Week of April 13th, 2015

FUN WITH RESONATOR BARS!

It was a lot of fun using our resonator bars!

This xylophone with removable, resonating bars is in the C major scale. I played each note for the children, singing two scale songs (perfect for yesterday's drizzyly weather):

For the ascending major scale from C: "Up, up, up, up, rain is filling up my cup!"

For the descending major scale from C: "Down, down, down, down, rain is falling to the ground!"

The kids really enjoyed singing along with these and watching how the mallots were "taking steps" up the resonator bars!

We also took turns individually playing the resonator bars with the scale activity, and practiced a static, steady beat while singing songs like, "Rain, Rain, Go Away" and "Hickory Dickory Dock".

I also showed the children what 2 harmonious pairs of notes look like, using the resonator bars. We talked about discord (when two notes don't harmonize and sound  discordant or a little "funky") and discussed things that come in pairs (like socks, shoes, glasses and gloves!).

Check out the cute video below of a fingerplay we did this week as well, called "There Was A Little Grasshopper".

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD

1) Did you play a resonator bar this week in music class? What color was it?

2) What do you hit the resonator bar with, to make a sound? A mallot, or a striker

3) Can you tell me about some things that come in pairs?