<h3>Our Friends' Names (rhythm, pitch)</h3><p>Everyone sits in a circle. The teacher 'sing-songs' the name of each child, and all the children sing it back. Next go round the group again, singing each name and, straight after the children have sung it back, clap the rhythm made by its syllables. The children clap the rhythm back:</p><ul><li>Jon-a-than (clap clap clap)</li><li>Andrew (clap clap)</li><li>Tom (clap)</li></ul>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

<h4>Roll the Ball Names (rhythm, pulse)</h4><p>You need a big, soft ball for this game. Practise name-singing and clapping until the children understand and can join in successfully. Next, everyone sits in circle. Roll the ball towards any child; everyone sing-songs that child's name and then claps it. The child rolls the ball back to you and you roll it to the next child. Aim to keep going with a steady pulse (no waiting in between rolls of the ball and no rushing) until every child has had a turn. </p>             

Roll the ball names (rhythm, pulse) - Video

<h3>Chrome Music Lab Names</h3><p>Chrome Music Lab is such a great introduction to music technology that you'll want to use it again and again - oh and you might let the children have a go too! In small, supervised groups, the children could experiment with Chrome Music Lab to invent their own name 'signature tune'. They need to be able to say, rhythmically, <em>My name is Flo-rence</em> (or whatever it is) then input that many blocks - five in this example. To save each name tune, click the SAVE tick (bottom, right corner) and then click DOWNLOAD WAV. Here's my name tune, to the words, <em>My name is Sandy</em>:</p>                                                                                                                                    

Chrome Music Lab names - Tune

<h3>My Chrome Music</h3><p>Chrome Music Lab is so simple to use and, amazingly, it's free! The children can create longer pieces of music which you can save as mp3 sound files like the one below. They can also download graphic scores of their music for you can save. You can even produce a conventional music score if you download the midi file. It took literally a few minutes to create this music: </p>                                                                                                                                    <h4>This is the graphic score for my music</h4>                                                                                                                                                <h4>Access Chrome Music Lab here: </h4><p><a href="https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/">https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/</a> then click on the first box.</p>                                                                                

My Chrome music - Tune

><h4>Put It All Away</h4><p>Always allow time for the <em>children</em> to tidy up. This can be fun if you teach a little tidying-up song. In this video I see that not everyone is singing to begin with - it was the first time the children had used these instruments and they were more fascinated by them than by the song - but they are still listening and learning, which is clear from the many times we subsequently used the put-it-all-away song.</p>       

Put it all away - Video

<h4>Time to Tidy Up!</h4><p>The children taught me the song they already knew about tidying up! The tune is catchy but actually it's quite a difficult one for children to pitch accurately so, if you choose this one, you'll need to spend a bit of time teaching it a line at a time using <em>First Me, Then You</em>. I made a recording (below the video) to help you to learn it.</p>              

Time to tidy up - Video

Time to tidy up - Song

<div class="img img_sml">        <img class="lazy_img" src="https://rippleeducation.blob.core.windows.net/media/Screen-Shot-2019-06-27-at-18.09.25.png" alt="Screen Shot 2019 06 27 At 18 09 25">    </div>                                                                <h3>Friends' Name Clapping Cards (rhythm, pulse, structure)</h3><h4>Clap a Name (rhythm)</h4><p>Beforehand, print out the Name Clapping Cards. First, practise - the teacher sing-songs and claps any child's name, then holds up the corresponding card with the right number of shapes while the children copy the clapped rhythm. (eg Sa-cha has two shapes, Jay has one).</p><p>If you have printed out a set of cards for each child, the next game is for you to clap the rhythm and for children to hold up the card they think goes with it. An alternative, should you be in circumstances where it is safe to do so, is to put one card in each corner of the room - the children go from corner to corner as you tap each name pattern on a drum.</p><h4>Name music (pulse, structure, tempo)</h4><p>You need a big space for this activity, such as a school hall. With the children divided into small groups, put a set of Name Clapping Cards out for each group, in a line, in any order. The children make up body percussion (actions-with-a-sound) to go with the number of shapes (Jump once for one, stamp twice for two, and so on). Repeat the pattern with a steady flow of sound, then try it quicker, then try slower.</p>                                                                <h3>Instrument Name Cards (rhythm, timbre, structure)</h3><p>I like to have interesting instruments if possible, such as the World Rhythm Pack made by <a href="https://www.percussionplus.co.uk/">Percussion Plus</a>. You need an untuned percussion instrument for every child so, if you don't have enough, home-made ones are fine, such as claves (which are actually just pieces of wood to hit together!). First explore the instrument names with the children, identifying those that have the same rhythm eg drum and claves (one syllable), chime bar and wood block (two syllables), tam-bou-rine and tri-an-gle (three syllables).</p><p>Now the children, in their groups, use instruments instead of body percussion. Each child plays their instrument in the order in which you put the cards. You will need a way of keeping the playing steady; it will sound much better if you say the words and keep a steady pulse yourself, on a drum. This is possible example of what a group of four might play first:</p><ul><li>claves = 1 sound</li><li>chime bar = 2 sounds</li><li>tam-bou-rine = 3 sounds</li><li>fin-ger cym-bals = 4 sounds</li></ul>                                                                <p>Then you can mix up the order of the cards. The children might play this instead and you can ask them which order they preferred:</p><ul><li>chime bar = 2 sounds</li><li>tam-bou-rine = 3 sounds</li><li>fin-ger cym-bals = 4 sounds</li><li>claves = 1 sound</li></ul>                                                                <h3>Two Bits of Advice for Using Instruments!</h3><h4>Minimise Sound levels</h4><p>Establish sensible sound levels - a whole class of children playing instruments can reach a decibel level loud enough to cause hearing damage. Have groups of children working either at different times or as far apart as the room allows - distance mimimises the effect of noise levels so use the school hall, if possible, for group instrumental work within a whole class situation.</p><h4>Put It All Away</h4><p>Always allow time for the <em>children</em> to tidy up. This can be fun if you teach a little tidying-up song. In this video I see that not everyone is singing to begin with - it was the first time the children had used these instruments and they were more fascinated by them than by the song - but they are still listening and learning, which is clear from the many times we subsequently used the put-it-all-away song.</p>                                                                <div class="video">    <div class="embed">                    <iframe class="lazy_embed" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/387256516?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;color=A2D6BD" allowfullscreen="">            </iframe>            </div></div>                                                                <h4>Time to Tidy Up!</h4><p>The children taught me the song they already knew about tidying up! The tune is catchy but actually it's quite a difficult one for children to pitch accurately so, if you choose this one, you'll need to spend a bit of time teaching it a line at a time using <em>First Me, Then You</em>. I made a recording (below the video) to help you to learn it.</p>                                                                <div class="video">    <div class="embed">                    <iframe class="lazy_embed" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/392672757?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;color=A2D6BD" allowfullscreen="">            </iframe>            </div></div>                                                                <audio class="lazy_av" controls="" controlslist="nodownload">    <source src="https://rippleeducation.blob.core.windows.net/media/time_to_tidy_up.mp3" type="audio/mp3"></source></audio>

Ourselves & Our Friends Level: Key Stage 1 - Creative music

Year 1

Year 2

Music

Our friends' names (rhythm, pitch) - Song

Music Playtime has been created by a Key Stage 1 and Early Years Music education specialist. The schemes are built in recognition of the fact that most primary teachers are not music specialists. Access the knowledge and the ideas you need to feel confident teaching music.