Chapter Graphic : Keyboard Rhythms
Trend Task
Loading Images

  Level: Year 4 only
Approach: One to one
Focus: Playing note patterns on a electronic keyboard, maintaining them against a melody, and inventing note patterns to fit with a melody.
140k
Resources: Electronic keyboard, video recording on a laptop computer.

Questions / instructions:

Keyboard with keys indicated

Note: The video volume should be lower than the keyboard volume.
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 the student some time to become familiar with the marked keyboard notes. Then play video. If necessary, stop and restart the video to allow the student to keep with the music.

Prompt: You don't have to use all the green notes to make your pattern.
Prompt: Make a simple pattern — it doesn't have to be a tune.

     
% responses
2000 (1996)
y4
1. RHYTHM  
Pattern to Maintain

I'm going to play a rhythm on the keyboard using the notes marked with red dots. Listen as I play this rhythm. Now I'll play that rhythm again, but I want you to play with me, look at the keyboard as you play, don't look at the video screen, I'll count to 4 and then start. . . .1, 2, 3, 4
Rhythm plays.
This time I'm going to play a tune as well as the rhythm, and I want you to keep on playing the rhythm, using the notes marked with red dots [C, D] again. I'll count to 4 then start, here we go. . . 1, 2, 3, 4
Rhythm and tune plays.
  Maintain pattern with melody
throughout or most of time
40 (43)
 
late arrival at pattern
9 (15)
 
early loss of pattern
22 (16)
 
pattern not achieved
29 (26)
2. RHYTHM  
Pattern to Maintain
I'm going to play another rhythm on the keyboard, using those same notes that are marked with red dots [C,D]. Listen as I play it.
Rhythm plays.
I'm going to play that rhythm again, and I would like you to play it with me. Again look at the keyboard as you play, don't look at the video screen. I'll count to 4 then we'll start. . .1, 2, 3, 4.
Rhythm and tune plays.
Once again, I'm going to play a tune as well as that rhythm, and I want you to keep on playing that rhythm using the notes marked with red dots [C, D] again. I'll count to 4 then we'll start. . .1, 2, 3, 4.
Rhythm and tune plays.
  Maintained pattern with melody
throughout or most of time
39 (44)
 
late arrival at pattern
7 (9)
 
early loss of pattern
13 (9)
 
pattern not achieved
41 (38)
3. RHYTHM
Pattern to Maintain
Now I'm going to play a rhythm using the green dots [E, F, G]. Listen as I play.
Rhythm plays.
Now I'll play that rhythm again, and I want you to play with me. Look at the keyboard as you play, don't look at the video screen. I'll count to 4 then we'll start. . .1,2,3,4.
Rhythm plays.
This time I'm going to play a tune as well as the rhythm, and I want you to keep on playing the rhythm marked with the green dots [E, F, G] again. I'll count to 4 then we'll start. . .1,2,3,4.
Rhythm and tune plays.
  Maintained pattern with melody
throughout or most of time
36 (43)
 
late arrival at pattern
6 (9)
 
early loss of pattern
13 (10)
 
pattern not achieved
45 (38)
4. RHYTHM
Pattern to Maintain
Now I'm going to play a different rhythm, using the green dots [E,F,G]. Listen as I play.
Rhythm plays.
Now I'll play that rhythm again, and I want you to play with me, Look at the keyboard as you play, don't look at the screen. I'll count to 4 then we'll start . . .1,2,3,4.
Rhythm plays.
This time I'm going to play a tune as well as the rhythm, and I want you to keep on playing the rhythm, using the notes marked with the green dots [E, F, G] again. I'll count to 4 then we'll start . . .1,2,3,4.
Rhythm and tune plays.
  Maintained pattern with melody
throughout or most of time
27 (33)
 
late arrival at pattern
7 (10)
 
early loss of pattern
13 (13)
 
pattern not achieved
53 (44)
5. TUNE
To finish off, I'm going to play a tune and you can make up your own rhythm using any of the green dots [E, F, G]. Listen as I play the tune, and I'll count 4 to start with . . .1,2,3,4.
Tune to Accompany
Tune plays.
Now I'm going to play that tune a few times, and I want you to make up a rhythm that you will play on the green dots [E, F, G]. Right are you ready? Here is the tune. . . 1,2,3,4.
Tune plays.
  Create pattern to fit with this melody
appropriate rhythm and timing all of the time
3 (7)
 
some of the time
31 (38)
 
none of the time
66 (55)
 
choice of pattern complex
23 (21)
 
simpler
34 (46)
 
never established
43 (33)
Commentary:
This task was about playing note patterns to accompany melodies. Only about one third of the students succeeded. Overall, there was a modest decline in performance from 1996 to 2000. It would have been more appropriate to use the term "keyboard patterns" in the instructions for this task, as in the year 8 version.
 
Loading Images