Kindergarten Mallet Madness

The Kindergarten students have been learning how to play numerous percussion instruments. In class we are learning and working hard at perfecting the correct way to play each instrument. Once they mastered the correct skills we began playing simple rhythmic patterns and ostinatos on the instruments.

The student below is demonstrating the correct way to hold mallets which are used on the xylophones and glockenspiels. 

We say "Thumbs Up" and "No Sneaky Fingers!"

Once the students have accomplished the right grip on the mallets, we then work on the correct posture while playing the instrument. This student is showing off her great, "bicycle arms" which I always remind the students to get their elbows up and ride the bike so they have more movement while playing their instrument.

This is the Ocean Drum. This drum not only sounds like a snare drum when using mallets but it also sounds like the waves at the ocean. I love to use this instrument after an interactive high movement lesson to calm the students down before they go back to class. 

BOOMWHAKERS! Yes, the students LOVE to play these instruments because you can hit them on the ground or your own body to make the correct sound and they don't hurt. Here the student is showing the correct way to hold the instruments. Not too tight and right by the bottom of the tube.

Kindergarten and 1st Grade Students ROCK at Rhythms

The kindergarten students at all three schools have been working really hard in music class. They have been learning how to read rhythms and play them on different instruments. They are now able to play and read Ta, TiTi, and Rest (Z)!

 

 

This activity I placed 5 different rhythms on the board and the 6th one was a mystery rhythm where the students were able to play whatever they wanted. One student was asked to roll the die and whatever number it landed on we played the corresponding rhythm for that one. When the students heard me chant: 1 2 3 4 Put your instruments on the floor. 5 6 7 8 Hurry don't be late (BOOM) after the word "late" the students are suppose to play one sound on their instrument to show me they are ready to go for the next rhythm.

 

The first video is a class from Cummings Elementary and they are demonstrating how to play TiTi TiTi Rest Rest. The second rhythm they rolled a number 6 so they were able to play whatever they wanted, which is by far their favorite thing to do!

 

 

This picture video shows the rhythms we played and East Elementary students playing all kinds of fun and exciting instruments!