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 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 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!
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 collection of 10 passing songs. These songs use a variety of props including stones, bean bags, shoes, teddy bear, ball.
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 KS1-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
Cup songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12585890
All 70 songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12564122
This is an Orff style arrangement of Bala Pata Zoom, a song from Ghana.
It comes with parts for tuned percussion, including coloured notes for use with BoomWhackers and Chimes and Djembe.
The song is great fun to sing and perform and comes with actions as well, to turn it into a game.
Perfect if you are looking at African countries, but also works well independently.
This is an Orff style arrangement of Sambalele, a folk song from Brazil.
It has been arranged in 3 keys (C, F and G) and each pack consists of:
Score
Melody - Black and white and coloured notes for Boom Whackers and coloured chimes/bells
Harmony
Bass (easy) - a simplified bass line
Bass (advanced) - a more advanced bass line with syncopated rhythms
Lyrics
Optional Samba parts - Guiro, Surdo, Agogo, Shaker
This is a perfect song and piece of music if you are exploring the music of Brazil and/or South America. It can be played on classroom percussion and steel pans/jumbie jams. F# and Bb will be needed when played if G and F Major.
Play along with this original piece of music for Ukulele!
Either play the chords (C, Am, F, G and Dm) or play the melody using the TAB.
Perfect for the classroom or ukulele ensemble.
Resource includes music and play along/backing tracks.
An original piece for Ukulele. Perfect for the classroom or Ukulele clubs.
Uses the chords Am, F, G and C and TAB for melody.
Resource includes play along track, backing track and sheet music.
Enjoy :)
A groovy piece of music for Ukulele. Play the chords or TAB. Perfect for classroom and Ukulele ensembles.
Uses the chords Am, Dm, F and G
The resource includes sheet music and backing/play along tracks.
Coconut shuffle will give you the opportunity to improvise a solo as well as learn some new seventh chords (C7, A7)
Resource comes with sheet music and backing/play along tracks.
Enjoy :)
This is an Orff style arrangement of Run Rabbit Run, a popular song in England during World War 2.
The arrangement includes:
Score
Melody in black and white and in colour (suitable for Boom Whackers and coloured chimes). G# is required.
Harmony
Bass
Ukulele (Chords C, F and G)
A reggae feel piece of music for Ukulele. Play the chords or TAB. Perfect for classroom and Ukulele ensembles.
Uses the chords C, F and G.
The resource includes sheet music and backing/play along tracks.
This is an Orff style arrangement of the British National Anthem, God save the Queen.
It is a simple arrangement written in 3 parts; Melody, Harmony and Bass.
It has been arranged in 3 different keys, C, F and G.
Parts included:
Score
Melody - With and without note names, with coloured notes and Ukulele part (Only in C)
Harmony - With and without note names
Bass - With and without note names
This arrangement is perfect for percussion instruments. The melody can be played with ease on Boom Whackers and coloured chimes using the coloured Melody notes (Bb and F# will be needed when playing in F and G Major).
Strut with your Uke! Play the chords or TAB. Perfect for classroom and Ukulele ensembles.
Uses the chords Am, Dm, F and G
The resource includes sheet music and backing/play along tracks.
This is a collection of 10 Body Percussion songs. All of these songs focus on different Body Percussion rhythms to accompany them.
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.
These songs are more demanding than the other Active singing songs because of the Body Percussion rhythms so are more suitable for 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
Passing songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12600356
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
Cup songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12585890
All 80 songs - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12564122
This is a collection of 18 Christmas melodies written for Coloured Handbells and Boom Whackers. Each song/melody comes with lyrics and the relevant colour/note to play. This resource can also be used with any other instrument if the child simply follows the notes.
Amendments have been made for different coloured instruments:
Handbells with a Blue G
Handbells with a White C
Boom Whackers with a Green G, Purple A ands Pink A (This is also the same as the coloured Chimes)
Small circles indicate notes above the C Major Scale.
Songs included:
Angels we have heard on high
Away in a manger
Deck the halls
Frosty weather
Good King Wenceslas
I saw three ships
Jingle bells
Jolly Old St Nicholas
Little donkey
O Christmas tree
O come all ye faithful
Rudolph the red nosed reindeer
Silent night
The first Noel
The holly and the ivy
Up on the housetop
We wish you a merry Christmas
We three kings
Play along to Peaceful paradise on your ukulele! Either strum the chords, play the melody using TAB or have a go at picking the chords.
Uses chords Am, Dm, C and F
This is an Orff style arrangement of the Scottish folk song, Aiken drum.
The resource includes:
Score
Melody - In black and white and colour
Harmony
Bass
All notes have the note names in them.