Lesson Sequence

 

 

1. Play Great Gate of Kiev as students are finding their seats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. During our last few lessons about rhythm in music we talked about beat and tempo. Today we are going to continue learning about

    rhythm by talking about Note Values.  Ask students to write the definition in their CNW.

 

 

Definition: A Note Value is the duration or length of a musical sound, called a note, in relation to the steady beat.

 

 

 

3. The first Note Value we will learn is called a Whole Note, which looks like this: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Ask students to write the definition in their CNW.

 

Definition:  A Whole Note is a musical sound for a duration of four steady beats.

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4. Since a Whole Note's length is four beats, to play or sing this note you would have to "hold" it over all four beats to play correctly.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    You should notice that a Whole Note makes a sound on beat 1, then is held through beats 2, 3, and 4 (which is denoted by the _____).

    Let's practice this by clapping a Whole Note while whispering the numbers of the four beats.

 

 

 

5. There are lots of songs that use Whole Notes, but a simple song is I've Been Working on the Railroad, which has Whole Notes at the end of

    each line of lyrics (see the underlined words).

 

I've been working on the railroad all my live long day

I've been workin' on the railroad just to pass the time away

Don't you hear the whistle blowin', rise up so early in the morn?

Don't you hear the captain shoutin', "Dinah blow your horn"!

 

 

6. Each Note Value also has a corresponding Rest Value.  Ask students to write the definition in their CNW.

 

 

Definition: A Rest Value is the duration or length of no musical sound, called a rest, in relation to the steady beat.  

 

 

 

7. Because there is a Whole Note, then there is also a Whole rest.  A Whole Rest looks like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Definition:  A Whole Rest is no musical sound for a duration of four steady beats.

 

    This Whole Rest also gets four beats but it is four beats of no sound, which is denoted by the beats being in parentheses.  

 

 

 

8. Let's practice clapping and counting Whole Notes and Whole Rests.  I will give you a steady beat as well as tell you when to start.  You should

    either clap for a Whole Note or rest for a Whole Rest.  I would also like you to count out loud for a Whole Note saying 1, 2, 3, 4 or whisper the

    count for a Whole Rest (1, 2, 3, 4).

 

 

 

 

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