Pitched Notation

In Year 4, pupils at KHEF extend their knowledge of stave notation, started in Y3 with writing notes of different duration on the stave.  The next step for them is learning how to show the pitch of a note, by identifying line and space notes and accurately drawing them on the stave.  This is harder than you might think and we talk a lot about accuracy, as this is really important for the person trying to read the music.

Over a series of lessons, pupils learnt how to identify and name the notes, draw their own notes at the right pitch, and then the biggest challenge of all, to combine their knowledge of pitch and duration whilst drawing notes.  It’s hard to think about both at once, but many pupils did this very successfully.

In the photos you can see the stages of this process, starting with naming notes, then drawing them, then identifying sports rhythms, then combining pitch and duration and finally creating our own compositions, combining all these skills.

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Singing and Ocarinas

Year 4 pupils have made a start this term on learning to play the ocarina.  It’s not an easy endeavour with lots of notes to learn and a lot of control over breath needed in order to make a good sound.  However, they are rising admirably to the challenge and we have some recordings of our early achievements to share with you.

Year 4 have also been enjoying learning the song ‘Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines’ and have some great actions to go with the song.  In the photos you can see some children enjoying a cup of tea, and others finishing the piece with some jazz hands!

On the ocarina:

Alpacas and Camels – Ocarina Groove and Down and Up

Llamas – The Ladder Song

Singing:

All classes – Those Magnificent Men

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