Creating Grooves with Found SoundsOnce you have established a groove — a texture of interlocking rhythmic patterns — it can serve as an accompaniment to other things. And it's not difficult to create a groove; one person basically lays down a repeating pattern and everyone else joins in with patterns that fit the original as well as the rest of the group. This is a great community- or team-building activity as children learn to cooperate with others.
Found Sounds: This lesson is an easy (and free!) combination of music and science learning objectives. Students in fifth, sixth, or seventh grades will likely be able to accomplish the objectives of this lesson without lengthy preparation. It could also be adapted for younger students. The initial lesson can easily extend into additional projects.
Objectives: Students will explore the properties of sound on improvised percussion instruments. Standards: Science
Standards: Music
Materials Classroom space for discovering sounds Anticipatory Set Find out what students know about how sound travels Teaching Proces
Alternatively, if children are having a hard time developing a groove, have them play along with a recording and then gradually turn down the volume of the recording and see if the resulting groove can be maintained. Closure: Let each group play their groove for the class Extensions: Use the grooves to accompany raps, poems, songs, or times-tables. |