By Jason Litt
The follow-up to "Rhythm Wind Up and PITCH! and MELODY Wind Up and PITCH!"
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This one will get the kids on their edge of their seats!
You will need 1 thing for this particular game:
The students will see an instrument at the bottom of their screen and memorize the timbre of the instrument (should know beforehand what it is and how it sounds!) They will then hear a musical example of an endless loop of orchestral and band instruments playing in all different ranges from low to high (Teacher will click the speaker icon to play)
Take a listen...
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One of the instruments will be the instrument that is on the screen. AS SOON AS THEY HEAR THAT INSTRUMENT, they throw their suction cup ball at the target. The first kid who gets it correct is the winner (and make sure you advance the slide to make the target turn green) :)
Obviously, we cannot play this as a class because of
The amount of suction cup balls tossed at the screen would be insane
Team A v Team B would be a bit more competitive and only two balls would be launched at once
If you don't have a whiteboard/projection screen, you can alternatively have the students raise their hand when they hear it and choose the kid who has their hand up the fastest.
Have a great time with this fast paced game!
By Jason Litt
Trying to wean the kids off of the letter names but want to do it easily? Start with a warmup! In "Super Simple Recorder Warmups", you'll receive 25 4-beat exercises designed to warmup your kids while working on quarter and half note patterns.
Use the background accompaniment tracks if you wish (ranging from 80bpm to 117bpm) and reinforce the notes of the staff and rhythms throughout before heading into your recorder activity!
Included in this version are the recorder notes, G, A, B, and C
Instrument Imposter ("Among Us" theme timbre lesson!)
By Jason Litt
A game that will keep your 4th and 5th graders entertained, engaged, and competitively charged, here's INSTRUMENT IMPOSTER inspired by "Among Us"!
In Instrument Imposter, you will see 2 or 3 "crewmates" assigned with different woodwind, brass, percussion, or string instruments
A musical example will be played where all of the crewmates will play their assigned their instruments (either separated or together).
During the example, You, along with your students, will soon find out that the one of the instruments was the the wrong instrument played (the FLUTE crewmate shown actually played the CLARINET... or maybe the SNARE DRUM crewmate played the XYLOPHONE)
Your task is to decide which crewmate is the IMPOSTER by selecting the one crewmate instrumentalist who didn't play the correct instrumenr). Advance the slide and check your answer and go through the rounds!
Included in this resource are
Have a terrific time with this while your kids study timbre and the instrument families!
Inspector Interval - Identifying Intervals (2nd-7ths)
By Jason Litt
End of the year review or just starting up with aural theory? Try on "Inspector Interval"!
In this fast paced game, students will do a brief review of how a musical interval is defined and jump right into the contest -- have an interval on the treble clef staff appear and TEAM A or TEAM B will have to name the interval as fast as they can!
There are no qualities of intervals (major 2nd, minor 6th, etc), just interval names by itself. There will always be a grounded "F", so the intervals will be built on top of that
We usually play this game 'around the world' style. We start off on the left side or right side of the the room and the first two people stand up and you flash an interval on the screen. The student who gets the note correct gets to move onto the next child in the class while the other student sits. That student has to make their way through the entire class before being deemed champion... but they could be beat at ANY TIME! You can mix it up, left side, right side, boys/girls, etc. Kids get ultra competitive!
... or use it as an individual activity!
Dynamite, BTS - BODY PERCUSSION!
By Jason Litt
Need to connect with your kids with their pop music through general music? Involve them in a new BODY PERCUSSION version with BTS' smash hit "Dynamite"
There are five all-color coded slides along with the form identifiers listed next to each phrase. Discuss form with the students and teach them (by rote) the rhythms on the powerpoint with the corresponding repeats (most are repeated 3 times). Then, apply it to body percussion with the corresponding icons for STOMP, CLAP, SNAP, and PAT
Here's the track so you can play along...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD62mQpTH8k
Have fun with this and let us know how it goes!
By Jason Litt
Reviewing the Percussion chapter with your kids and have discussed unpitched instruments? Pitched instruments and the accessory effects and how to play?
Try this interactive powerpoint that's full of fun with Percussion Jeopardy!
All new categories, all new answers! An authentic jeopardy game board with categories for:
Pitched Percussion
Unpitched Percussion
Percussion FX
Percussion Techniques (How to Play)
Students can elect to pick $200, $400, $600, $800, or $1000 answers. After clicking on the amount, the answer will appear on the next slide. Students (keeping in true Jeopardy! fashion) can answer in the form of a question
"What are Timpani Drums?"
"What are mallets?"
