Boomwhacker+Chords

Teacher: Terri Morin Date: March 3, 2009 Grade Level: 5th Grade General Music

Concept Skills: I, IV, V chords, intro to 12-bar blues

National Standards: Play instruments Can use this lesson as a foundation for lessons using the following standards: Improvise Compose/Arrange Read/Notate History/Culture

Behavioral Objectives: The students will be able to play a I, IV, V chord progression as a class, using boomwhackers. Materials: whiteboard and markers, diatonic boomwhackers, enough for each student to have one


 * Prior to teaching this lesson I took time with the students to practice recognizing I, IV, and V chords aurally. We first identified the I, IV, V chords we would hear (in a similar manner to the first step of this lesson) and then while listening to my guitar, the students first indicated when they heard the chords change, then the difference between I and IV chords, then the difference between I and V chords. This way they were aurally prepared for the following activity.

1. Have the students help you spell out a vertical C Major scale (on the whiteboard). Remind them that the solfege major scale can coincide with these notes, and write it on the board. Explain that some musicians use numbers to show the different elements of the scale, and write accordingly. Similarly, explain that musicians ALSO use Roman numerals to show the different pitches on the scale. Can mention that you’re writing the Roman numerals in capital or lowercase letters based on whether or not they’re major or minor, but no need to spend much time on that since it’s not the main focus. The four versions of the major scale listed on the board could look like this:

C do 1 I B ti 7 viio A la 6 vi G sol 5 V F fa 4 IV E mi 3 iii D re 2 ii C do 1 I

2. “For this activity, we will only be using three of these notes – C, F, and G. (erase all others).” 3. “Now we need to spell some chords. We get major chords by using 3rd‘s (“skips” if they don’t know intervals yet). Show how each (C, F, G) major triad is built and spell it out on the staff. 4. Pass out boomwhackers (so each student has one or even two). Hear members of C chord play one at a time (so, all C’s, then all E’s, etc) --- playing a steady beat, then hear the entire chord together. Do the same for F and G chords. 5. Then, play the following progression to a steady quarter note beat: (each chord symbol represents a measure in 4/4 time)

C C C C F F C C G F C

6. Keeping the same progression, add a new rhythm (we used: tom ti tom ti ti ta ti ta ta, which is actually a 2-measure rhythm)


 * If studying the blues and chromatic boomwhackers are available, add the 7th to each chord.

7. Have the students “invent” a new progression beginning and ending on C, or simply change the progression to something simple like C F C G (especially if the G’s get bored with the blues since they don’t play very much)

8. Can add on to this in later lessons by: - playing boomwhackers with a recording of the blues - playing the progression with other instruments, such as piano, guitar, or pitched/nonpitched percussion instruments in the classroom - have the students compose words to their own blues - could begin improvising (although limited to one note with boomwhackers, students could use keyboard percussion instruments) - in-depth study of the blues (history, etc.) - there are other boomwhacker arrangements available that students may enjoy. This can become a great tool for reading notes, playing instruments, rhythms, expanding on their knowledge of chords, etc.

//Terri, I really like this lesson. The blues is something that I know I never learned about in elementary school! I appreciate the layout and progression of this lesson. I especially like the "foundations for the following standards" because, as I have figured out, we might not hit every standard in every lesson, but spend more time on each one for longer periods of time. Your suggestions in parenthesees are very helpful as well and makes the lesson very easy to follow. I also like how you have ideas of how to continue the lesson at the end. This gives anybody reading this lesson more drive to make it their own. Another idea I have been thinking about was to teach a simple blues recorder melody first, then having the I,IV,V lesson then putting it together for the huge AH-HA moment! :) This lesson will really be different depending on your group of students, especially at this level when the level of note reading begins to differ so much with kids in orchestra, band, and piano. I think that we would need to strive to keep it simple enough that even the slower learners can come to understand. This may mean pre-selecting certian students for certian chords as you hand out the boomwhackers (at least the first day) and maybe letting a specific student play a rhythm instrument instead. Thanks for the great ideas! Carolyn//