Music

Exploring Music: Element of Music - Timbre/Tone Colour – Frere Jacque (Millar, 2014)

As a whole group in the centre carpet area explore the musical element of timbre/tone colour while viewing the website Frere Jacque (Are you sleeping) (Millar, 2014) to understand the concept of singing in a canon. Form the children into small groups to perform a canon of Frere Jacque and have children begin singing at different times (DETWA, 2007e; Millar, 2014).

Practicing Music: Timbre/Tone Colour – Frere Jacque (Rddeschenes, 2008)

Practice listening for the timbre/tone colour during listening to Frere Jacque (Rddeschenes, 2008) using musical instruments including stringed, tuned and un-tuned instruments (Russell-Bowie, 2009, p. 56). Allow each child to choose one instrument from each of the groups of instruments (Russell-Bowie, 2009, p. 91-92). Form the children into groups according to the type of instruments each have chosen. For example all the children with tuned-percussion instruments using xylophones and chimes are grouped together; the children with un-tuned instruments including triangles, maracas, bells, castanets, drums, cymbals, rhythm sticks or tambourines are grouped together and the children with stringed instruments make up a third group (Russell-Bowie, 2009, p. 56). Each group will play their instruments while listening to Frère Jacque (Rddeschenes, 2008) and noticing the different sound qualities (timbre/tone colour) that can be heard while playing the instruments (Millar, 2014).

Responding/Reflecting

Respond to the musical element of timbre/tone colour as a whole group with a musical game with each child having a turn at trying to match the singing voice to the correct child (DETWA, 2007f; Russell-Bowie, 2009, p. 92). At the end of the game children will be asked to reflect and share what they learned and liked most about the experience of exploring and practicing the element of timbre/tone colour within music (DETWA, 2007f, p. 4). During reflection check for children's understandings of timbre/tone colour and ask children to show thumbs up if they enjoyed the experience (DETWA, 2007f, p. 4).