Chapter Graphic : Keyboard Patterns
Trend Task
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  Level: Year 8 only
Approach: One to one
Focus: Playing note patterns on an electronic keyboard, maintaining them against a melody, and inventing note patterns to fit with a tune.
92k
Resources: Electronic keyboard, video recording on a laptop computer.
Keys to Use indicated on Keyboard

Questions / instructions:
This activity is explained to you on the video. You will be using the keyboard, but only the notes that have coloured dots on them. Before I start the video, you can practise playing those notes on the keyboard so that you know what they sound like. You can do that now.
Allow time. Click the Play button to start the video.

     
% responses
y8
1. PATTERN
Pattern to Repeat
Hello, I want you to play me a pattern on your keyboard, to play this pattern you use the two notes with the red dots [E, F] on them.
Could you try this pattern with me now? Here it goes.
Pattern plays
Would you practise playing that pattern now... turn off the video and have a practice. I want you to play that pattern with me, I'm going to play it 2 times, and then I'm going to start playing a tune on top, but I want you to keep playing that pattern underneath... Right, are you ready? Here we go... 1,2,3,4.
Pattern and tune 1 play.
  Maintains pattern with melody
throughout
63 (39)
 
most of time
16 (21)
late arrival at pattern
3 (8)
early loss of pattern
8 (17)
pattern never achieved
10 (15)
2. PATTERN
Pattern to Repeat
Now I would like you to play a different pattern this time using the blue dots [E, F, G]. It sounds like this...
Pattern plays.

Now would you practice doing that now. Turn the video off.

Now I'm going to play that pattern with you, a couple of times then I'm going to bring the tune in on top, I want you to keep playing the pattern all the time... Right, here we go...1,2,3,4.
Pattern and tune play.
  Maintains pattern with melody
throughtout
45 (26)
 
most of the time
30 (35)
late arrival at pattern
2 (2)
early loss of pattern
13 (26)
pattern never achieved
10 (12)
3. TUNE
This time I'm going to play you a short tune, have a listen to it.
Pattern to Repeat
Tune plays.

I want you to make up your own pattern to go with that tune, you can use 4 notes this time and they are the ones that are marked on your keyboard with yellow dots [C, D, E, G].

Would you practice a tune of your own now, a little pattern that you can play with that... and turn off the video until your ready.

Now that you've practiced your pattern, I want you to play it with me while I play the tune. Right, are you ready? ... 1,2,3,4.

Tune plays.
  Pattern developed
appropriate rhythm / timing all of the time
19 (9)
 
some of the time
45 (33)
none of the time
36 (58)
type of pattern complex
61 (61)
simple
19 (23)
   
never established
20 (16)
Commentary:
About 80 percent of the year 8 students in 2000 managed to maintain the two note patterns all or most of the time. Fewer managed to create and maintain an appropriate note pattern to go with some music. There was a substantial improvement in performance on this task from 1996 to 2000.
 
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