This 35 page Samba book covers how to teach, learn and lead Samba. From reading music notation (rhythm) to piecing together your first performance. Each piece has a different theme and gives you the freedom to make your own version.
10 Samba Pieces
10 Songs for Samba
10 Warm-up Ideas
10 Call & Responses
10 Breaks
5 Audio Examples
5 Ready-Made Lessons [PDF]
5 Music Games
4 Pages of alternative rhythms
3 Pages of Grid Method rhythms
3 Templates for making your own
1 Print-out Poster [rhythm circle]
NOTE: Make sure you install all the fonts after unzipping the fonts.zip folder to ensure that all Powerpoints look as intended/created. If you have any issues with any files (or would like the PowerPoint versions) then please contact me through Sticks, Keys & Frets: Teaching Resources on Facebook.
I use this to introduce the boomwhackers to primary and secondary pupils. There is 2+ lessons worth of material covering scale, chords, melody and rhythm. 3 songs are used throughout the lessons and everything is colour-coded to match the Boomwhackers.
Songs are from The Sound of Music, The Ramones and Journey.
Having had issues with Powerpoints being the same on every computer, I’ve moved to PDFs (as all school computers should realistically have Adobe). Saves installing fonts and having pieces missing from the presentation. Works just like a Powerpoint just in a different program.
The 5 pieces included here are:
1. Snow White - Heigh Ho
2. Lion King - In The Jungle
3. Bare Necessities - Jungle Book
4. Do You Want To Build A Snowman? - Frozen
5. Under The Sea - The Little Mermaid
I use these alongside games, singing the songs, using solfege (do-re-mi) as well as teach pupils to read notation so that by the time they get to ‘Under The Sea’ they can work out the colours needed.
Also included is a Powerpoint file which has the pieces broken down in to chunks (chords and melody).
NOTE: Make sure to install the fonts included to ensure the ppt. file looks as created.
Includes 2 introduction lessons and then 5 songs to play. Intended for half/full term. Clear colour coding, instructions and design. Aimed at usage with KS2-3 pupils. Keep in mind, these are not the full songs, however, if you change the lyrics for each verse you can repeat what you need to play it.
Bon Jovi - Living On A Prayer
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Queen - We Are The Champion
The Ramones - Blitzkreig Bop
Journey - Don’t Stop Believing
This is also part of a bundle with 10 other Pop and Film songs.
FONT: If using the PowerPoint Presentation and not the PDF then you may need to install the fonts inside the .zip file provided
CONTENT:
7 weeks of lessons for a medium ability KS2 class, though it could even be used as entry level for KS3. Powerpoints include a handful of games, warm ups, rhythms, breaks, hand signs, etc. I usually deliver these lessons in around 30-40minutes but I still try to spend time improving timing and playing to a pulse even by the end of the year. I use both the Apito whistle and the animations available in Powerpoint to have 4 Apito whistles appear on the screen to add a visual element (a wireless presenter is handy).
MAKE SURE YOU INSTAL THE FONTS
NOTES:
The rests on the Surdo part are meant to be played with a bare hand. Ganza shakers are usually encouraged to make a < shape going up, back to the chest, down, back up to the chest (repeat). For the Tamborims I tend to get them to try an 'on/off' pattern similar to the Agogos adding + for closed on beat 1 + 3 and o for open on beats 2+4. I normally tell Agogo players to put their hand out as if they are shaking someone's hand but in this case the handle of the Agogo. From there I get them to make sure they are keeping close to the instrument and playing using their wrist. I said this goes for all other instruments too.
For more, see my KS2-KS3 Samba book.
Simply open like a PowerPoint presentation, have a go through it yourself first so you can see what actions are triggered when and how.
#1 Rhythm Shoot-Out - Pupils hear a rhythm, the first to shout 'BANG!' and give the correct answer gets a point. If they guess wrong, the other person gets a chance to guess.
#2 What's Behind The Door - Students have to play the rhythm "What's behind the door?" first then the rhythm they are presented with on screen.
#3 Music Monopoly - 4 teams navigate a maze to collect points by answering questions, playing rhythms and taking chances. Print out Characters on final slide.
#4 Musical Stairs - Teams have to follow the beat of a rhythm and tell you what beat you were on when you stop. Guide rhythm to follow.
