Rhythm Blocks

Recently I was asked to come up with a musical idea using Duplo Blocks inspired by Filth Wizardry.  


I decided to start with Rhythm Blocks.  Using printing labels from Avery Template 8160, size 1 x 2 5/8 I put rhythms on the labels and then cut them to fit on the block.  


I put four different time signatures on each side of the duplo block.  Then I put different rhythms on each side of the other blocks.


I attached blocks that made one complete measure.  Then by turning the blocks up or down the time signature changes.  The student would have to adjust the number of beats to make the rhythm correct for the time signature change. 

A possible game would be to have the students each choose 10 blocks and build measures.  They would play a block only if it would fit in the measure.  If they could not play they would have to pick one block.  If that block played then they could play that block, if not their turn was over.  Play would continue until the winner played his or her last block.

Now, I have put a sticker on each side, but for this game, you could put one sticker on only one side.  For beginner students I like the idea of showing how a half note takes up two quarter notes by adding an extra blank block to represent the beat.  

Here are the Rhythm Labels for Level One.  I still want to tweak the other rhythms before I post them.  I have a lot of more ideas so keep checking back.  I am so excited about this Lego Project!

Google Docs: Rhythm Stickers: Level One

For more rhythm fun check out Rhythm Blocks Level Two

Check out these resources!

Duplo Blocks

A reader saw this wonderful site: Filth Wizardy, a wonderful craft site for kids and parents, and asked me to come up with a game using Duplo Blocks.  The folks at Filth Wizardy have already laid the ground work for this great idea by putting stickers on the blocks.  Well, my wheels are already turning on the great ideas I could do with musical concepts!  Check out there site and maybe get inspired yourself.  Check back soon for some ideas with duplos!

Music Camp: Day Five

Today we finished our Persian March from Fun with Composers.  It has been a lot of fun for the kids and easy to get them involved.  I loved discovering the body movement with the drum stimulus.  The dancing, singing and instruments made this a great way to have fun with a classical piece.  The kids have really enjoyed pretending to be pirates.  Tonight we are performing it in front of the parents.  I have had four classes each day ranging from 1st grade until 5th grade.  Tonight they will all perform the piece together with instruments!  It should be fun!

I also finished a sound story for Noah's Ark today.  We read a story about Noah's Ark and added some instruments sounds to different parts of the story to bring it alive.  So when it rained, drip, drop, drip we added a triangle or a agogo bell.  The children got to pick whatever instrument they thought went with the sound.  If we need a animal roaring or flapping its wings they chose another instrument.  By the end we had a great story with a lot of sound!

It has been a great week and the children have learned so much!

Music Camp: Day Four

On Day Four we focused on memory.

Today's Bible Point was "God Remembers Noah" and our verse was "The Lord your God goes with you.  He will never leave you" Deuteronomy 31:6

I tested the children on what the remembered from the previous days, including the names of notes and musical expressions.

We clapped through some rhythm cards, but this time I had the students clap the card from memory.  I would show the rhythm card and have them think about the card then put the card down and see if they could clap the card from memory.  They did a great job!

We also did a fun song to test their memory.  Here is the song:

Noah's Zoo Sung to "I bought me a cat"
The animals came in two by two
It turned into Noah's Zoo
The rooster goes cock-a-doodle-doo

Then I added another animal

The animals came in two by two

It turned into Noah's Zoo

The pig goes oink, oink

The rooster goes cock-a-doodle-doo

I kept adding animals and would see if the students could remember the order.  For younger students I used the cards below.  I would display the cards in order and then turn over some to see if the student remembered what was next.

Google Docs: Noah's Zoo

Music Camp: Day Three

Today we added dynamics to our music map and created a rain storm.  I reviewed the rhythm we have been learning and had the children play the rhythms with instruments today.  I had four rhythm cards in a row and I had the students say the rhythm, then clap the rhythm and then we played them with the instruments.

I also introduced the concept of accent and staccato.  I wrote four quarter notes on the board and put an accent underneath one of the notes and we said the rhythm, accenting the note.  We did the same for the staccato.

Our theme for today was "The Great Flood"and our bible verse was "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" Proverbs 3:4-6.

I demonstrated how to use a rain stick and then we used body percussion to make a rain storm.  I would start on one side of the room stand in front of the students, showing them a motion.  Then as I moved to the other side the students in front of me would copy me.  To create a human rain storm I used the following motions:

Rub hands together
Snap fingers
Clap hands
Pat legs
Stomp feet
Pat legs
Clap hands
Snap fingers
Rub hands together

It was a really fun experience!  At the end we added dynamics, accents and staccatos to our music map.  The "Fun with Composers" series has a music map for each piece.  I copied it onto poster board so it could be seen by the students.  I put some dynamic markings, accents and staccatos on some post it notes.  I had the students decide which dynamic matches the piece as we listened to it.

Music Camp: Day Two

On Day Two I focused on rhythm, music vocabulary and dynamics.  I am using some fun words to teach rhythm to the children that correspond with Noah's Ark as seen below.  It has been great using the rhythm cards found at Layton Music.  The kids have really caught on to reading rhythm pretty well.

I also have been introducing the dynamics and having students tell me which dynamic I am using in various songs.  We have been speaking the words with the appropriate level of voice.  So piano is whispered and forte is with a very loud voice.  They like being able to be loud!

Today we played a fun game with Zoo Pal plates.  Zoo Pals are plates with animals on them.  I matched up the plates so that there were two of each animal, just like on Noah's Ark.  On the back I asked a question like what note has four beats?  The answer would be on the matching plate.  Students would come to the front with their plate and turn the plate with the question around.  Then I would see if any student knew the answer.  Next, I would have the other student with the matching plate turn over their plate to see if the answer was right. 

Another way to play would be to have all the plates scattered on the floor and see if the students could match up the question and answers.  They would know they were right if the animal matched.

Music Camp: Day One

Fun with Composers was a big hit!  I played the music for the students and asked for ideas of what it might sound like.  I am using Persian March by Johann Strauss.  Without knowing the title, one boy said it sounded like marching off to battle.  Other great answers were: "sounds like a circus", "sounds like a fair", "sounds like dancing."

We used the suggested drum beat to get students to feel the movement.  She suggests tapping the drum in different patterns and making those patterns match a movement.  So a simple beat tapped on the head of the drum was marching and taping on the rim was hopping.  When you tap the drum three times fast the kids had to freeze.  It was a lot of fun and very easy.   We added percussion instruments and every child seemed to be engaged in the activity.

Along with that activity, I introduced the quarter note and eighth notes.  We clapped some rhythm cards.  I added words to the rhythms to go along with the theme of the camp, which is Noah's Ark.  Quarter notes are "Zoo" and a pair of eighth notes are "Monkey."



We played a game called find the monkey.  I would clap a four beat rhythm of quarter notes and insert a pair of eighth notes on one of the four beats.  Students had to tell me which beat the monkey was on.  For older students I added two monkey rhythms.