Music Composition Lesson (by rating)

Looking for a way to have some fun while learning music? Look no further. This Graphic Scores Unit will have your students exploring how to represent sound using graphics and composing in no time! There are 3 main lessons included in this unit, however, the last lesson will likely take 6-8 lessons to put together and perform. This unit is one I have used with my own students so I know how much fun they have with it! The great thing with graphic scores is you don't really need any instruments to compose which makes this unit even better if you're teaching music on a cart or have limited resources available.

Overview:

This graphic score short unit exposes students to what a graphic score is. They get to represent sound using graphics and compose their own graphic score using found sounds. Students will learn how sound and music can be represented using graphics. They will practice representing a short piece of music through graphics. After, they will represent common soundscapes using their own graphics and will then create their own graphic score to perform. I created this in Google Docs/Slides so that you can customize this unit to your own unique needs.

Learning Goals:

• We are learning how to represent sounds and music using non-traditional notation.
• We are learning to compose a piece of music using found sounds and represent our sound using graphics.

Success Criteria:

• I can represent sound using graphics.
• I can compose a piece of music with a group and perform it using my score.

What’s Included:

• Lesson Plans and Ideas
• Google Slides Lesson on Graphic Scores (including original composition to practice creating graphic scores)
• Graphic organizer for students with fill in the blanks about graphic scores
• Graphic organizer for students to represent original composition as a graphic score
• Graphic organizer for students to represent soundscapes using graphics
• Graphic score for students to create their own graphic scores
• Rubrics to mark graphic score assignments
• 3 Stars and a Wish for peer feedback

By popular request, here's an arrangement of the holiday hit that'll sure to get your bucket drumming kids fired up, The Nutrocker, based on theme from Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker performed by the Trans Siberian Orchestra!

There are five all-color coded slides along with the form identifiers listed next to each phrase. Discuss form with the students and teach them (by rote) the rhythms on the powerpoint with the corresponding repeats (most are repeated 1, 2, or 4 times). Then, apply it to drums!

All regular notation is to be played on the buckets (or drums, or ground, however you wish), and the X notation (with a down stem) are played as stick clicks above their head (or you could apply it to a tambourine or other auxiliary instrument)

The mp3 is included in this resource, so feel free to play right along!

Terms of Use:

All images/photos/clip art in this resource were created by me.

__________________________________

*** Looking for more BUCKET DRUMMING resources? *** Find them here!

In a fast-paced society, you need resources you can quickly pull out and quickly use for your students to work on essential skills...quickly!

We're introducing our new 3-note Big Sight Reading Cards!

This set includes 162 pages of cards that use the notes A, B, and C!

These cards are both in black and white, and color-coordinated with popular pitched percussion instruments: Purple for A, Pink for B, and Red for C.

The cool part of these cards is their versatility! How are sight reading cards versatile? Lemme tell you. You can use these cards to:

• Introduce Sight reading individually or in a group.
• Assess Sight Reading skills individually or in a group.
• Composing (or "arranging" a song) for students to play, individually or in a group.

It's almost like how Alton Brown likes to cook, we like to use resources that are "multi-taskers"...so you have more band for your buck!

Your support of a small business is greatly appreciated! Please note that while this resource is reproducible, you may only use this with your students. The resource license is not transferrable to other school or teachers.

Catalog: MTP-ABSM-DG

© 2024 ZS Music Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

I know what you're all thinking, but if you can't beat them, join them?

Gen Alpha's slang, which you've probably heard from your older kids is sweeping the nation uncontrollably, but why not turn it into a decipher and decode lesson?

In Rizz Rhythms, students will see their Gen-Alpha slang on the powerpoint slides and will have to decipher the rhythm using triplets, eighth note pairs, and quarter notes. The rhythm will be shown on the animation on the next slide.

• You can either have the students notate it out on whiteboards...

• make rhythm cards or tiles

• have them write it on the board

• make it a race between A team vs B team to spell it out

• or however you can imagine

Although this may be cringe, you're sure to be a sigma after this one ;) 20 rhythm for all your kids -- BUSSIN!

In a fast-paced society, you need resources you can quickly pull out and quickly use for your students to work on essential skills...quickly!

We're introducing our new 3-note Big Sight Reading Cards!

This set includes 162 pages of cards that use the notes F, G, and A.

These cards are both in black and white, and color-coordinated with popular pitched percussion instruments. Bright Green for F, Dark Green for G, and Purple for A.

The cool part of these cards is their versatility! How are sight reading cards versatile? Lemme tell you. You can use these cards to:

• Introduce Sight reading individually or in a group.
• Assess Sight Reading skills individually or in a group.
• Composing (or "arranging" a song) for students to play, individually or in a group.

