Play the animated rhythm play along

Choose body percussion or instruments to play the rhythms.
For example:
top row - clap
bottom row - pat
or
top row - sticks
bottom row - tambourine

Do you like how you played it? What other ways can you think of to play the rhythms?

Practice do re mi so patterns

Review “Rabbits”

This is a fun song for students to learn as part of a spring or Easter theme. Students may be able to read the rhythm and melody of the song. Since students will be familiar with the melody they may be able to create new words.

Read the rhythms for “Rabbits.” The melody will probably be familiar to the students, and you can have students read the melody from the concept slides.

Create new patterns using do re mi so

Can you make up your own patterns using do-re-mi and so?

Try making up a pattern. The class can echo!

Optional: Play “Rabbits” on Boomwhackers

Solfa are the way singers read music.

Pitch Letter names are used to name notes on instruments.

Can you read the notes for "Rabbits" both ways? Solfege for singers AND letter names for instruments?

Read the lyrics for “I Love the Mountains”

Read the lyrics.

Think about what the song means.

What is the song about?

Is it a funny song or a serious song?

How do the words make you feel?

Did you learn a new word in this song?

What is your favourite part of the lyrics?

Teach “I Love the Mountains”

This song is in 2 parts.

Listen to the song, and follow part 1.

Play the song again and try to sing along with part 1.

Listen to the song again and this time follow part 2.

Introduction to Theme and Variations Form

Read the slide.

In the next activity you'll sing "Twinkle Twinkle."

This will be our theme, and then we'll try some variations.

Review “Twinkle Twinkle”

Have you sung the song "Twinkle Twinkle" when you were younger?

In this part of the lesson, we're going to learn how a composer can take a simple melody like this, and create variations on it.

Just for fun, sing the song.

Sing “Twinkle Twinkle” with Extra Words

Sing "Twinkle Twinkle" with extra words.

These extra words and notes are called ornaments.

Sing "Twinkle Twinkle" in 3/4 Meter

Sing "Twinkle Twinkle" in 3/4 meter.

Meter tells us how many beats are in each group.

In 3/4 meter there are 3 beats in each group.

Sing "Twinkle Twinkle" in a Minor Key

Sing "Twinkle Twinkle" in a minor key.

Major and minor are "tonalities."

Major might seem happier to you

Minor might seem sadder to you

If time permits at the end of the lesson, play the Major Minor game on the website

Complete a worksheet: How Does Mozart Change “Twinkle Twinkle?”

How does Mozart change "Twinkle Twinkle?"

Listen to the performance and write a word of two about each variation.

The first section is the theme. There are 12 variations that follow.
The times that each variation starts are given below.

Theme Track List:
0:06 Theme
0:31 Variation 1
:54 Variation 2
1:17 Variation 3
1:41 Variation 4
2:04 Variation 5
2:29 Variation 6
2:51 Variation 7
3:12 Variation 8
3:44 Variation 9
4:05 Variation 10
4:29 Variation 11
5:44 Variation 12

Compare 1: Watch a Piano Performance of the Mozart Twinkle Twinkle Variations

This is a SafeShare link to a piano performance of Mozart's "Ah! vous dirai je maman" (Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star) KV 265 by Richard Gao (age 6). If the link doesn't work, google piano performance of Mozart Twinkle Star Variations to find one.

Track List:
0:06 Theme
0:31 Variation 1
:54 Variation 2
1:17 Variation 3
1:41 Variation 4
2:04 Variation 5
2:29 Variation 6
2:51 Variation 7
3:12 Variation 8
3:44 Variation 9
4:05 Variation 10
4:29 Variation 11
5:44 Variation 12

Compare 2: Twinkle Star Variations with light show by Traum Piano

This performance of the Twinkle Star Variations is by Traum Piano on YouTube.

This performance gives a lovely visual to help students tell how each variation changes the theme.

Compare 3: New Variations on Twinkle Star by Cateen

This set of variations on Twinkle starts with the Mozart theme, then goes on to Seven Levels that are 21st C in feel. This is a beautifully played and interesting composition. It would be a great comparison for your students to the Mozart composition.

This video is on YouTube - search "Cateen Twinkle Variations" if the link doesn't work for you.