Juba Rhythms-the basics

goal: participant will play triplet rhythms on him/herself

-sit upright in a chair
-left hand plays beat one by padding down on left leg
-beat two is played when left hand goes up and slaps against right hand (backhand left against palm of right) (right is not moving but is above left leg AND left hand, palm side down).
-beat three is played when left hand comes back down on left leg (palm)

REVERSE ABOVE WITH RIGHT HAND PLAYING BEAT ONE ON RIGHT LEG.

play beat one with an accent for each triplet group. play slowly. this should feel like a triplet WITHOUT pauses between the groups of three (123123123 not 123 123 123) .

Playing and Using
the Spoons in the Classroom

Holding and playing the spoons-

-Two spoons are held back to back in the player’s “writing hand”.
-Make a loose fist, thumb on top.
-One spoon is held between thumb and first finger (“pointer”).
-The other spoon is held between first finger and second (“tall-man”).
-There should be a gap between the two spoons (remember that the spoons are back to back and thumb is on top). The gap should be about ¼ to ½ inch.
-The hand should still be in a loose fist position so that fingers three (”ring-man”) and four (“pinky”) are lightly touching near the end of the spoon handles. The spoon handles are parallel to each other and do not cross or form an “x”.
-Put your other hand (the hand not holding the spoons) about one foot above your thigh with your palm facing down (above the right thigh if it is the right hand that is holding the spoons or above the left thigh if it is the left hand that is holding the spoons).
-In a downward motion play or touch the spoons onto your thigh, they should make a single clicking sound. This is the down beat.
-In an upward motion bring the spoons up to the palm of the hand that is not holding the spoons, the spoons should make another single clicking sound. This is the upbeat.

The hand motion is an even down and up. Play the spoons down and up or “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &” keeping an even tempo and/or beat (even eighth notes).

Suggest various rhythms by keeping a steady beat but use dynamic variation, in other words, accent certain parts of the beat. For example, “1 2 3 4 “ (the underlined number is the beat that is accented but the hand motion is still down and up). Try this, “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &”, or this “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &”,
or this “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &”.

Try playing triplets by accenting the first note of each triplet group (“1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3”). Notice that the strong or accented beat alternates between the up and down motion. In other words, the accented “note” falls on the down beat for the first triplet group and then falls on the up beat for the second triplet group and so on.

Activities to try with students include, echoing, reading rhythms on flash cards and arranging patterns and free improvisations in appropriate songs (recorded or live accompaniment).

Environment

Reading Note Values Applied to the "Play Circle"

1. Fourth grade general music, homogeneous mix, mostly white middle class, some learning disabled, low-level learners and gifted are present.

2. The students will understand the correlation between written notation and the performance of specific rhythms. They will read and play whole, half, quarter and eighth notes and quarter rests. They will be introduced to the family of instruments they are performing on (percussion) and the term "percussion".

3. It is age and level appropriate and the students have demonstrated proficiency at the skills necessary to achieve the goals.

4. The goals for this lesson directly relate to state and district goals and standards specifically for this grade level.

5. The students are approaching the age at which they will be eligible for band, orchestra and vocal ensemble enrollment. They need to understand basic notation and music theory concepts to succeed and progress through the broader curriculum.

6. Please refer to "Lesson Plan".

7. The exact rhythms tend to degrade and become the "beat" (quarter notes) with each new startup of the tune. Teacher and/or original players if available (explained in the lesson plan) will assist students who are having problems. The simplicity and/or amount various rhythms can be modified to insure mastery by the students. Students also have a tendency to memorize the rhythms instead of reading them. New rhythms and variations need to be applied.

8. Various songs and rhythms can be used to keep the activity interesting for the students and the teacher. Other songs could include "Old Joe Clark" and "Cripple Creek".

9. The task of reading note values used in the rhythms applied to this lesson is repeated on other lessons. As the students get more proficient at sight-reading the rhythms, the amount of playing time should increase, i.e. less instruction will be necessary. A written test will be administered prior to the semester grading period which will access the students understanding of note values. Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate a cognitive understanding of the note values (written test) as well as an intrinsic or "musical" understanding (reading and performance).

10. The assessment will determine to what extent and pace the teacher can increase the level and difficulty of reading rhythmical notation, as it applies to future lessons and ensemble performance.

Reading Note Values Applied to the "Play Circle"

GOAL: The goal is to engage students in reading musical notation/note values and
introduce the "percussion family" to them.

STUDENT OBJECTIVE: The students will read and perform rhythms on simple percussion instruments in an ensemble and identify percussion instruments.

TEACHER ACTIVITY: The teacher will teach concepts and perform with the students.

EVALUATION: Learning, retention and mastery will be accessed by performance observation on the following session and in written form at the end of the semester. MATERIALS/RESOURCES NEEDED: Percussion instruments including; claves, guiro, dulcimer, chime, spoons "boom pipe" and banjo; visual aids include; pictures of orchestral percussion instruments, a sign spelling out "percussion" and
marker-board or chalkboard.

DURATION: 40 Minutes

Teacher will ask for quiet and focus the students' attention to a group of pictures of percussion instruments located on the wall next to a sign that reads "percussion". A brief explanation and discussion of this family of instruments will ensue along with a correlation to the instruments in front of them (2 minutes).

The students will be reminded of a song they performed with these instruments and the cues for instrumental entrances that apply. The teacher will play the banjo and sing "Little Liza Jane" with the students who will play along and sing in call-and-response. A verse and chorus will be played one time through without student instruments (singing and clapping only) as a review (approximately 4 minutes).

The teacher will ask the students to focus their attention to the board where specific rhythms and the instruments that will play those rhythms are notated. The students should be familiar with most of the rhythms from a previous lesson (they played and read the rhythms using spoons). The new rhythms will be explained and demonstrated by the teacher (approximately 5 minutes).

The teacher will select individuals in the circle to perform the rhythms on the designated instruments after modeling by the teacher. The selection will be based on the teacher's familiarity with the student's level and previous performance and observation. The first round of players must quickly master the task because they will serve as models when the ensemble playing begins. Once students have been informally auditioned and can succeed at performing the rhythms on the board, they will take their place in the circle (approximately 10 minutes).

The students already understand from previous experience that the instruments get passed clockwise around the circle after the musical cue and the music has stopped. Students who do not have an instrument clap a steady beat (quarter notes) during the music. Every other person gets an instrument. This spacing of players provides an opportunity for clapping students to study the rhythm and instrument they will get next (example is on the board and rhythm is modeled by adjacent student and initially by the teacher). The students who just gave up an instrument can briefly assist the person they are handing their instrument to if assistance is required. Instruments can be arranged so that there are two clappers between instrumentalist to allow for more "student teaching/mentoring and new rhythm study/observation. Every time the song is started a new verse is sung (teacher's part) and the response/chorus remains the same (student's part).

The students continue to play and sing stopping on cue to pass instruments (proceeds till 5 minute prior to the end of the period).

The teacher reviews lesson concepts including the percussion family explanation (3 minutes).

The teacher lines up the students in an orderly fashion (usual classroom ritual) and student helpers collect nametags. When students leave the room there is no talking (2 minutes).

The follow up activity at the next class session is the performance and reading of the rhythms in the play circle without instruction or review, unless it is necessary (observation assessment).

back to "educational"...
top...