It's almost like how Alton Brown likes to cook, we like to use resources that are "multi-taskers"...so you have more band for your buck!

Your support of a small business is greatly appreciated! Please note that while this resource is reproducible, you may only use this with your students. The resource license is not transferrable to other school or teachers.

Catalog: MTP-FBSM-DG

© 2023 ZS Music Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

By popular request, here's an advanced arrangement of the holiday hit that'll sure to get your bucket drumming kids fired up, First Snow, by the Trans Siberian Orchestra!

There are four all-color coded slides along with the form identifiers listed next to each phrase. Discuss form with the students and teach them (by rote) the rhythms on the powerpoint with the corresponding repeats (most are repeated 3 or 4 times). Then, apply it to drums!

All regular notation is to be played on the buckets (or drums, or ground, however you wish), and the X notation (with a down stem) are played as stick clicks above their head (or you could apply it to a tambourine or other auxiliary instrument)

This version differs from the standard version with the implementation of sixteenth note patterns (which is great to work on with your kids for alternating hands!)

Here's the track so you can play along...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0DngW4WOGY

Terms of Use:

All images/photos/clip art in this resource were created by me.

*** Looking for more BUCKET DRUMMING resources? ***

**
Find them here!**

It's the most Spook-tacular time of year! Time to get dressed up, trick or treat and have some sweets! Your students will enjoy reviewing and reading rhythms using spooky words such as Bat, Potion, Skeleton, and Jack-O-Lantern!

This Spooky Season Word Rhythm packet gives you the needed tools to work on reading rhythms, composing rhythmic patterns, and assessing student learning!

Note values included in this packet are:

• Quarter Notes (Bat)
• Beamed 8th Notes (Potion)
• 2 16th-1 8th patterns (Skeleton)
• Beamed 16th Notes (Jack-O-Lantern)

What's included in the packet? This has:

• "Posters" in both color and ink-friendly options to display, with and without item names.
• Student cards with pictures and note values, in color and ink-friendly options.
• Student cards with words and note values, in black and ink-friendly options.
• Exit tickets for the number of sounds in the word, and note values.
• Composing worksheets for students to create patterns using stick notation.

Please note, while this resource is reproducible, only the original purchaser may reproduce the resource as needed and may not share it with colleagues. You can direct colleagues here to purchase a copy of their own.

Your support of a small, local business is greatly appreciated!

Catalog: MTP-SZWR-DG

© 2023 ZS Music Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

In Electro, introduce your kids to some great music from indigenous instruments from Africa! Using your classroom Djembe or Tubanos, learn the music by rote by taking it one rehearsal section at a time (with rehearsal markings [A], [B], [C], and so forth). This is terrific practice with your older students who want to work on alternating hands!

The notation on the first space F is a bass (middle of the drum) and the notation on the 3rd line B is a tone (four fingers near the rim of the drum, pitched a bit higher) At the end, wrap it up and put on a show!

Want to layer it?

• Have shakers play on specified beats (try 2 and 4)
• Have shakers play 16th notes all the way throughout or in specific sections
• Have half the class play 1st and 3rd measures, the other half play 2nd and 4th measures
• Do it in a round! )
• Use this in class, a concert, a parent showcase, admin, faculty and staff, whatever you wish!

In a fast-paced society, you need resources you can quickly pull out and quickly use for your students to work on essential skills...quickly!

We're introducing our new 3-note Big Sight Reading Cards!

This set includes 162 pages of cards that use the notes C, D, and E.

These cards are both in black and white, and color-coordinated with popular pitched percussion instruments. Red for C, Orange for D, and Yellow for E.

The cool part of these cards is their versatility! How are sight reading cards versatile? Lemme tell you. You can use these cards to:

• Introduce Sight reading individually or in a group.
• Assess Sight Reading skills individually or in a group.
• Composing (or "arranging" a song) for students to play, individually or in a group.

It's almost like how Alton Brown likes to cook, we like to use resources that are "multi-taskers"...so you have more band for your buck!

Your support of a small business is greatly appreciated! Please note that while this resource is reproducible, you may only use this with your students. The resource license is not transferrable to other school or teachers.

Catalog: MTP-CBSM-DG

© 2023 ZS Music Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

This'll DEFINITELY get your 4th and 5th Grade boys going (and girls too!)

We're taking a detour and going right into the WWE with a slamming arrangement of the Roman Reigns (The WWE undisputed heavyweight champion) theme song "Head of the Table"

There are three all-color coded slides along with the form identifiers listed next to each phrase. Discuss form with the students and teach them (by rote) the rhythms on the powerpoint with the corresponding repeats (most are repeated 2 or 4 times). Then, apply it to drums!

