I am a specialist primary music teacher living and teaching in Devon.
I have 20 years experience of teaching and love creating resources. As well as creating my own resources I have also created resources for companies such as ABRSM. I am also a professional and published composer of Brass band and Concert Band music.
Check out my Youtube page - www.youtube.com/musicwithmrgray
I play trumpet professionally in a ska/reggae/dub band called The Kingstons (www.thekingstons.club).
I am a specialist primary music teacher living and teaching in Devon.
I have 20 years experience of teaching and love creating resources. As well as creating my own resources I have also created resources for companies such as ABRSM. I am also a professional and published composer of Brass band and Concert Band music.
Check out my Youtube page - www.youtube.com/musicwithmrgray
I play trumpet professionally in a ska/reggae/dub band called The Kingstons (www.thekingstons.club).
This is a collection of 10 songs to be sung with a cup.
Every song is designed to reinforce pitch, pulse and rhythm (either consciously or unconsciously) and will help with a range of social skills (turn taking, working with a partner or group etc).
The songs are all in an appropriate range for children. Most use a maximum of a 6-note range with some stretching to an octave. All songs are in C Major but can easily be transposed to D. Each song comes with easy to follow instructions and a video to help.
The songs are ideal for children in KS2.
These songs have also been designed to fit perfectly within the Kodaly methodology if teachers are using it (using common ta and ti-ti rhythms and incorporating familiar melody lines - so-mi / mi-so-la).
Scarf songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12564116
Miscellaneous songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12564112
Rhythm stick songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12590879
Parachute songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12563992
Shaker songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12564118
All 60 songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12564122
This is a collection of all 80 Active listening songs
Included is:
10 Cup songs
10 Shaker songs
10 Parachute songs
10 Scarf songs
10 Rhythm stick songs
10 Miscellaneous songs
10 Passing songs
10 Body percussion songs
Every song is designed to reinforce pitch, pulse and rhythm (either consciously or unconsciously) and will help with a range of social skills (turn taking, working with a partner or group etc).
The songs are all in an appropriate range for children. Most use a maximum of a 6-note range with some stretching to an octave. All songs are in C Major but can easily be transposed to D. Each song comes with easy to follow instructions.
They can be used with KS1 and KS2 and have all been tried and tested by the children I teach and have all been received well and enjoyed!
These songs have also been designed to fit perfectly within the Kodaly methodology if teachers are using it (using common ta and ti-ti rhythms and incorporating familiar melody lines - so-mi / mi-so-la).
All songs come with recordings and scores.
This is a collection of 10 songs to be sung with a shaker.
Every song is designed to reinforce pitch, pulse and rhythm (either consciously or unconsciously) and will help with a range of social skills (turn taking, working with a partner or group etc).
The songs are all in an appropriate range for children. Most use a maximum of a 6-note range with some stretching to an octave. All songs are in C Major but can easily be transposed to D. Each song comes with easy to follow instructions.
They can be used with KS1 and KS2 and have all been tried and tested by the children I teach and have all been received well and enjoyed!
These songs have also been designed to fit perfectly within the Kodaly methodology if teachers are using it (using common ta and ti-ti rhythms and incorporating familiar melody lines - so-mi / mi-so-la).
Scarf songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12564116
Miscellaneous songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12564112
Rhythm stick songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12590879
Parachute songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12563992
All 40 songs for £5 - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12564122
This is a collection of 10 songs to be sung with a scarf.
Every song is designed to reinforce pitch, pulse and rhythm (either consciously or unconsciously) and will help with a range of social skills (turn taking, working with a partner or group etc).
The songs are all in an appropriate range for children. Most use a maximum of a 6-note range with some stretching to an octave. All songs are in C Major but can easily be transposed to D. Each song comes with easy to follow instructions.
They can be used with KS1 and KS2 and have all been tried and tested by the children I teach and have all been received well and enjoyed!
These songs have also been designed to fit perfectly within the Kodaly methodology if teachers are using it (using common ta and ti-ti rhythms and incorporating familiar melody lines - so-mi / mi-so-la).
