This is a scale sheet with the circle of fifths and band instrument transpositions. I combine it with my Major Scales with Fingerings sheet. Even my second year 6th grade band can play in all major scales with this resource!

Band directors, take a look at this list of great percussion YouTube finds! Lots of solo/ensemble videos, and some songs just for fun. Enjoy!

Fun and educational activities to engage kids with music! 40 DIY musical instruments and music crafts plus activities for kids of all ages!

We all know that finding band substitutes that know how to teach band (correctly) is a rare thing. Click here to learn how to turn your students into leaders and have a student led band class!

These handy FREE Music Note Flashcards are a great way to help kids of all ages practice identifying music notes. Perfect for music education or piano.

It's no secret; I am a fan of tech in education! Here are my favorite apps for beginning band and orchestra.

Hello, this is Tanya from Teaching Music: Tanya's Kodály aspiring blog. This is my favorite time of year to get into the Blues genre with my 6th graders. And, oh yes!, my 6th graders really do have the Blues these days. They are tired of being in elementary school and yearn for their summer freedom. Most school districts have K-5th grade elementary school but mine includes 6th grade. There are definitely positives and negatives in keeping 6th grade in elementary school! We have a rich tradition and history of the Blues in the United States. My 6th graders are already familiar with call and response songs, spirituals, and work songs, which lay the ground work for the Blues. There are many online resources teachers can turn to when looking for blues resources. Here are just a few: Association of Cultural Equity: Founded by Alan Lomax, this association is a cornerstone of the history of american folk music. This site is a must! Start at the Research Center and you'll find lots of information. Smithsonian Folkways Tools for Teaching: Christopher Roberts has wisely pointed Kodály Corner readers to this comprehensive website in a previous post. You can lose HOURS by pursuing this site if you're not careful! Start with the lesson plans page for ideas on the Blues. Gullah Music: This interactive site focuses on the influence of West African music in the US. The site focuses on the journey of enslaved Africans who were brought to the Sea Islands of South Carolina, Georgia, and northern Florida. This is one you can use with the students to review work songs, the importance of drums in african music, the use of songs in the Underground Railroad. Desktop Blues: A fun and simple interactive site. If you don't mind sticking with the key of EM, you can turn the little radio on and hear a guitar strum through 12 bar blues ad naseum. Click on one of the little boxes play 4 beat guitar licks, vocal licks, or guitar/vocals licks. My students accompanied with boom whackers for the chord roots while one student added licks at the SMARTBoard. (Warning: the third from the end purple vocal box sings "I'm a drunk and hard man." I've been able to avoid it in class, just be strategic!) The Blues: Listening First, of course, we listen, become familiar with, and sing a few 12 bar blues songs. Here are some student favorites: Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash Good Mornin’ Blues - Leadbelly Crossroads - Robert Johnson Sweet Home Chicago - B.B. King C-jam Blues - Duke Ellington Stormy Monday- T. Bone Walker Before You Accuse Me (Take a Look at Yourself) - Eric Clapton Joe Turner's Blues Lyric Form: AAB I've found it best to first focus on the form of the lyrics. Students right away understand the AAB lyrical form after hearing and singing a few blues songs. Good morning blues, how are you. Good morning blues, how are you. I'm doing all right, good morning, how do you do? We spend a little time writing our own in class in small groups. I used to have students write their first verse by brainstorming subjects they're "blue" about. They often got stuck on just writing the first line, (and often they did not write good rhyming words at the end of their first lines!) Now I randomly hand out strips of sentences suppling a first line. (I am all about scaffolding for faster success!) Here are some 1st lines my students have started with, a few are from already written blues songs: Look out that window at the rain pouring down. Each night I lay down but I can’t sleep. If you see me walking down the street. Some folks have everything they need. I ain’t got no diamonds, I ain’t got no gold. I think about the good times I’ve had. What a dream I had last night. I have to say what I’ve got on my mind. Black night is falling, my pain’s coming on again. Oh everyday I have the blues. I try to do right and do what’s best. My friends tell me I’ve been a fool. Every day I feel so low. Notice the easy-to-rhyme with ending words! 12 Bar Blues Harmonic Form: Back in 3rd grade, we spent some time transferring our solfa to absolute pitches (letter name notes.) Each student gets a pack of blue solfa cards and yellow letter name cards to practice relating the letter names to their solfa pitches. They have been playing melodies on the Orff instruments but by using the cards, (and being away from the instruments,) they are able to focus on what letter sol is if C is do. Disclaimer: when I do these transferring lessons with 3rd graders, I do not initially talk about key signatures. My first concern is for students to understand building the letter names of the scale and understanding the relationship between solfa and letter names. In 3rd grade we then practice this new knowledge at the barred instruments or keyboards. (HERE is where I can emphasize the necessity for sharps and flats.) Now the 6th graders learn about the roman numeral chords and label the chord roots in different keys. Here's F major: Then we can build the 12 bar blues harmonic form and label the chord roots in different keys: It's great fun to take this to the Orff instruments and play along with recordings, first just on the chord roots playing the rhythm tim-ka, tim-ka, tim-ka, tim-ka. Jamey Aebersold's Blues in All Keys is available in iTunes. (I do not have an Orff instrument for every student, so I double-up students on one instrument and we play blues in C major.) You can also try to play a-long with Duke Ellington- C Jam Blues. I have one student tap and point along the chord changes on the SMART Board. This year I have smaller 6th grade classes and each one had their own instrument. We were able to play chord roots in CM, FM, and GM: From here you can build triads from the chord roots, (and include accidentals if you venture beyond CM!). If you are well stocked with mallets, students can play with 3 at a time to create chords. You can break up the chords and have students add a walking bass line. Putting it together: Harmonic and Lyric Forms My visual students have really benefitted from laying the sentence strips of Good Morning Blues right on top of the 12 Bar Blues form. The biggest benefit I've experienced from going visual here is the students see and understand when to sing the next line. Call and Response Improvisation What really makes any simple blues interesting is what a instrumentalist or singer can improvise over the form. When it comes to improvising in the second semester of 6th grade, I must back up the train, I mean scaffold, to ensure those vulnerable students are successful, (they were confident soloists at the end of 5th grade but things are different now; I blame it on the hormones). "Hmmm... students, do you see how there's a couple of bars where we're not singing? Why don't we improvise a simple rhythm on do in that space?" (Vocally or on instruments.) Everyone improvises first, all at once. Then a smaller group, then brave soloists. Next we add more notes to choose from in their improvisation. I've learned the hard way that when I don't provide a framework of limited choices, many are overwhelmed. There are a few jump starts for beginning the 12 Bar Blues! From here we learn a little jazz and include some rock and roll. Some year I'll figure out how to include more before the end of the school year. I'd like to make a more solid connection to more current music. (Kodály hip-hop anyone? Is that included in our "mother tongue" music at this point? Oh no, that sounds like another philosophical post!) Do you have any blues-related things you love to use? Please share!

