 Lesson #3  I can build a triad! From any note on the staff, I just add a 3rd and a 5th. Then guess what! I can move the notes around (as long as they stay on the same letter) and the root is still the same. If the chord isn’t in root position, then “the note above the gap’s the root” (just listen to the song… it explains it all!). We will continue to explore this concept in the coming weeks.
While we are only practicing the first two lines of part I in “From the New World,” it would be easy to just simply ‘play’ it, but remember to not only sing the note names, (“e-g-g-e-d-c” etc.) but try singing the rhythm as well (“shoot-the half note” etc.) while playing it this week. Or you could even sing the counts! (1+ 2+ 3+ 4+…) This is a wonderful song to practice counting with. For additional counting practice you can download the counting cards that were included in last week’s email. Make counting fun by using something unusual to keep a steady beat. For example: tap a cardboard box with a pencil, pat a balloon with a plastic spoon, or tap a metal pan with a wooden spoon! Let your child be creative and have fun with counting rhythms! This is a lifelong music skill that will be used in every musical endeavor your child chooses! 
John Jacob Jingleheimer Smith This fun song from yourchildhood will get us learning a new style of bass root accompanying. Once we understand this we can improvise on a two handed marching style. It also is another opportunity to feel a half cadence. This song is also another opportunity to feel a half cadence (ends on a yellow chord instead of red).
I Can Build a Triad 
There are lots of different variations on our ‘John Jacob’ song. I remembered singing it as ‘Schmidt’ instead of ‘Smith’ as a kid, and instead of ‘look there he goes again’ we would just sing ‘la la la la la la la.’ It can be lots of fun to take a familiar tune and improvise in fun and crazy ways. Which way does your family like best? The Rock’n’Roll, the Sesame Street, or the Sing-a-Ma-Jig version?? Have a musical day! -Ms. Bethany 🙂  |
In “John Jacob Jingleheimer Smith” we found that it was missing a note in the first measure in the bass clef. We decided what note we should put there by finding out what the root of the chord was in the treble clef. We wrote some of the letter names in the space between the treble and bass clefs during class, but the kids were told to finish writing them at home.