"What is a Piano"
After the money is awarded (You can split sides of your class, boys vs girls, class vs class, however you want it!), there is a link in the bottom right hand corner to go back to the title screen and game board.
After extracting the ZIP file, make sure to install the Jeopardy! font included, or else you'll see random characters all over -- not good eats!
Email me at jasonlitt@gmail.com or leave a comment if you have any questions. Happy Jeopardy...ing!
Throw Re Mi - Identifying Solfege Sylllables!
By Jason Litt
In a competitive solfege syllable naming game, you can practice your do-re-mi while getting out a little energy with your students! In Throw Re Mi, students will be split into groups (boys vs girls, colors vs colors, teams vs teams, however you wish) and one representative will stand in front of the whiteboard to represent their team. They will both use one suction cup ball to play the game (can be found at the dollar store or Target for a few bucks!)
They will be shown a solfege hand sign and see two or three corresponding circles above the hand sign. One of those circles will be the correct syllable (DO or RE, MI or TI, FA or LA, etc) -- encourage your students to throw their ball to the correct answer... whoever gets it the fastest wins (advance it to the next slide to reveal the answer in blue)
Also included is in an advanced round, called Throw Re Mi - Remix where it's flipped. The solfege hand signs will be on the top and the syllable on the bottom!
Have a great time with this and as always, leave questions in the comments if you need anything :)
By Jason Litt
The ultimate Boys vs Girls competition! If you're working on notes of the treble clef staff, this is a fun way for kids to competitively spell them out. First, we made a boys side (on the left of the screen) and girls side on the (on the right). A word will appear and the students have 10 seconds to spell the word out (there is a timer attached to the powerpoint and it will count down as soon as the slide appears). This games works best on a whiteboard that has magnetic backing as I print out notes and have the kids race as fast as they can to put them on. After the kids lock in their answer, the next slide reveals the notes. For notes that have F's and E's, the answer key has both top line, top space notes -- those F's and E's both count! :) Some are easy (CAB, DAB, DAD), some get a little tricky (BECCA, CABBAGE, DECADE) and so on. Towards the end they repeat, and feel free to edit and make your own! Have fun with this and if you have any questions, let me know!
Wreck it Rhythm! (Level 2 - Whole and Half Notes)
By Jason Litt
Based on the new movie, Wreck it Ralph, a new Disney/Pixar Movie coming out in November about a video game character, Wreck-it Ralph, who has been doing the same job for 30 years... Which is basically wrecking a building into pieces with his fists. Wreck-it Rhythm is a music game where you’re going to get to destroy a fictitious dilapidated 29th street beat building Ralph is fueled by Rhythm, and the class is the one to give it to him... Read a variety of rhythms on the screen below in a variety of different ways... Everyone will receive a pair of lummi sticks and when you see the rhythm, you will play that rhythm on the correct area (H, M, K) If the entire class plays the rhythm correctly, you will start destroying those bricks! (just advance the powerpoint) For quarter and eighths, have the students click together the rhythm sticks normally, but for wholes I have them hit it, swing it back, and swing it up (and count to 4 at the same time). For halves, I have them hit it normally but rebound from the sticks and say "SLO - MO" (half note duration). You can find neat ways for them to count these whole notes and half notes too! Gets the kids REALLY engaged! They try to get the highest score! Put some 8-bit music on with a MM = 120 or less Enjoy!
By Jason Litt
A brand new approach to the Recorder System! I use original and simple compositions for this one which I use this with my 3rd graders. We start off simple and get into more technical things along the way -- scaffolding made simple!. I find it's more beneficial than just teaching them 3 or 4 notes as I like to cultivate them a little more by discovering new notes, rhythms, and phrases. This includes 12 original songs for all of your students and have fingering charts and tips and hints included on every slide! After you download this Powerpoint, please email me at jasonlitt@gmail.com and I will send you mp3 accompaniment files for all of the pieces (so you don't have to play along on the piano, and you can concentrate on assessing) :)
By Jason Litt
The objective of this fun 8-bit game styled in powerpoint format is to have students name notes on the treble clef staff. Students each take turns naming notes as fast as possible, all in the spirit of a collaborative effort for their class. The slide carries the note in question, with a block [?]. When the student states the correct answer, the answer appears on the next slide, and repeat from there on out through the rest of the class. The faster they do this, the more they see the gameplay progress and go through different levels. We start out on the line notes, EGBDF, get into the FACE notes in the second world, and then do a mix of them in the 3rd world until the class reaches the end at 100000 points! Don't worry, a follow up product is coming soon, this is just Part 1 :) There's a 3 minute 8-bit mashup background track included in this download to play for the students to make it feel like a real video game. When the 3 minute track is over, the game ends and you can tally up their score and continue the next time in music class. Concerning management, it'd be up to the teacher to allow students to pass the note in question, or have a neighbor help them out. If you'd like to see a sped-up version of this game (don't worry, this will go slowly unless your kids are blazing fast at naming notes!), please view the link below http://youtu.be/xMufSSTh6FQ This lesson can span weeks and months depending on how often you play it and the level of mastery of notation with your kids. If you have any questions, please let me know. Have fun with this!