I've been wanting to get this one done for a while. Thanks to pinterest- someone had the brilliant idea to use clear spoons and white (or colored) ones to work on lower case and upper case letter matching. For us music folks, the idea was easily adapted to notes and note values. I got some done today and I think it will work well as a center! My school is in the process of buying ipads for me and the art teacher to share- FIVE! Woot Woot!! So.. am going to incorporate some centers starting in January. One of these will include the spoons. Once students have determined the correct rhythm value, they could use one of the rhythm grids I've seen on Mrs King Rocks' blog- check her out- awesome ideas (!), then they could compose and perform rhythms. Another one done... CHECK!

I'm always looking for fun ways to get my beginners to practice and work their way through the beginner method book. Well, I saw thi...

by Danielle Knight 6th - 12th Grade Sherlock Holmes, The Speckled Band British author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is famous for his short stories collection, Sherlock Holmes. In this featured text The Speckled Band, his side kick Dr. Watson goes along with an murder investigation that goes deep into a family, their secrets and financial greed. In this pack you will find: The full text Reading Study Guide and Answer Key Short answer and multiple choice quiz and answer key Deductive reasoning graphic organizer - collect details from the story and try to solve the mystery! Please provide me with feedback! Follow me for updates on new products...Thanks for stopping by! Come Together! Connect with Me! Study All Knight Blog Study All Knight Facebook Danielle Knight (Study All Knight) on Pinterest Study All Knight on Twitter Study All Knight on Instagram Watch me live! @StudyAllKnight on Periscope Created by Danielle Knight, © Study All Knight ™, The Knight Stuff, LLC https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sherlock-Holmes-The-Speckled-Band-Full-Text-Quiz-Guide-Organizer-454825 Join The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative at http://www.thebestofteacherentrepreneursmarketingcooperative.com/2014/01/the-best-of-teacher-entrepreneurs.html and get THOUSANDS OF PAGE VIEWS for your TpT products! Victoria Leon's TpT Store Go to http://www.pinterest.com/TheBestofTPT/ for even more free products!

"Don't do anything that can be done by someone else." This is what John Whitwell said this summer at the Art of Teaching Musi...

Although days can be busy and rehearsals can get crazy, here are 5 things you should say to your band more often. They will energize, inspire and motivate your students- and you!

