Church Song rhythm
Found in: Foundation Songs
Kathleen C., Australia
I am preparing to teach Church Song for the second time. I’m finding it a little challenging for my student to get the rhythm right. I have just watched the teacher training video and noticed that Neil made no mention about the rhythm, but the student played it with the perfect rhythm straight away.
Besides getting my student to listen to the song, what else can I do? Can I use the music to unfold the rhythm? This student is reading. I think I am still a bit uncertain as to when (if it’s appropriate) to use music for the playing-based pieces with reading students.
Anne S., Nebraska
By the time my students reach level 7 they are reading, so I use the sheet music just for rhythms after they’ve learned each section playing-based. They don’t need to look at the notes, and we work through the rhythms as a project (counting, clapping).
Cate R., Australia
Slow the process down. Isolate each line or a couple of bars. The trickiest bars will eventually set the pace for the rest of the piece.
Stephen R., California
I just did this yesterday with a student. We looked at the written music and I mentioned that the eighth notes are played with swing rhythm (humpty). The audio or Neil’s playing will help too.
Gordon Harvey, Australia
90% of the time, in my experience, students get the rhythm without much difficulty just after hearing it a few times, but if there are any tricky bits (e.g. measure 8) we’ll just drill down a little, tap out the rhythm away from the keyboard, etc.
Debbie T., Canada
We look at the notes if the students aren’t getting certain parts. It’s a great way to apply what we’ve been learning in Rhythm.
Sheri R., California
Once my students have finished Reading Rhythm, for all future foundation projects, as early as Level 4 for most students, we look at the page in class (for rhythm only beginning stages and with the option of using it at home as well). We might be clapping out the RH or looking at BH as a rhythm chart and doing that on our laps. They continue learning from the video 100% of the time with the page as a supplemental source of information, and the gradual comfort with the page leading up to Time for More Music is priceless.
Stephen R., California
Even listening to and playing along to the audio in class will help.
Laurie Richards, Nebraska
Another thing I have done is write the rhythm only on the white board for the lin/section they are currently working on, then having them reinforce that using the audio.
Barbara M., New Jersey
I won’t teach this song unless they have listened to it! The incredible ear learns the rhythm without interference from the brain (not really, but you may know what I mean).
Kerry V., Australia
I find I don’t need to teach them the rhythm. Most get it themselves. If they don’t, we then work on it, either by using the music book, clapping, whatever seems appropriate for the student at the time. I just teach them the stages. The hardest part is getting all the ‘sentences’ so I take that to be so much more important at this stage than the rhythm. Because they DO get it.