South America
Getting a feel for the music and culture of South America, children are introduced to samba and the sights and sounds of the carnival. They start by familiarising themselves with traditional sounds and instruments, before learning about syncopated rhythms and then composing their own samba breaks in groups, which are built into a final performance
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Lesson 1: Introduction to Samba
Pupils learn to identify the features of samba music, including where it originates from, the main instruments used and its volume
View LessonLesson 2: Pulse and Rhythm
Children are introduced to syncopation (playing the ‘off-beat’) and practise identifying and performing different rhythms
View LessonLesson 3: Samba Rhythms
Using untuned percussion instruments, children play a variety of rhythms in groups while keeping in time with the pulse
View LessonLesson 4: Composing a Break
In their instrumental groups, pupils compose a verse or ‘break’ which will form part of the performance in the final lesson
View LessonLesson 5: Samba Performance
After warming up with some call and response, the class perform their samba piece together
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