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Monday, October 31, 2016

Supplement: D String Notes

Beginning orchestra supplemental packet: D String Notes

Once we arrive to combining D string notes and the bow, some students are ready to take off with their note-reading and explore new music.  Others are quite content to stay in the book and on our concert pieces.  I give this packet to all the beginners but spend very little, if any, class time on it so students can really do what they like with it.

I've included a reference of the D string notes on the staff labeled with finger numbers and letter names along with a box of practice tips for home practice.  Students are eager to try out their new skills on some familiar and not-so-familiar tunes--they're most excited to see the melodies to the pieces they've already played the harmony parts to such as Barcarolle, Jingle Bells, and Twinkle.

Pieces included:
  • Hot Cross Buns
  • Go Tell Aunt Rhody
  • Barcarolle
  • All Through the Night
  • The Huron Carol
  • Dreidel Dreidel
  • Jingle Bells

These pieces also use first finger B on the A string:
  • Twinkle Twinkle
  • Old MacDonald
  • Lavender's Blue
  • This Old Man
  • London Bridge


D String Notes Supplement

And here's a link to an earlier post that tells a little more about this packet as well as the Orchestra Expressions supplement for the beginning of the book: Supplements.

Enjoy!



Monday, October 17, 2016

Rhythm Magnets


Rhythm magnets for elementary orchestra classroom


Here are some magnets I made for different rhythms.  The length of each magnets corresponds to the number of beats (one beat = 6 inches).  I also color-coded the background of rhythm by the number of beats represented (which matches the rhythm bulletin board).  This will be a very visual way to see the relationships between different rhythmic values and to create measures with different note values.

The documents have the rhythms already spaced out--just cut on the line (or cut it slightly smaller than the lines to make room for a colored border).  The longer values (whole note, dotted-half note, etc.) will need extra white paper on either end to make them the corresponding length.  Then, after laminating, I just cut strips of adhesive magnetic sheets to finish them off.

I'm able to use these on the white board or on my teacher desk, as both are magnetic.


Rhythm magnets for elementary orchestra classroom

Rhythm magnets for elementary orchestra classroom

Rhythm magnets for elementary orchestra classroom


Rhythm magnets for elementary orchestra classroom





Monday, October 3, 2016

Rhythms Bulletin Board




Rhythms bulletin board for elementary orchestra music class

Here's a bulletin board of different rhythms, organized by number of beats, for my elementary orchestra classroom.  I wanted to include both up-stems and down-stems, notes and rests, and single eighth notes and beamed eighth notes.  I color-coded these by number of beats, which matches the rhythm magnets that I just made as well.


Rhythms include:
  • Whole note
  • Whole rest
  • Dotted half note
  • Half note
  • Half rest
  • Dotted quarter note
  • Quarter note
  • Quarter rest
  • 2 Eighth notes
  • 4 Sixteenth notes
  • Eighth note
  • Eighth rest
  • Sixteenth note

Rhythms bulletin board for elementary orchestra music class


Rhythms bulletin board for elementary orchestra music class