Mix and match activities to create a fun lesson in which students will learn the bridge of the song “Riptide” by Vance Joy. Integrate Solfeg.io in teaching the basics of piano, ukulele, guitar, bass, percussion and singing.
💻 Materials:
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
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:
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 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: 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 chord/note/lyrics?
What did you find challenging in the bridge?
🕐 Time: 3 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
In this lesson, students will learn to sing and play the last remaining part of the song “Riptide” by Vance Joy - the 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 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!
🕐 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?
🕐 15 min - Bridge
-In this activity, students will work in groups to learn their assigned instrumental / vocal part of the bridge.
-Each group should have one device - either a computer or a tablet.
-Each group should select the corresponding visuals under “Tools” - “Visuals”.
-Show them how to loop the bridge on their devices (the “Loop” button on the right side of the “Play” button) and where to slow the song down (the “﹣” button on the left side of the “Play” button.
-Explain the steps for learning the bridge to each group. First, give every group just the first task from the below mentioned lists. Only when students are ready to move on, explain the next step.
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.
If comfortable with the slower tempo, you can try singing the bridge at a faster speed and try to reach the original speed!
Try singing the bridge with the vocal track muted - you can mute it under “Controls” - “Volume”.
Slow the song down to the slowest setting and solo the ukulele track under “Controls” - “Volume”.
Practice the strumming pattern you already did as warm-up (down-up-down-up in sixteenth notes). You'll strum this pattern for most of the bridge. In the last 5 bars, strum each chord just once in a downwards motion, as you can hear in the song.
If you're already comfortable with the strumming pattern on open strings, press the chords with your left hand! If there are at least 4 people in the group, you can take turns to play chords - each person chooses either Am, G, C or F and plays only this chord when the corresponding symbol appears at the red line on the screen.
Try to combine all four chords one after another.
If comfortable with the slower tempo, you can try playing the bridge at a faster speed and try to reach the original speed!
Try playing the bridge with the ukulele track muted - you can mute it under “Controls” - “Volume”.
If comfortable with the chord changes, try to sing along: first, hum along, next, add the lyrics!
Play the same bass line with your left hand as you did in the warm-up.
Add the right hand chords - play both hands simultaneously when the chord symbol appears at the red line on the screen.
Alternatively, half of the group could play the left hand part and the other half - chords with the right hand.
If comfortable with the slower tempo, you can try playing the bridge at a faster speed and try to reach the original speed!
Try playing the bridge with the ukulele track muted - you can mute it under “Controls” - “Volume”.
If comfortable with the chord changes, try to sing along: first, hum along, next, add the lyrics!
Mute all the tracks except the rhythm tracks under “Controls” - “Volume”. Listen to the rhythm section.
Split into the same 4 groups you did in the previous lesson and choose the same rhythm track.
Play the bridge again and try to play or clap along.
Take turns learning the rhythm - 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!
Play along to the bridge - it contains the same four notes you did in the warm-up. in the same rhythm you did in the warm-up.
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 the bridge at home.
Optionally, they could learn their part by heart.