Mix and match activities to create a fun lesson on the basics of rhythmic improvisation. Integrate solfeg.io in teaching your students to improvise short rhytmical bits in a popular song.
🎲 What’s included in the activities:
💻 Materials:
🕐 Time: 10 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
What are your associations when you hear the word 'improvisation'?
Can you explain what improvisation is?
When was the last time you improvised? What did you do?
🕐 Time: 10 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 10 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎶 Recommended Songs:
🎲 Activity:
Do you notice something unusual?
Is something missing in the song?
🕐 Time: 10 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎶 Recommended Songs:
🎲 Activity:
Students can play in order of how they are sitting in the class.
To make it more fun and allow some movement, you could ask students to stand in a row in order of their birthdates - those born in January at the beginning of the line - and so on until December!
One student could take up the role of conductor and indicate the next player. Make sure to do it early enough to give time for the next player to prepare!
You can even try layering different patterns - indicate two or more students to keep repeating their patterns at the same time.
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎶 Recommended Songs:
🎲 Activity:
How does the mood change when the original rhythm tracks are added?
What's the difference between the original and students' improvisations?
What do you prefer - the original or any of the improvisations? Why?
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
How did you feel while improvising?
Which improvisation did you enjoy the most - making things up or doing a collective improvisation while following fixed rhythm patterns?
Did you play an instrument or do body percussion you had never tried before?
Did you find a new way to play an instrument?
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by...
In this lesson, students will improve their sense of rhythm and use their knowledge of basic rhythmic values and patterns creatively, improvising short rhythms along a steady pulse. They will understand the role of the rhythm part in popular songs and improvise their own rhythm to a well-known song. Students will play together and on their own and hone their listening skills.
The timing and pacing of the exercises in this lesson plan example are approximate and will differ depending on your students' skill level. If the pace of this lesson plan is too fast for you, divide it into several lessons. If the pace of this lesson plan is too slow for you, explore the 'Beyond the lesson' chapter at the end of this lesson plan for additional activities.
⏰ Time: 50 min
🎓 Grades: 5-12
🎯 Objective(s): As a result of this lesson students will know and/or be able to...
💡 Required Prior Knowledge and Skills:
💻 Materials:
🕐 10 min - Everyday improvisation
What are your associations when you hear the word 'improvisation'?
Can you explain what improvisation is?
When was the last time you improvised? What did you do?
🕐 10 min - Call and Response
🕐 10 min - Exercise 1 - Improvise the missing rhythm
Do you notice something unusual?
Is something missing in the song?
🕐 10 min - Exercise 2 - Rhythm jigsaw
Students can play in order of how they are sitting in the class.
To make it more fun and allow some movement, you could ask students to stand in a row in order of their birthdates - those born in January at the beginning of the line - and so on until December!
One student could take up the role of conductor and indicate the next player. Make sure to do it early enough to give time for the next player to prepare!
You can even try layering different patterns - indicate two or more students to keep repeating their patterns at the same time.
🕐 5 min - Exercise 3 - Original rhythm
How does the mood change when the original rhythm tracks are added?
What's the difference between the original and students' improvisations?
What do you prefer - the original or any of the improvisations? Why?
🕐 5 min - Discussion
How did you feel while improvising?
Which improvisation did you enjoy the most - making things up or doing a collective improvisation while following fixed rhythm patterns?
Did you play an instrument or do body percussion you had never tried before?
Did you find a new way to play an instrument?
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by...