GAME ON! - A rhythm-building gaming resource
By Jason Litt
Want a great way to entice some of your boys in your general music class? Try GAME ON!, a gaming themed rhythm challenge that will suit all of your students, especially some of those gamers out there!
In “GAME ON!”, students will see a popular game or game series for multiple consoles (Xbox, PlayStation, etc)
They will then use rhythm cards provided in their “bank” of cards to build out the name of the game in a rhythm they feel best fits the name. There will be a series of one beat spaces to give the students a clue on which cards fit in which beats – be very specific as only a few cards will be chosen out of the bank
Advance the slide and find out the students’ rhythm and see if it matches the rhythm on the screen.
You can use this an assessment for all students or even see if they can identify it in a certain amount of time (10 seconds, 15 seconds, etc). Even try a boys vs girls or team vs team to see who can get it the fastest!
Included are 12 game titles and a printout of triplets, quarters, and eighth note pair cards for your students.
Have a great time with this and GAME ON!
BlockChain RHYTHM! - A fast-paced listening game!
By Jason Litt
This is a great resource to get your kids to work collaboratively as a team (or by themselves if you wish) to identify rhythms as they hear them!
In BlockChain Rhythm, students are given a set of 4 cubes with quarter notes, eighth note pairs, and quarter rests written on them (this is optional, but if you have these, it makes it a challenge for them if you have time to write them out!).
After hearing the rhythm example, they must "rubix cube style" arrange the rhythm that they heard in the right order that it is played. However, the first one to do it the fastest WINS!
Alternatively, you could play this by having the students write it down, have notation cards, or any other method you prescribe. Students can work together in teams of 1, 2, 4, or however may you wish.
To do it as a race: if you have a large and elongated classroom, try setting the blocks 10-15 feet away from the students. Students then have to run one by one and build each beat, go back and tag the next student, and build the second beat, and on and so forth until all four beats are completed.
There are 12 4-beat rhythm examples included in this. All you need to do is play the example and advance the powerpoint slide to show the correct answer!
Have a great time with this!
Hi Fi - An Original Tubano/Djembe/Tambourine Percussion Composition!
By Jason Litt
In "Hi-Fi", introduce your kids to some great music from indigenous instruments from Africa! Using your classroom Djembe or Tubanos, learn the music by rote by taking it one rehearsal section at a time (with rehearsal markings [A], [B], [C], and so forth). This is terrific practice with your older students who want to work on alternating hands, especially in the selected meter of 3/4
The notation on the first space F is a bass (middle of the drum) and the notation on the third space C is a tone (four fingers near the rim of the drum, pitched a bit higher)
At the end, wrap it up and put on a show! Want to layer it?
Use this in class, a concert, a parent showcase, admin, faculty and staff, whatever you wish!
Have a terrific time with this one :)
Rhythm Star (a rhythm reading and independence game!)
By Jason Litt
Looking for a great beginning of the year activity that'll get some of your older kids involved?
In "Rhythm Star", students will see eight boxes stacked vertically. The box on the left is for their left hand, the box on the right is for their right hand. In each box will be a series of dots, either filled in, or blank.
A dot that is filled in will be one sound to the beat, a dot that is left blank will be no sound (read as a rest).
Students will read the rhythm from the top to bottom (vertically) with assigned instruments on their left hand and right hand. For this activity, Artie's stickstations come in handy, so have the students use a pad as their left implement and a tambourine as their right.
Read down the rhythms from top to bottom, and advance the slides once the class masters the rhythms with their left and right hand simultaneously! As the students progress through the game, there are 5 levels of difficulty
Quarter notes
Eighth notes
Quarter rests
Poly-rhythms (this one is FUN!)
Triplets
Play this with some music in the background, either an instrumental track 100-120bpm or some of their favorite pop music as they play along and master the rhythms only to continue to advance in the level.
The class is awarded 50 points each time an example is playing correctly in unison. A fun and competitive way for your younger kids to practice sight reading rhythms!
Keepy Uppy (from "Bluey") - RHYTHM BASKETBALL!
