lots of pre-recorded audio with this resource too, which is ideal for providing a pitch reference for students, or to help you out when you’ve got no voice left after a full day!
Let the Music Teacher’s Digital Library (MTDL) offer you many more simple songs & canons.
Happy exploring, everyone! – Deb
Comments are closed