"Omochio Tsukimasho"

This hand game for partners is a big challenge to our coordination and timing!  We can also decode some new rhythm patterns that include sixteenth notes.

Omochio tsukimasho, Omochio tsukimasho

Petanko, petanko, Petan, petan, petanko

O konente, o konete, O kone, o kone, o konete

(Up) Ton, ton, ton. (Down) Ton, ton, ton

(Up and down) Ton, ton, ton, ton. (Up) Ton, ton, ton

The music is based on a poem written by Henri Cazalis, which tells of the gruesome goings-on in the churchyard of a French village on Halloween. 

Zig-a-zig-a-zig it's the Rhythm of Death! 

Death at midnight playing a dance tune, 

Zig-a-zig-a-zig on his violin. 

The winter wind whistles and the night is dark. 

The winter wind whistles and the lime trees moan. 

Weird white skeletons streak across the shadows 

Running and leaping wrapped in their shrouds. 

Zig-a-zig-a-zig the dance grows even wilder 

You can hear the eerie clatter of the dancers' bones 

But wait! Suddenly they all stop dancing. 

They scatter, they vanish for the cock has crowed. 

Danse Macabre is an example of programme music. Programme music tells a story or represents something such as a painting or poem. Sometimes music that was intended for one purpose can later be used for another. For example, Danse Macabre has been used for the theme music for the television programme, Jonathan Creek. The composer, Camille SaintSaens was French and he lived from 1865-1921. He also wrote `Carnival of the Animals' which is 14 short pieces each written to represent a certain animal. 

"When Johnny Comes Marching Home"

Beatfully accompanying this Boomwhacker piece in 6/8 meter

Decoding familiar patterns in 6/8 meter

Tunefully singing the minor melody on note names and identifying home pitch/tonic and dominant pitch

Practicing our 6/8 Rhythms...

"Johnny Grim" with 6/8 patters to decode

"Roger is Dead" - an old New England singing game

"My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean"

• these are all great for practicing phrasing as well

Moving Beatfully to "Stars and Stripes Forever"

Star = quarter note (Du)

Stripe = half note (Du-u)

Eagle = 2 eighth notes (Du-de)

Purple Heart =  2 eighth notes and a quarter note (Du-de Du)

Quarter = 1 beat rest

Boston Symphony Orchestra Home School

Basses, Beasts, and Chopsticks

This video begins with a 14 minute exploration of the amazing variety of sounds that can be made on a string bass.   The techniques are very funky, difficult, and nothing Mozart or Bach would've used!  We also meet two young composers who were asked to compose pieces especially to feature bass players and the music looks and sounds unlike anything you've ever seen before.  The last 30 minutes of the video let's you hear the pieces.  One is called "Beast Fights" and brings the listener into the world of ancient Rome and the horrible fights and spectacles you might have seen in the colliseum.  The other is called "Kalesa Ed Kaluca" and features 7 basses each doing crazy stuff all at the same time.  If you get tired of the sounds, be sure to skim ahead just to see how cool the music looks that the musicians are playing off of.  It is amazing!