BREATH MARKS, 

NOTATION and LETTERING!!

Kudos to Grade 3!!  I have heard great improvements in their playing and especially their fingering.  Students are making the proper transitions between fingering B, A, G and G to B!!  Remember robot fingers!  

This week, students are learning to observe breath marks or "floating commas" in Rhythm Chart #2.  They are to practice these rhythms and taking light, gentle breaths when marked.  Each example should be practiced on B, A and G.  

Students listened to "Rolling Merrily" and determined that the first two measures are the same as those measures which are missing.  Students will fill in the missing notes and "letter" the song for the second music class of the week.  

**BINDERS WILL BE CHECKED ON THE SECOND MUSIC CLASS!!**

Practice #1: Rhythm Chart #2 on B, A and G.

                         Note 2 missing measures in "Rolling Merrily"

                         Letter "Rolling Merrily"

                         Continue to improve "Hot Cross Buns" 

                                                                "Au Clair du Lune"

Practice #2: Practice "Rolling Merrily" 

                                        "Au Clair du Lune"  

                                        "Hot Cross Buns"

Practice makes Progress!!

~Miss Simone 

G to B!

IT IS TRICKY!!

This week, students have been continuing their work reading B, A and G!  There has been a great improvement in tone color!!  I can tell that these young musicians are practicing and want to be great recorder players!  There is less squeaking, students are putting gentle breath through the instrument and are able to self diagnose when they hear something that is not right.  Students have also been doing a great job maintaining their instrument and demonstrating self control in the classroom.  Keep up the good work!!

FINGERING!! FINGERING!!

Practice for this week and for over the weekend includes fingering and playing the last three lines on the "Happy BAG" handout.  They are to continue to perfect "Hot Cross Buns" and "Au Clair de Lune."  Students: Work on the transition from G to B!!  Finger it before you play it!  Remember: no funny noises or "blips."

Practice #1 & 2: "Happy BAG" #4,5,6
                         "Hot Cross Buns"
                         "Au Clair de Lune"

I can not wait to hear you next week!
Practice!

~Miss Simone

QUICK FINGERS!

Students are continuing to work on B-A-G with a clean sound.  Part of this process involves "quick fingers."  The exercises we have looked at during the second part of this week incorporate fine motor skills and dexterity of the left hand.  It is equally important that students cover the correct tone holes and uncover tone holes at the same time to avoid "blips."  When this happens, different sounds are heard between the two pitches being played.  The goal is to move from one pitch to another cleanly, without "blips."

Students also received a Song Handout, which has their first three songs!  Students lettered #1 "Hot Cross Buns" and played it through during class.  Half of the class listened, while the others played, and then gave each other feedback.  If students can hear what the issues are, they will be able to apply this to their own practice and playing!  Good listening this week Grade Three!

Practice #2:  Play Lines 4, 5, 6 (#6 watch for "blips")

                        Play Hot Cross Buns 

Remember:  Gentle Breath, Cover Tone Holes, Whole/Half/Quarter Notes (review handout!!)

Have a good weekend!!  Practice!!!

-Miss Simone

Practice B-A-G!

The first part of this week, students worked on fingering and playing the notes B-A-G.  Students were also asked to letter the first three practice lines of the newest handout.  Students are now able to decode written notation for these three notes.  Students have shown great progress in their ability to read notation!  This is very exciting because it is an important step in becoming a good musician and recorder player!  

Practice # 1:  Play Line 1 on B-A-G

                        Play Line 2 

                        Play Line 3 




Practice! Practice Practice!
-Miss Simone

B-A-G!!

This week, third graders have been exposed to their first three notes! B, A and G!


Students received new handouts for their binders showing the four main types of notes that they will be reading in addition to the corresponding rests. 


The four main notes and rests that they should be able to recognize are: 
Whole Note/Rest 
Half Note/Rest 
Quarter Note/Rest 
Eighth Note/Rest 


Students were also given Rhythm Chart #1. They spoke all rhythms on Du and Rest, clapped rhythms observing rests and performed each rhythm on B, A and G. 


Practice will be broken into Practice #1 and Practice #2. Practice #1 will be what should be worked on between the first and second music class of the week. Practice #2 will be what is expected to be worked on over the weekend for the following week. 


Practice #2 was assigned today: Play Rhythm Chart #1 on B, A and G. 
Be aware of: Squeaking and Covering All Tone Holes!! 
Remember: Less breath will make a better sound! 


Keep up the good work, Musicians!!
-Miss Simone