1.1 Music

Arts and culture

Grade 4

Personal and social skills

Module 2

Music

Music

Activity 1

To investigate tone colour [lo 3.6]

What is tone colour?

S tep 1

Sing the song Red, Yellow, Blue.

S tep 2

• The class divides into three colour groups:

Red - voices

Yellow - body percussion (we use our bodies as musical instruments)

Blue - rhythm instruments (rhythm blocks)

• Learn the song given above. Each group performs the song using the ‘instruments’ as indicated. The different tone colours of the different instruments must be listened to/observed. Instruments can be changed from group to group.
• Perform the song on your “instrument”.

• Observation

Every voice and every instrument therefore has a specific tone colour that makes it unique and different to all others. The different sounds in music are called tone colours or timbre. (Pronounced: taem-br)

Activity 2

To investigate how tone colour can be changed [lo 3.6]

HOW CAN I MAKE THE TONE COLOUR LIGHTER OR DARKER?

M ethod

Each colour group must divide into two - light and dark. Perform the song on the various instruments as indicated. Listen carefully to your teacher’s instructions!

1. Distinguish between loud and soft.

2. Distinguish between fast and slow , i.e. TEMPO.

3. Distinguish between staccato and legato .

• Staccato (pronounced stak-kaa-toe) sounds like a ball bouncing or raindrops falling – in other words, short sounds.

Legato (pronounced le-ghaa-toe) sounds like a piece of bubble gum being stretched, in other words, keep-it-going and no-stopping.

1. Distinguish between solo and group.

When one person sings on his or her own or a single instrument is played, we call it a solo .

When a group sings together or instruments are played together, we call it an ensemble .

1. Now try different combinations, e.g.

Red + Yellow: fast and soft

Red + Yellow + Blue: soft, staccato and fast

6. Possible combinations:

7. The best combination:

Activity 3

How to sing a round [lo 3.5]

You have sung a Round!

When two or more groups sing the same song, but come in at different places/times, we call it a round .

• Try the following combination:

• Each group discusses and then decides upon a specific combination. You can’t use the slow/fast combination as EVERYONE MUST KEEP THE SAME TEMPO! First practice the combinations and then sing the round.

• Record the final product on a tape recorder.

• Listen to your recordings. How do you feel about them? Are there any suggestions for improvements?

ARE YOU ABLE TO DECIPHER THIS GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF THE ROUND?

Assessment

LEARNING OUTCOME 3: PARTICIPATION AND COOPERATION The learner is able to display personal and social skills while participating in arts and culture activities as an individual and in a group.

Assessment standard

We know this when the learner:

• sings and/or plays canons, rounds and two-part songs with other learners, using natural, manufactured and found instruments;
• plays simple wind instruments such as a Kazoo or Tshikona/Dinaka pipes or percussion instruments such as shakers in harmony with others.