2018 Term 1, Weeks 9 & 10: Percussion - Beat it!

Moving to Music: 
Ship That Sails by Claudia Gunn 
Dances:
Can't Stop the Feeling  
Cheap Thrills
Don't Stop Me Now 
Dynamite 
I  Gotta Feeling 
Gummy Bear 
We no Speak Americano 
YMCA  Junior
YMCA

This week we are learning about the percussion section of the orchestra. It is the biggest family of instruments, and almost anything can be used as a percussion instrument. 

Here's a wider range of percussion instruments used in many different types of orchestras and bands. 
Percussion part 1
Percussion part 2 

Look at the poster below: Which instruments are tuned percussion  and which are untuned? (Note that some instruments can fit in both  tuned and untuned percussion  categories because some instruments come in different sizes and, therefore, have different pitches, and some drums are tuned by tightening the skins.)

Some of the instruments in the percussion family 

See how hitting a snare drum and a cymbal looks in slow motion.  How does this make the sound? 


                                              
STOMP Kitchen - We've seen this a few times before, but it's still worth seeing again. How many ways can you see kitchen items, utensils and fittings being used as percussion instruments? 

Watch:

Watch this clip of Rowan Atkinson (also known as Mr Bean) play the invisible drums. 

And something to try at home, perhaps? See  how buckets can be used to make a drum kit.   Note how the drummer uses his foot to lift the bucket to get a different sound? How does the sound change? 

Here's a ten-year-old girl from Denmark called Johane Astrid playing the drums on Denmark's got talent.  (Whole lotta Love by Led Zeppelin) 

On one episode of The Muppet Show, Rita Moreno sings Fever with Animal playing the drums. See what happens when he doesn't follow the music. Rita Moreno is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer and singer. Listen to her speak Spanish to Animal.  Even if you can't understand what she is saying, her meaning is very clear . . . 

Homework / Extra: 
Here's some kitchen beats to try at home - but ask your parents first - and be prepared for "No!" - but you never know, they might join in. 

Here's a Walt Disney cartoon from 1953 about the history of music (It's ten minutes long.)