Holiday Fun on your Musical Instrument

Have a look at the following holiday musical activities you can do with your musical instrument.

See how many you can get done over the holidays. Have fun.

Click on the blue links for the item.

 

1. Improvising

This is when you make up a tune on the spot. Start on any note. You can end on any note too. However listen carefully to see if your piece feels like it has ended or wants some more notes to complete it. Try ending your piece on a C or a G and determine if it finishes or not.

Have a go at any of the following

Piano Players

  1. Make up a tune in the right hand using the white keys you know so far.
  2. Make up a tune in the left hand using the white keys you know so far
  3. Make up a tune in both hands using the white keys you know so far
  4. Make up a tune with the black keys using the note lengths you know so far eg 1, 2, 4 count notes
  5. Make up a tune on any notes on the piano using the note lengths you know so far

Flute/Recorder Players

Make up a tune on your instrument using the notes and note lengths you have learnt so far.

 

2. Composing

Choose an activity you like doing in the holidays eg skiing , skating, playing games, baking  or whatever and compose a tune based on this activity with the following criteria.

Download and print off  piano manuscript paper here and  recorder/flute manuscript paper here. 

  1. Add the clef sign at the start. Piano players add a treble clef or bass clef or both if you are composing a piano piece with two hands. Flute and recorder players add a treble clef sign for a recorder/flute composition.

     2. Add a time signature after the clef sign. Use 4/4 or 3/4  or 2/4 time signature.

     3. Use the notes and note lengths you have learnt.

     4. Remember to add barlines and a double barline at end to complete the tune.

     5. End the tune on a C.

     6. Add soft ( p ) and loud ( f ) signs if you have learnt them. 

     7.  Give the tune a name.

     8. Play your tune.

     9.  Bring tune to your next lesson.

   I look forward to seeing the composition and hearing the outcome.

 

3. Improvising or Composing to Backing Track

Listen to the following 8 bar backing track and either compose or improvise a melody to play along at the same time to. Use manuscript paper for the composition choice.

The backing track is  called Chipmunks in Space, and is in 4/4 time.

 

4. Play pieces

       1. Play  1 of your practise tunes slowly 3 times. See if you can do this 4 days in a row.

       2. Choose 1 or more of the following new tunes to play.

 

     Piano players can play the right hand or both hands. Remember to learn it separate hands first.

                          Frere Jacques for piano

                          Frosty Morning for piano

                          Lord of the Dance for piano

           

     Flute /recorder players can look at the piano parts above also and play right hand notes. 

                          My favourite Things for Flute or Recorder

                          Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious for Flute or Recorder

 

HOW MANY 

MUSIC ACTIVITIES

DID YOU DO?