By Jason Litt
RHYTHM BASKETBALL is in with the popular theme from the "Keepy Uppy" episode of Bluey, a fan favorite amongst elementary schoolers from K-5!
There are four all-color coded slides along with the form identifiers listed next to each phrase. Discuss form with the students and teach them (by rote) the rhythms on the powerpoint with the corresponding repeats (most are repeated 2 or 4 times).
Here's the track so you can play along...
FAMILY FEUD - Identifying Instrument Families
By Jason Litt
Want to see if the kids know which instrument belongs in which family with an interactive way to do it? Try "FAMILY FEUD - Identifying Instrument Families"!
In FAMILY FEUD, students will see a TV screen with an instrument displayed on the screen. It could be anywhere from a Flute all the way to an Electric Guitar. After the instrument is showed, there will be four family boxes on the right hand side for the students to identify which family it belong into.
My method is competitive. Since I have an IWB, I load up the powerpoint through that and have the kids race up to the board and put a magnetic button on which family the instrument belongs in. I advance the slide and the box turns green on the correct answer -- I try to time it up perfectly with the kids so they see if they discover the correct answer right at the last second.
You can use this however you wish! No instrument names are given, just pictures, and kids can have a go at it.
This is a long one -- this series has over 200 pages (which means over 100 random order questions). Remember, you can always begin it from the first slide and start over
As always, let me know if you have any questions or comments in the comment field!
Bar Line Blitz! (Identifying measures in simple rhythm patterns)
By Jason Litt
Down, Set, HUT!
In Bar Line Blitz, student will see a meter with several beats of music – except the bar lines are missing to separate the measures from each other!
They will will see 2 or more line placeholders (small grey lines) in between notes. One of the placeholders is where the bar line should go… but which one is it?
Identify where the bar line should be placed and the correct area will illuminate
green if it is accurate!
Play team vs team, A vs B, or individually... and enhance it by playing some fun football music in the background (search NFL themes or college football fight songs on YouTube) ;)
There are 4 levels (4 quarters if you wish) of varying difficulties. The last quarter, they students will need to identify where it should be placed without any small grey lined hashmarks
Have a great time with this one!
By Jason Litt
Ready to talk about Forte and Piano in any of your grades? Drum it up, Dynamically II will get your kids reading dynamics like a pro!
First, we start off with an introduction to Forte and Piano with a clip from Music K8's animated series (included), and then get into the game:
Students are issued hand drums (or djembes, tubanos, orff instruments, rhythm sticks, whatever you wish!) and dynamics are shown on the screen. The teacher points to the dynamic (optional) as the kids play along on their instruments while the background music (included) helps them keep on beat! After the students master the dynamics, the teacher advances the slide and dynamic shifts get a little harder each time.
Have a ball with this and let me know if you have any questions!
Three tracks at various tempi are included (slow for the little kids, and medium and fast for the bigger kids)
Rhythm Reading 101 (* Distance Learning Approved! *)
By Jason Litt
This is the MECCA of all Rhythm Flash Cards for your singers, instrumentalists, and approachable rhythms for all grades!
In Rhythm Reading 101, there are 100 slides of an assortment rhythmic patterns for all of your music students arranged by levels of difficulty, Round 1 to Round 10.
You can assign these as:
*Flash Cards for individuals
*Flash Cards for groups
*Instrumentalists to play (Orff, Recorder, Bucket Drumming, classroom instruments, etc)
*Vocalists
*Beginning band students
*and more!
These slides may be printed out and given to students, shown up on the whiteboard, or assigned to students digitally through distance learning. The 10 rounds included are
Round 1:
Ten separate 4 beat quarter and eighth note patterns
Round 2:
Ten separate 4 beat quarter, eighth note, and quarter rest patterns
Round 3:
Ten separate 4 beat quarter, eighth note, and eighth rest patterns
Round 4:
Ten separate 4 beat quarter, eighth note, quarter rest and eighth rest patterns
Round 5:
Ten separate 8 beat quarter, eighth note, and quarter rest patterns
Round 6:
Ten separate 8 beat quarter, eighth note, and eight rest patterns
Round 7:
Ten separate 8 beat quarter, eighth note, quarter rest, and eighth rest patterns
Round 8:
Ten separate 4 beat quarter, eighth note, eighth-two-sixteenth patterns
Round 9:
Ten separate 4 beat quarter, eighth note, two-sixteenth-eighth, quarter rest patterns
Round 10:
Ten separate 4 beat quarter, eighth note, eighth-two-sixteenth, two-sixteenth-eighth, quarter rest, and eighth rest patterns
WHEW!
Have a great time!