Mix and match activities to create a fun lesson in which students will learn Verse 3 and the bridge of the song “Vacation” by Dirty Heads. Integrate Solfeg.io in teaching the basics of piano, ukulele, guitar, bass, percussion and singing.
🎲 What’s included in the activities:
💻 Materials:
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
What are the differences between Verse 3 and the previous verses?
What are the differences between the bridge and the song sections you learned previously?
Are there any new chords in the bridge?
What are the lyrics about?
What are the functions of the bridge in a pop song?
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objective:
Tune the ukuleles and guitars
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
Corresponding lyrics: Van Gogh, my earlobe, I can't hear, I'm here though.
Corresponding lyrics: I may be a weirdo, but this is my year, yo.
Corresponding lyrics: My life may be crazy, my lack of the lazy has let me do things that I love on the daily.
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
Did they practice at home?
Did they manage to learn their part by heart?
How did it sound compared to the previous lesson?
🕐 Time: 10 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
Most of the class will be doing the vocal part.
To create a contrast with other song sections, select only a few students to play the chords from the ukulele, guitar and piano players.
If the instrument players feel comfortable with playing and rapping at the same time, they can do the vocal part too.
From the rhythm section, only the 1st rhythm line has to be played - there are only breaks in other lines. Students who usually play the 2nd, 3rd and 4th line will do the vocal part. The players of the 1st line can rap along, if they feel confident with playing at the same time.
🕐 Time: 15 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 15 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 15 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
Time: 15 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 15 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
How did it go with the new strumming/rhythm patterns and rapping?
What difference did it make to the overall sound of the band and the general mood of the song?
Was Chorus 4 and Post-Chorus 4 any different from the choruses and post-choruses you played previously?
🕐 Time: 3 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
In this lesson, students will learn to sing and play the remaining parts of the song “Vacation” by Dirty Heads - Verse 3 and Bridge. The lesson consists of a short warm-up which will equip students with the necessary skills needed, a song practice session where students will learn to play and sing different instrumental and vocal parts in groups, a band practice with the whole class and a homework assignment.
⏰ Time: 50 min
🎓 Grades: 5-12
🎯 Objective(s): As a result of this lesson, students will be able to...
💡 Required Prior Knowledge and Skills:
💻 Materials:
🕐 5 min - Discover the bridge
What are the differences between Verse 3 and the previous verses?
What are the differences between the bridge and the song sections you learned previously?
Are there any new chords in the bridge?
What are the lyrics about?
What are the functions of the bridge in a pop song?
🕐 5 min - Tune the guitars and ukuleles
🕐 10 min - Get ready!
Corresponding lyrics: Van Gogh, my earlobe, I can't hear, I'm here though.
Corresponding lyrics: I may be a weirdo, but this is my year, yo.
Corresponding lyrics: My life may be crazy, my lack of the lazy has let me do things that I love on the daily.
🕐 5 min - Recap Verse 2
Did they practice at home?
Did they manage to learn their part by heart?
How did it sound compared to the previous lesson?
🕐 10 min - Verse 3
Most of the class will be doing the vocal part.
To create a contrast with other song sections, select only a few students to play the chords from the ukulele, guitar and piano players.
If the instrument players feel comfortable with playing and rapping at the same time, they can do the vocal part too.
From the rhythm section, only the 1st rhythm line has to be played - there are only breaks in other lines. Students who usually play the 2nd, 3rd and 4th line will do the vocal part. The players of the 1st line can rap along, if they feel confident with playing at the same time.
🕐 10 min - Bridge
- To play the bridge, students split into the usual instrumental/vocal groups they have already done most of the song in.
- As usually, guide the groups through the step-by-step learning process.
First, listen to the bridge and read the lyrics.
Repeat the bridge and speak the lyrics out loud in the indicated rhythm.
Sing the melody with syllables of choice, for example, “lah-lah”, “dah-dah” or just vowels - “ah”, “oh” or other.
First, practice at a slower speed, then speed the song up to the original speed.
Try singing the bridge with the vocal track muted - you can mute it under “Controls” - “Volume”.
Slow the song down to a comfortable speed.
Practice strumming the four chords in this pattern: down-up-down-up in eighth notes.
When you're comfortable with the slower tempo, try playing the bridge at a faster speed and try to reach the original speed!
Try playing the bridge with the piano and synth tracks muted - you can mute them under “Controls” - “Volume”.
Slow the song down to a comfortable speed.
Play only the left hand part of the bridge - the same notes you play with your right thumb when pressing the chords, only lower - to the left on the piano.
Repeat the bridge, this time adding the chords with your right hand: play the bass note on the first beat, then the chord on the third beat of every bar.
When you're confident with this pattern, you can make it slightly more interesting by playing it twice as fast: play the bass on the first beat, the chord on the second beat, then repeat the same bass on the third beat and again the same chord on the fourth beat. Then move on to the next chord in the next bar.
When you're comfortable with the slower tempo, try playing the bridge at a faster speed until you reach the original speed!
Try playing the bridge with the piano and synth tracks muted - you can mute them under “Controls” - “Volume”.
Slow the song down to a comfortable speed.
Mute all the tracks except the rhythm tracks under “Controls” - “Volume”. Listen to the rhythm section.
Play the bridge again and try to play or clap along.
Take turns learning each rhythm line - you can mute the other three tracks when learning your track.
If comfortable with the slower tempo, you can try playing the bridge at a faster speed and try to reach the original speed!
Slow the song down to a comfortable speed.
Play along to the bridge - it contains the same four notes in the same order as in the whole song.
Repeat each note four times in each bar.
If comfortable with the slower tempo, you can try playing the verse at a faster speed and try to reach the original speed!
Walk around the classroom and check how students are doing in different instrumental stations. Guide them by suggesting the next step from the above-mentioned step-by-step learning process when you see that students are ready.
🕐 5 min - Put it all together
🕐 5 min - Discussion
Ask students to practice their part of Verse 3 and the bridge at home.
Encourage them to learn their part by heart.