Clapping Rhythms
1. Clap four beats slowly, counting each beat -­‐ 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... 4 ... Now, repeat the clapping, but replace the counting with the word “Cat:” a. CAT…CAT…CAT…CAT… 2. Clap eight beats (twice as fast as before), counting each beat again: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. 3. Replace each pair of beats with the word kit-­‐ten(saying each syllable separately), a. KIT-­‐TEN, KIT-­‐TEN, KIT-­‐TEN, KIT-­‐TEN 4. Repeat both patterns several times as a call and response with the students… a. CAT…CAT…CAT…CAT… b. KIT-­‐TEN, KIT-­‐TEN, KIT-­‐TEN, KIT-­‐TEN 5. Split the class into two groups. One group claps CAT and the other group claps KIT-­‐TEN. Both groups perform at the same time: Group 1 claps and says... CAT CAT CAT CAT a. Group 2 claps and says... KIT-­‐TEN, KIT-­‐TEN, KIT-­‐TEN, KIT-­‐TEN 6. When students are comfortable with this, swap them around. 7. Now, as a whole class you can develop this idea, clapping and saying more complicated patterns together (see below) Students may also come up with their own patterns. CAT CAT KITTEN KITTEN CAT KIT-­‐TEN CAT KIT-­‐TEN CAT CAT CAT KIT-­‐TEN KIT-­‐TEN KIT-­‐TEN KIT-­‐TEN CAT 8. Students can be split into groups again, with each group clapping / saying a different pattern. An easy way of writing down this notation is to use grids (replacing Cat with the letter C and Kitten with the letter K) C C C K C K C K K C C K C K K C Play a Rhythm: Follow the notation reading from left to right and top to bottom. Then, try reading it in different directions -­‐-­‐ bottom to top, right to left, even diagonally! Different groups can also perform different lines or perform in rounds. 1 Musical Dictionary http://www.classicsforkids.com/teachers/training/terms_index.asp Symbolic Notation Students can create their own symbols or pictures to represent the rhythms they have created (lines, circles, pictures, etc) Conventional Music Notation Introduce students to music notation. Explain that musical notes show rhythm. CAT may also be written as and KITTEN may be written as . Now, try performing (as a class) the following grid... (Same rhythms as the grid above) Again, the grid can be read in different directions or different groups of students can perform different lines of the grid. Advanced Levels Add 16th notes with the word AL-­‐LI-­‐GA-­‐TOR (4 COUNTS PER BOX) EXAMPLE: Notation would look like this: ALLIGATOR ALLIGATOR ALLIGATOR ALLIGATOR Add 3-­‐syllable words such as ELEPHANT Notation would look like this: ELEPHANT ELEPHANT ELEPHANT ELEPHANT 2 CAT CAT KITTEN KITTEN ELEPHANT ELEPHANT ALLIGATOR ALLIGATOR Notation would look like this: CAT KITTEN ELEPHANT ALLIGATOR Kodaly Rhythm Symbols and Sounds look like this” CAT KITTEN ELEPHANT ALLIGATOR 3 Use this Grid Template to compose your OWN 4/4 Rhythm! 4 Use this Grid Template to compose your OWN ¾ Rhythm! 5