Course: Sing, Scat and Scoo Be Do Lesson Five: Playing the Xylophone

Learning Area: The Arts Strands: Music Time: 45 Minutes Year Level: F-2

Content Descriptor:
 Sing and play instruments to improvise, practise a repertoire of chants, songs and rhymes, including songs used by cultural groups in the community
(ACAMUM081).
 Create compositions and perform music to communicate ideas to an audience (ACAMUM082).
Learning Focus:
• Students are introduced to an ‘Interactive Xylophone’ and the C major
scale.
Time: Teaching and Learning Strategies: Preparation and Resources:
20 minutes Playing the xylophone Relevant ARTS:LIVE resources
Distribute the Xylophone activity sheet and Xylophone template to students.  Interactive Xylophone
Explain to students the names of notes in the C major scale (which we will be exploring) are:  Sing Scat and Scoo Be Doo
C D E F G A B C. audio track
 Xylophone activity sheet
Ask students to play these notes on the Interactive Xylophone, listening to the sound of the  Xylophone template.
musical scale as they play.
Additional resources required
Ask students to identify which of the two C notes on the xylophone was higher and which one
was lower. This reinforces the concept of pitch.  devices with internet access and
speakers (to use the Interactive
Explain to students that they will now learn to play the four parts of the song on a xylophone. Xylophone).
Students are to follow the instructions on the activity sheet and play each ostinato part on the  xylophones, glockenspiels or
Interactive Xylophone. Students may also like to sing along with the notes to help them marimbas (optional).
remember the sounds.This part of the lesson can be adapted depending on the number of
devices that are available to students.
Play the Sing Scat and Scoo Be Doo audio track and ask students to play along on the
Interactive Xylophone. If you have access to bass xylophones or glockenspiels, these can be
introduced as well.
10 minutes Putting it all together
Ask the students to find a partner to practise playing or singing two parts together. One person
can play one part and the other person can play a different part of the song at the same time.
Remind students to play together slowly and listen to their partner carefully.

10 minutes Create your own xylophone solo

Play the Sing Scat and Scoo Be Doo audio track and ask students to improvise using notes
the D F G A C. These are part of the D minor pentatonic scale which means that will match
the rest of the tune well.
Encourage students to play any of the notes from the scale in any order they like,
remembering to listen carefully to the sounds they create and think about what sounds or
series of notes they like.
As a class, create and perform an arrangement or interpretation of the song and put it all
together. Incorporate singing, ostinato parts, instrument accompaniment, improvisation and
movement. Alternatively, have half the class performing and the other half watching, to allow
students to experience music as both makers and audience members.
Extend
Distribute the Xylophone template to students. Ask students to colour in the notes on their
template to reinforce their learning.

5 minutes Reflection
As a class, discuss:
 What was your favourite part?
 What part did you find the most difficult?
 How could we make our song sound better?
 How did you feel when you were playing and singing?
 Did anyone hit a note that wasn’t in the scale? How did the song sound when you did this?