Shaker songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12564118
Miscellaneous songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12564112
Rhythm stick songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12590879
Parachute songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12563992
All 60 songs for £7 - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12564122
This is a collection of 10 miscellaneous songs that can be song with a variety of aids including: bean bags, cups, balls, body percussion and even a wizards hat! There are passing songs, songs that change you into an animal and songs that you can perform whilst doing body percussion.
Every song is designed to reinforce pitch, pulse and rhythm (either consciously or unconsciously) and will help with a range of social skills (turn taking, working with a partner or group etc).
The songs are all in an appropriate range for children. Most use a maximum of a 6-note range with some stretching to an octave. All songs are in C Major but can easily be transposed to D. Each song comes with easy to follow instructions.
They can be used with KS1 and KS2 and have all been tried and tested by the children I teach and have all been received well and enjoyed!
These songs have also been designed to fit perfectly within the Kodaly methodology if teachers are using it (using common ta and ti-ti rhythms and incorporating familiar melody lines - so-mi / mi-so-la).
Shaker songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12564118
Parachute songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12563992
Scarf songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12564116
All 40 songs for £5 - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12564122
This is a collection of 10 songs to be sung with a parachute (they could also be used with scarves/lycra).
Every song is designed to reinforce pitch, pulse and rhythm (either consciously or unconsciously) and will help with a range of social skills (turn taking, working with a partner or group etc).
The songs are all in an appropriate range for children. Most use a maximum of a 6-note range with some stretching to an octave. All songs are in C Major but can easily be transposed to D. Each song comes with easy to follow instructions.
They can be used with KS1 and KS2 and have all been tried and tested by the children I teach and have all been received well and enjoyed!
These songs have also been designed to fit perfectly within the Kodaly methodology if teachers are using it (using common ta and ti-ti rhythms and incorporating familiar melody lines - so-mi / mi-so-la).
Miscellaneous songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12564112
Scarf songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12564116
Shaker songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12564118
All 40 songs for £5 - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12564122
A class arrangement of Little Brown Jug, perfect for WW2 topic!
The arrangement is written for tuned percussion, keyboard, other melodic instruments in C, guitar and bass guitar, piano and ukulele (although guitar can play the same chords as well).
It’s in C major but the melody is easy to transpose for other instruments.
This is a classroom arrangement of the South African song, Shosholoza.
It features three vocal parts and a music arrangement for classroom instruments including Djembes, tuned percussion and guitars/ukuleles. Boom Whackers could easily play the same parts as well. All notes are coloured to match Boom Whackers and various percussion instruments. Enjoy!
This is a classroom arrangement of Spring by Vivaldi for tuned percussion and/or Boom Whackers. The colours intentionally match the colours of Boom Whackers and various percussion instruments for ease. Enjoy!
The aim of this topic is to give children the opportunity to learn about the music of Mexico through listening and singing.
The children will:
Listen to a variety of music styles and genres from Mexico.
Learn about the instruments used in the popular Mariachi bands.
Listen to some music from the Maya Civilisation.
Learn to sing the song Al Citron and play the stone passing game associated with it.
This a a short topic that can be stretched to 6 weeks or done in 3, depending on the amount of time dedicated to your music lessons. It would work nicely as a cross-curricular topic if you are looking at Mexico in Geography or the Mayan Civilisation in History.
Eight planets is a 6 week topic aimed at teaching children all about the planets through singing, playing and composing.
It’s aimed at Years 1-4.
Included is:
● An original song (backing track/vocal track)
● Planet cut outs
● Rhythm cut outs
● Score
● Melody score for tuned percussion (including coloured score for boom whackers, belles etc)
● Lesson plan
● Powerpoint
Learning Outcomes:
● I can name all eight planets learn other words relating to space such as galaxy, solar system, sun and orbit.
● I can sing a song about space.
● I can read and understand crotchets (ta), quavers (ti-ti) and crotchet rests (shh).
● I can notate rhythms.
● I am developing an understanding of pitch (higher and lower).
● I can play tuned percussion using two notes: G (so) and E (mi).
● I can use technology to create sounds.
● I can listen to a piece of music and describe it (instrumentation, how it makes me feel, happy/sad/exciting etc.).
