Lesson video

Hello and welcome to another music lesson with me, miss Minor.

And in this lesson, we're going to be exploring singing in thirds.

So, I hope you brought your voice with you, let's go.

What will we cover in this lesson? We'll start off with a warmup by playing Switch with a song, Do your Duty.

We will then learn how to hear and sing a third above a note.

Following that, we will add a third part to our Zulu song, which is in thirds.

And finally, the challenge will be to add a body percussion part to the song.

In this lesson, you will need just your bodies, and of course your voices.

Do try and clear away any distractions before we start the lesson, including turning off any notifications on any apps or conversations that you have running.

Do try and find a quiet place where you won't be disturbed during the lesson, and you are free to move your body and use your voice.

When you think you're ready, let's go.

So now for our warmup, we're going to look at a song called Do your Duty.

Now, this song is a big hit on the Sing Up website and was written by Charles Beale.

It has four parts, and although all four parts can be sung at the same time to create some amazing harmonies.

We are going to be working on learning each of those parts separately today, and moving between them.

So the first part goes like this, have a listen.

Join in.

The second part goes like this, have a listen.

Join in.

The third part goes like this.

Join in.

And the fourth part, uses some vocal percussion, and it goes like this.

Join in.

Can you remember the first part? The second part.

Third part.

The fourth part.

Well done.

So we are now going to play the game Switch with the four parts from Do your Duty.

You're going to start at the top part.

If you hear the word switch, you're going to move to the second part down.

If you hear the word switch you're going to move to the third part.

If you hear the words switch, you're going to go to the final part.

If you hear switch again, you go back to the top.

And so on.

Hopefully those rules make sense.

I'm going to start off by singing with you, but I may drop out to see how you get on, on your own.

So make sure you're paying attention.

Starting with part one, ready, steady, off you go.

Switch! Switch! Switch! Switch.

Switch! Switch! Switch! Ready, and stop.

Well done.

So here's a vocabulary reminder for you.

You were just using a vocal, percussion, imitating percussion sounds with the voice.

Pause the video to practise each of the four parts.

When you've done that press play and we'll carry on.

What is vocal percussion? Is it making sounds with junk instruments? Is it imitating percussion sounds with our voice? Or is it when someone plays the drums while having a chat? Which one do you think is the right answer? That's right.

It's imitating percussion sounds with our voice.

So, in the last lesson we were thinking about chords, particularly triads, singing those three notes from a triad.

And we call the intervals between those notes that's the gaps between the notes, we call that space a third.

So the difference between this note and this note is a third, because if we were to count the steps individually, One, two, three.

It would be a third.

The difference would be a third.

So we call that a third.

Now we're going to think about singing in thirds a little bit more today.

And you'll find with lots of harmonies that you've heard to pop songs or to things on the radio, there is often a third involved.

So, if I sing this.

You'll then go and sing it a third higher for me.

Let's try it.

I'll sing my parts, and then you're going to sing it a third higher.

Well done, how about this? And what about if my note moves a little bit? Your turn.

Let's try that again.

My turn.

Up a third.

Well done.

So how about if I sang this? Your turn.

That's it, you're getting the hang of it.

So you always follow the same pattern, but you're going to put it up a third or we might call this transposing something up a third in music.

Now, we're going to try putting those harmonies together.

So, I'm going to teach you a simple melody and then we're going to learn both that and what the melody sounds like a third higher.

Have listen to this.

Let's see if we can sing that together.

If you didn't that time, let me hear you joining in this time, off we go.

Well done.

So if we were to put up a third, it would sound like this.

Sing it with me this time.

Can you remember the lower part? Sing it with me.

And up a third.

And let's see what those two parts sound like together.

So let's start off with our lowest part.

Can you add a third above that? Keep going.

Here's a challenge for some of you, can you do a third above that? Pause the video to practise singing these thirds.

When you've done that, press play and we'll continue.

So, let's remind ourselves of the Si njay njay njay melody.

We looked at the melody in the last lesson and the baseline.

But for now we're going to focus on the melody, that's the tune.

I'll remind you of it, and if you know, joining in.

Sing with me this time.

I hope you were able to remember that melody.

I'd now like you to listen to what that sounds like when heard with also the third above that, just have a listen.

So, let's look a little bit more slowly and carefully at that part.

That top part that is a third higher than the melody, you know, all the way through.

And that interval doesn't change.

So, it goes like this.

Have a go.

Let's sing it one more time, off we go.

And then we moved to an even higher section.

Have a go, off we go.

And let's do it for a second time, off we go.

Let's have a go at the whole thing.

The top part, which is a third higher than the melody.

Ready, steady, off we go, sing.

Same thing.

Higher.

Same.

Well done.

Let's see if we can put that part into the whole ensemble.

So now you will be able to sing that part, that top part, along with the baseline, the melody, and perhaps some rhythm as well, if you're listening carefully.

So your job is to sing with the higher part, which is a third higher, all the way threw.

Last time.

Pause the video to practise the third part of Si Njay Njay Njay.

When you've done that press play and we'll carry on.

Which country is Si Njay Njay Njay from? Is it from South Africa, Denmark or Zimbabwe? Point to the answer you think is correct.

That's right, it's from South Africa.

It's a Zulu song from South Africa.

It's the new part a third lower or a third higher than the melody? What do you think? That's right, it's a third higher.

So you must have heard that parts that I added in to the last ensemble performance.

Well, I couldn't possibly leave it without teaching you as a body progression pattern.

So it goes like this.

Clap, knees, clap, knees, clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Clap, knee, clap, knee.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

We'll do it bit by bit.

My turn first, and then yours.

Clap, knee, clap, knee.

Your turn.

Clap, knee, clap, knee.

I'll do it one more time.

Clap, knee, clap, knee.

Your turn.

Clap, knee, clap, knee.

Then it goes.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Have a go.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

My turn.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Your turn.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

My turn.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Your turn.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

If we put that with the first bit, the whole thing sounds like this.

Clap knee, clap knee.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Have a go.

Clap knee, clap, knee.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Again.

Clap knee, clap knee.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Again.

Clap, knee, clap, knee.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

I wonder if you can do it any quicker.

I wonder if you can do it at this speed.

Clap knee, clap, knee.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Let's have a go, off we go.

Clap, knee, clap, knee.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Again, clap, knee, clap, knee.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Again, clap, knee, clap, knee.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Again, clap, knee, clap, knee.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Feel free to have a go with the ensemble at doing that body percussion, if you would like.

Clap, knee, clap, knee.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Clap, knee, clap, knee.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Clap, knee, clap, knee.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Clap, knee, clap, knee.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Clap, knee, clap, knee.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Clap, knee, clap, knee.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Clap, knee, clap, knee.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Clap, knee, clap, knee.

Clap, shoulder, shoulder, clap, shoulder, shoulder, knees.

Last time.

So that brings us to the end of the lesson.

A really big well done on all the fantastic learning you've achieved in this lesson.

I've got two final things I'd like you to do now.

Firstly, think back and identify one key thing you've learned today.

It's totally up to you what it is.

Secondly, if you'd like to, please take a picture of your work and ask your parent or carer to share it with your teacher, so that they can see all the fantastic things you've learnt.

If you'd like to, please ask your parents or carer to share your work on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, tagging at OakNational and hashtag learn with Oak.

Now, don't forget to complete the end of lesson quiz.

Well, all that's left for me to say is thank you, take care, and enjoy the rest of your learning for today.

Bye.