Recorder Karate Idea Bank

We are working on "Whacky Birthday" (from Music K-8, Vol. 13, No. 1) for our Ohio Bicentennial program.

I had written out the Boomwhackers® parts as an ostinato, in color for my lower grades, and realized I had a great recorder lesson on harmony and chords for my 5th graders.

We sit on risers, so I had all the kids on the top row play the top row of notes. The middle row kids played the middle notes of each chord. The bottom row played the bottom notes. Then we rotated three times. The last go-round, everyone stayed where they were and played their favorite line so we had "stereophonic sound."

Each child had played all three lines and practiced all the C major scale tones in different combinations, multiple times, painlessly! (Even my strugglers were able to watch their neighbors and play the short repeated patterns!)

We had read the original notes and rhythms, talked about the rhythm change from ta to ti ti in the B section, and they were so proud of themselves for playing in 3-part harmony.