Song for classroom instruments KS1-KS2

Clownfish Bubbles is a song created for students of 7 years old upwards with a basic understanding of simple rhythmic notation, who wish to play classroom instruments. The song is divided into several parts including glockenspiel, xylophone, triangle, tambourine and wood blocks.

A resource for tuned and untuned percussion instruments to help students learn to play basic ostinati in an ensemble from early Primary or Elementary school years. Students from Year 2 upwards (7-10 years) can learn to play repeated rhythms to a song about Clownfish. With basic rhythm knowledge of crotchets, minims and semibreves, students learn to count in a 4 beat time signature and accompany music, which has classroom percussion instruments playing alongside the melody and ukulele. This is a project which can last up to 6 weeks or a half term, depending on student ability. Students can work in groups or stations as a team and move to a different instrument each week within the same song. It is a project where counting beats can be explored and progress can be formative and summative.

Included in this resource is an mp3 file with full instrumental audio, plus a pdf of all instrument parts and a full score, plus a movie of the score as it plays. The audio features a 4 beat count-in before the music begins.

How I use this resource:
Have the percussion score sheets to share on a screen for whole class viewing and discussion.

Set up separate stations/tables with one kind of instrument and their respective score/rhythm sheet. Discuss 4 beat time signatures. Point out the individual bars/measures and have students clap the rhythm. Demonstrate that the rhythm repeats for the entire song for each instrument on the score.
When divided into groups, circulate to reinforce the counting and the rhythm and how to play/hold the instruments. At this point, there is usually an obvious leader in the group who is counting correctly and this can lead to great teamwork.
Once students start to become more confident with their rhythms, bring students back to the main floor to perform the song with the backing track.
I usually place the glockenspiels or xylophones in the front row as they can need more support with motor skills. Glockenspiels and xylophones play on beat 1 of each bar.
Triangles can sit in the row behind the glockenspiels when they are ready. They play on each beat of each bar (1,2,3,4)
Wood blocks can sit in the row behind the triangles. They play on beat 4 of each bar.
Tambourines can be in the back row. They shake for a minim/half note on beat 3.
Discuss difficulties and recap the following lesson before groups rotate to play a different instrument.
By the end of a few weeks playing each instrument, the students should be able to perform the song well.