Week of April 4th, 2016

That's some tricky resonator bar playing! :D

RESONATOR BARS

We had a blast using resonator bars this week!

Much like a normal xylophone, the resonator bars use vibration on their metal bars to make sound using a mallet. Unlike the xylophone though, which has its notes permanently set in place, our resonator bars can be moved around, which makes for a fun opportunity to learn about scales, harmonies and different melodies.

I sang the children a simple tune to illustrate going “up” the scale with my voice (to the tune of a c major scale):

“Up, up, up, up, rain is filling up my cup!”

And then down:

“Down, down, down, down, rain is falling to the ground.”

The kids enjoyed trying out the resonator bars, and we also sang the songbook “Baby Beluga” this week by Raffi while passing a little Beluga cut-out around the circle. 

We’re enjoying our spring break, how about you?

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD:

1) What were some of the colors of the resonator bars? 

Red, blue, yellow, green and more!

2) Did you play up and down the scale? What did the sounds of the resonator bar remind you of?

3) What ocean animal did you sing about in music class this week? A beluga whale!

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?

Week of May 13th, 2013

RAINBOW RESONATOR BARS!

The kids really enjoyed using the resonator bars today! This fun "xylophone" like instrument has separated bells and two mallets. The great thing about using an instrument like this is the ability to separate and isolate pitches and share pieces more easily in the classroom, among the other fun things you can do!

We started out by taking a look at the eight notes in the major scale. We sang and counted them (see the video below). We also tried going backwards! The children did very well playing the major scales on their own. We also played a fun game with the traditional song "Oats, Peas, Beans and Barley grow". I sang the song using the resonator bars as accompaniment, while one child stood in the middle as "the farmer". When the song was over (and their turn), they chose a partner to "bow" to, who became the next farmer. The kids really enjoyed this! 

Younger children also got a big kick out of Mr. Dog the puppet, who visited to sing "How Much Is That Doggy In the Window" today along with other movement songs and a simple musical book, "The Band" by Nancy Leber.