Lesson 2: Exploring “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”
Aim: How can we explore backbeat by moving to “I Heard It Through the Grapevine?” Summary: Students learn to sing and move along to “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” while building vocabulary to describe musical opposites and differences. Materials: Music Explorers CD or online audio Time Required: 30 minutes (three 10-minute activities) Standards: GA: MK-2GM.1, MK-2GM.6, MK-2GM.7, MK-2GM.6, MK-2GM.9,MK-2GM.10 SC: MGK-2.1, MGK-2.2, MGK-2.3, MGK-2.5, MG6 Vocabulary: strong/weak, backbeat |
Explore the Backbeat in “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”
- Listen to “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” ( Track 8).
- Pat the steady beat while listening to the song. Pat and count each beat up to four: 1, 2, 3, 4. Then repeat.
- Not all beats are the same, some are strong and some are weak. Which beats sound strong to you?
- When the strong beat falls on beats 2 and 4, that is called the backbeat. Soul music combines soulful singing and a strong backbeat.
- Listen to the backbeat of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” ( Track 9).
Pat or clap with the music on beats 2 and 4 only.
Moving with the Backbeat
- Practice moving your hands with the backbeat.
- Raise your right hand on beat 2, and your left hand on beat 4, like the pictures below. Challenge your students to get faster while still staying together as a group.
- Once your students have mastered moving their hands with the backbeat, challenge them by teaching the grapevine on SG9.
Music Teacher Extension: Long and Short Rhythm Patterns
|
Musical Word Wall
Add the words strong/weak and backbeat to the Musical Word Wall.
PDF Downloads
SG9 ↓ Download File
SG10 ↓ Download File