1. Solfege games (5th-12th grade, choirs)
Have students sing a major scale on numbers 1-8, but
a) skip (audiate) 6 and 7 (la and ti)
b) say 6 and 7 in the traditional exaggerated speaking voice while singing the rest of the scale
Either way it really forces students to hear the notes in their heads. You can also apply the same concept to one of my favorite warmups where students add a note to the scale each time they go up and down (1, 121, 12321, 1234321, etc) if you want to up the challenge level.
2. Rhythm practice (1st-12th grade, choral or instrumental ensembles)
Use 6 7 along with other slang to practice rhythm reading. Conveniently "forty one" has also been added to the trend lately, so for older students practicing sixteenth/ eighth note combinations you can use both numbers to practice both combinations. For younger students just use quarter notes and eighth notes instead and do the same thing! Here are a few ideas but obviously there are plenty more you can use with 6 7 to work on the specific rhythms you want to practice with a specific grade:
To up the challenge level and really test their understanding of different rhythms, give students a rhythm and ask them to come up with a slang term/ phrase that matches that rhythm!
3. Steady beat movement (K-2nd grade)
My youngest students think it's hilarious to do the 6 7 hand motion (where alternating hands go up and down) when I ask them to come up with a movement to do with the steady beat of the music. It's an easy reference to throw in with any age.
4. Half and whole rests (3rd-5th grade)
This is another simple idea using the hand motion but it has instantly increased engagement with my 3rd graders who are learning whole and half rests and practicing reading and clapping rhythms with those rests in them a lot. Normally I have my students show rests by pulsing their hands with their palms up to show the number of beats, so it's a very simple swap to change it to the 6 7 motion by having them move alternating hands higher and lower to show the beats for longer rests.
5. Beat counting (3rd-12th grade, instrumental ensembles)
Give students a notated 8-beat rhythm (or pick out a phrase from your band or orchestra literature/ method book), and have them mark where beats 6 and 7 are in the phrase. This is a really great way to test whether students know their note values! You can also have them write in the measure line(s) in a given time signature in the same activity to get in a little more practice with the same concept.
For a different spin on the same idea, which works well for younger students practicing maintaining a steady pulse or when students are first learning a new rhythm element, have students listen to a piece of music/ rhythm and do the 6 7 hand motion on the 6th and 7th bears with the music.
6. Vocal Timbre (Kindergarten)
Test students' knowledge of the 4 or 5 voices (speaking/ singing/ calling/ whisper/ thinking) by naming a voice and asking them to perform "6 7" in that voice. This actually works well for incorporating the 5th "thinking voice" because there is a gesture attached to the phrase.
Bonus (7): Use a combination of these ideas throughout your lessons/ rehearsals specifically on the 67th day of school without telling them why, and see how long it takes them to catch on!
I have already used some of these ideas in my classroom, and I can't wait to incorporate the others later this year! Throwing references to slang and youth culture into your lessons can be such an easy way to foster a sense of belonging, build connections, and boost engagement for students. If you have other ideas for incorporating 6 7 in the music classroom please leave a comment!
No comments :
Post a Comment