It covers all KS1 links to the national curriculum:
• Use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes
• Play tuned and untuned instruments musically
• Listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music
• Experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music
Get the class to play the riff from Ed Sheeran’s - Shape of you!
Music for:
Piano/Tuned percussion
Guitar
Bass guitar
Ukulele
Boomwhackers
Have fun :)
NOT in the original key
Here are a selection of pieces for rock and pop bands. They includes parts for Guitar (riff and chords), Bass Guitar, Drums, Keyboard/Piano and Vocals (lyrics).
Some of the keys have been changed to suit children’s voices/make them easier to play (child friendly keys)
Enjoy :)
This is a 6 week topic that aims to give the children an understanding of the song writing process.
This topic is designed to give the children the opportunity to write a song, from scratch, as a class over a six week process. It will help them to develop a good understanding of the process of writing a song, the “musical ingredients” (elements) that are needed and an appreciation of the time and skill that goes into writing a song.
The children will develop an understanding of how to structure a song, creating verses, a chorus and the opportunity to compose a bridge/middle 8 as well.
You do not necessarily have to be musical to do this but obviously some knowledge would help. It’s a great project for you to use for children who currently play an instrument as well, especially if you have been learning one via the wider opps/first access projects. Instruments can be easily incorporated into the topic. The topic also included opportunities for children to rap and beat box if they are not too keen on singing!
The first 1-3 lessons will be spent on writing some verses and a chorus. This will be followed by adding simple accompaniment using class percussion (tuned and untuned) and other instruments your class/children may have been learning how to play. The songs will be kept in C Major/A Minor (Using the common chords C, F, G & Am). This is perfect for their vocal range and for accompanying instruments.
Instrumental parts could also be added in between the verses and choruses.
By the end of the topic the class with have a complete song that they can record and perform to other years and their parents.
Links to curriculum/Possible assessment opportunities:
Use the voice expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes
Play tuned and untuned instruments musically
Listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music
Experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music
Please note: I have used the font AR CHRISTY so you may have to edit some of the slides/fonts.
This is a 6 week topic that aims to teach the main elements of music: Pitch, Tempo, Timbre, Dynamic, Duration, Texture and Rhythm. This is done through listening to music (from Queen to Beethoven), composing songs, moving to sounds and music and creating music compositions using tuned and untuned instruments.
Every lesson will focus on an element and explore its importance in music. Tuned and untuned percussion will be used in every lesson to help with this. The children will be given opportunities to improvise and create their own music and sounds.
Standard notation will be used to help children develop an understanding of music/rhythm reading.
Songs/chants will also be sung to accompany the lessons, developing their singing voices every week. An opportunity for the children to write their own class song will also be used to develop their singing and compositional skills.
As well as plenty of compositional and improvisation opportunities, lessons are also inspired by Kodaly/Dalcroze/Orff ideas and methods, allowing children to explore music through sound and movement.
Links to curriculum/Possible assessment opportunities:
Use the voice expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes
Play tuned and untuned instruments musically
Listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music
Experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music
Please note: I have used the font AR CHRISTY for a lot of the slides so it may look slightly different!
This is a 6 week topic aimed at KS1 and KS2 to teach them about different music traditions from around the world.
Throughout this topic, pupils will be given the opportunity to explore music from different countries and cultures around the globe, including: West Africa, Australia, Poland, Ireland, Jamaica and Native America.
Each week will focus on a different country. The focus of each lesson will be to learn where the country is on the map, listen to an example of traditional music from that that country and learn a song/game/dance that is culturally relevant.
Pupils will be given the opportunity to develop their listening and singing skills (Links to curriculum can be found at the bottom).
By the end of the topic pupils should have a better understanding of different styles and genres of music and where they came from as well as developing their understanding of the role of music in different cultures and societies.
Perfect for linking to Geogrpahy and History!
Links to curriculum/Possible assessment opportunities:
Use the voice expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes
Play tuned and untuned instruments musically
Listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music
Experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music
Please note: I have used the Font AR CHRISTY so it may look different when downloaded!