4 Quick tips to help your beginner tuba players today. Lots of detailed descriptions. Click here to check it out and improve your tuba teaching!

With this handy dandy scale you will easily be able to diagnose to your colleagues exactly how great or terrible your ensemble's intonation really is. Hang it in your music room and use it for reference for your students. The poster is professionally printed on high-quality glossy-finish paper and is 11" x 17".

How do you keep your students interested in band when you don’t see them everyday? Here are some retention strategies and tips that will keep BAND fresh on their minds during the summer months!

Hey guys! It's Erin from I'm Lovin' Lit and I'm so happy to be a part of this wonderful new blog! Today I'm going to talk about my feelings ...

Flashlight routines in music class can be used to reinforce form and keep students engaged and excited about learning. This post shares routines for "Cantina Band" by John Williams and "March" from the Nutcracker as well as tips and tricks for using them successfully in your music classroom.

Jennifer Foxx of Music Educator Resources, put together this wonderful collection of The Nutcracker activity worksheets for Pre-K – 6th grade students. The 13 music activity worksheets in thi…

I mean...why WOULDN'T you use cootie catchers in your reading block? It makes perfect sense. Ok - remember last week how I was talk...

These great YouTube finds were collected with the goal of inspiring our band students. Check out these awesome brass videos!

If you work with beginner flute students, then click here to check out these quick tips for establishing proper balance of the imstrument from day one!

This is probably the simplest and most effective way to teach clarinet embouchure you've ever heard. You'll love the results!

I used to dread making custom dice for my classroom, unless you are lucky enough to have wooden cubes to paste pictures onto, one step on a cardboard template dice from a student and th…

Proficiency Rubric 4321NC Organizational tools always welcome! This stamp was created by educators to help the instructor analyze the student's proficiency in a particular activity or study. (quarter shown for sizing purposes only) Handsome wood mounted image. All rubber images are trimmed for stamping clarity. Wood mounts are edged and tung oiled to resist stains. Genuine StampCrafter Rubber Stamps

Band directors, if you're looking for something to change up your typical review, try this Band Jeopardy idea! It's a great team-building exercise that will keep everyone engaged and motivated to review, with OR without instruments.

Rhythm Stick Elementary music lesson for Old Town Road that teaches FORM.

These activities for Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by JoAnn Deak include several printables, posters, and brain-based worksheets and activities.

Boosting up the Student-Teacher Relationship. Teaching students how to treat each other and how to treat adults should be always at the top of your list and present in each lesson. With students from low socio economic backgrounds, communication with them and teaching them how to communicate is the difference between life success or life ... Read More about Boosting Up the Beginning Band Basics: Techniques for Developing High Student Engagement, Motivation and Accountability for Low Socio-Economic Students

This article gives details about scale clubs and their motivation and musical benefits for young band and music students.

Want a creative and fun way to teach cut time? Play back through the beginning band method book in cut time. This is a great activity to do with beginners in April or May!

My grade 6 students have been working on the tune "Duke's Place", an arrangement of Duke Ellington's C-jam blues. This arrangement by Doug Goodkin is found in his book, "Now is the Time", published by Pentatonic Press. While learning the Goodkin written words, barred instrument parts and working on improvising, we have been identifying and talking about the 12 bar blues. In preparation for their assessment at the end of the week, we had a sorting contest today! I created cards that had I, IV or V on them and put them in packages of 13 cards (one extra to make it more tricky!) paper clipping them together. After reviewing 12 bar blues with students for the millionth time (...well it felt like it...) I put them in pairs and gave them a package of chord symbols. They were to leave their pack face down with the paper clip on. When I said, "Go!" the pairs needed to organize their cards as fast as they could in order to create the 12 bar blues pattern. When they were finished they were to raise their hands and after looking at my stopwatch, I would shout out their time. We did a second round- how many groups can do it in under 20 seconds? After a couple of tries everyone was able to do that and we tried 15 seconds, 10 seconds, etc. The best of course was when I told them that the other class' time was better and that they needed to try and beat them! I also explain to my students that there are different variations of the blues pattern such as I-I-I-I for the first four bars instead of I-IV-I-I like in Duke's Place. Our next step is bingo chips with letter names on them. Students will not only organize their 12 bar blues pattern, they will place the letter name bingo chips on each card to indicate bass notes in different keys. Should be fun! Click HERE for a FREEBIE printout of the chord symbol cards and matching study sheet! How do you teach the blues? What activities and resources do you use? - Steph

Check out this fun music theory match-up game you can use with your band students! Work on note names, rhythms, anything you want. Click here!