NOTE: make sure to install the fonts in the .zip file otherwise the games won't look as intended and created.
Perfect for guitar, keyboard or ukulele! 30 pop and rock songs ranging from the 1950s to modern day. All songs have been shortened to mostly the beginning to just after the first verse. Most songs have also had their key changed. If this doesn’t mean anything to you, it means that it will be at the wrong pitch to the original version to make it easier to play.
KEYBOARD, GUITAR, UKULELE, BASS
USING C F Am G in different orders. Songs have been transposed to suit the purpose of the learning, focusing on moving between those four shapes. On one occasion, you move to the G chord for one beat which is a great challenge for kids!
Drums can easily be added and then used in a band setting so have also added a sheet of 4 drum beats to of varying difficulty.
Enjoy!
This set of lessons guides pupils through learning 1, 2 & 3 fingered chords along with songs, games, activities, strumming patterns / rhythms, tied together with learning objectives. I've include 4 backing tracks for getting started playing the chords of C, A minor, F and D minor.
I label my ukuleles so that each note has a colour; C = Red, D = Orange, E = Yellow, F = Green, G = Blue, A = Purple and B = Pink. Anything else (flats/sharps used) I mark with black stickers. This makes it easy to explain to pupils which finger goes on which colour.
NOTE: install the fonts included to ensure the powerpoints look as intended.
Print and get pupils to fill in the notes or add them before photocopying.
Four simplified tunes for KS2 pupils including:
1. Harry Potter *
2. The Lion King
3. How To Train Your Dragon
4. Star Wars
*missing first note on purpose due to missing the lower note on most primary school glockenspiels / tuned percussion.
I have done this with KS2 (years 3 + 4) on glockenspiel and it has gone down really well. I have used something similar with year 8 pupils (also including opportunities for ukulele, drums, guitar, bass and composition) but this is a good starting point for pupils before they get to high school. Progress is set out over 4 lessons, looking at the 12 bar blues, chords (broken) / walking bass lines, Blues melodies, flat/sharp notes and improvisation. There is a song that I came up with that pupils love to sing that works nicely with getting them to improvise in between too. Those that excel can also be pushed using the 'Blues Bass & Melodies' sheet to help expand their vocabulary for improvisation.
Font: Century Gothic
This mini-scheme could be used with KS2-3 and includes a handful of pentatonic melodies to piece together as a class or in small groups, handy information about the pentatonic scale and some singing to go with the mini-project.
6 weeks worth of simple activities to follow to get started playing the keyboard. Covering identifying the white keys, the black keys, playing chords, making chords and adding root notes.
Whether this is something you give to pupils keen to key started with keyboard, want to use it as a booklet for pupils to worth through as an addition to other learning or whether you want to see how much you can get through each lesson, or steal bits for other lessons.
This is an adaptation of the song 'Samba Lele' for KS3 pupils. It can be performed as 3 different sections or as 2 sections with parts layering up and pupils working in 2 different teams. Planning for 4 weeks is included as well as an mp3 of the tune to help. There are a few games included in this and pupils can swap colours around to get the most out of improving their timing (opposed to just remembering when to do one bit).
I have also transcribed a handful of pop tunes for Boomwhackers if you want to take it further (see my other resources).
Font: Amatic SC and Century Gothic (see: Font Pack to download the fonts I use)
In preparation for BBC Music Ten Pieces, I thought I would introduce some Classical Music to KS2 pupils on the glockenspiel, whether you use these for keyboard or even Ukulele. I will probably use them for Ukulele along with my Glockenspiel classes (Y4).
I use this for various things...
a) to display to help pupils struggling to read rhythms
b) to help pupils remember the names of Samba instruments
c) to get pupils picking 4 to make up their own rhythms
d) for games such as forbidden rhythms
1. A Sailor Went to Sea - pupils love this one, playing the C chord on the words sea/see. Helps them remember the chord name really well too.
2. Little Ukulele - great for getting pupils to learn the 2 fingered chord F, however, I teach them Am first.
I have backing tracks for both, let me know if you need them.
Here are the fonts I use for my resources in case you download any of them and they don't look like they did in the previews.
Fonts I use are...
Amatic SC
Century Gothic
Headliner No. 45
Lobster Two
Urban Jungle
Will be updated as needed...