Note: This arrangement is written in HALF time (don't do it at MM=160, or else you'd end up finishing it way sooner than it needs to be lol)

All regular notation is to be played on the buckets (or drums, or ground, however you wish), and the X notation (with a down stem) are played as stick clicks above their head (or you could apply it to a tambourine or other auxiliary instrument)

Here's the track so you can play along...

https://youtu.be/n0QT\_teLcNk?si=\_YFu9fmvMb4tba01

Have fun with this and let us know how it goes!

Terms of Use:

All images/photos/clip art in this resource were created by me.

__________________________________

*** Looking for more BUCKET DRUMMING resources? *** Find them here!

In a fast-paced society, you need resources you can quickly pull out and quickly use for your students to work on essential skills...quickly!

We're introducing our new 3-note Big Sight Reading Cards!

This set includes 81 pages of cards that use the notes C, D, and E.

The cool part of these cards is their versatility! How are sight reading cards versatile? Lemme tell you. You can use these cards to:

• Introduce Sight reading individually or in a group.
• Assess Sight Reading skills individually or in a group.
• Composing (or "arranging" a song) for students to play, individually or in a group.

It's almost like how Alton Brown likes to cook, we like to use resources that are "multi-taskers"...so you have more band for your buck!

Your support of a small business is greatly appreciated! Please note that while this resource is reproducible, you may only use this with your students. The resource license is not transferrable to other school or teachers.

Catalog: MTP-CBSB-DG

© 2023 ZS Music Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

Need to connect with your kids with their pop music through general music? Involve them in bucket drumming with the hit song from the 1995 smash film "A Goofy Movie" with I 2 I from Powerline!

There are four all-color coded slides along with the form identifiers listed next to each phrase. Discuss form with the students and teach them (by rote) the rhythms on the powerpoint with the corresponding repeats (most are repeated 4, 6, or 8 times). Then, apply it to drums!

All regular notation is to be played on the buckets (or drums, or ground, however you wish), and the X notation (with a down stem) are played as stick clicks above their head (or you could apply it to a tambourine or other auxiliary instrument)

Here's the track so you can play along...

https://youtu.be/-qzWOhUURzo?si=quREsFN87FIonlmh

Have fun with this and let us know how it goes!
Terms of Use:

All images/photos/clip art in this resource were created by me.

__________________________________

*** Looking for more BUCKET DRUMMING resources? *** Find them here!

In a fast-paced society, you need resources you can quickly pull out and quickly use for your students to work on essential skills...quickly!

We're introducing our new 3-note Big Sight Reading Cards!

This set includes 81 pages of cards that use the notes A, B, and C!

These cards are color-coordinated with popular pitched percussion instruments: Purple for A, Pink for B, and Red for C!

The cool part of these cards is their versatility! How are sight reading cards versatile? Lemme tell you. You can use these cards to:

• Introduce Sight reading individually or in a group.
• Assess Sight Reading skills individually or in a group.
• Composing (or "arranging" a song) for students to play, individually or in a group.

It's almost like how Alton Brown likes to cook, we like to use resources that are "multi-taskers"...so you have more band for your buck!

Your support of a small business is greatly appreciated! Please note that while this resource is reproducible, you may only use this with your students. The resource license is not transferrable to other school or teachers.

Catalog: MTP-ABSC-DG

© 2024 ZS Music Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

In "To the Skies!", introduce your kids to some great music from indigenous instruments from Africa! Using your classroom Djembe or Tubanos (along with tambourines), learn the music by rote by aking it one rehearsal section at a time (with rehearsal markings [A], [B], [C], and so forth). This is terrific practice with your older students who want to work on alternating hands and adding different timbres in with the tambourine

Included is the key for tubano and tambourine notation

At the end, wrap it up and put on a show! Want to layer it?

• Have shakers play eighth notes or dotted quarters all the way throughout or in specific sections
• Have half the class play 1st and 3rd measures, the other half play 2nd and 4th measures
• Do it in a round! :)

Use this in class, a concert, a parent showcase, admin, faculty and staff, whatever you wish!

Have a terrific time with this one :)

In a fast-paced society, you need resources you can quickly pull out and quickly use for your students to work on essential skills...quickly!

We're introducing our new 3-note Big Sight Reading Cards!

This set includes 162 pages of cards that use the notes G, A, and B.

These cards are both in black and white, and color-coordinated with popular pitched percussion instruments: Dark Green for G, Purple for A, and Pink for B.

The cool part of these cards is their versatility! How are sight reading cards versatile? Lemme tell you. You can use these cards to:

• Introduce Sight reading individually or in a group.
• Assess Sight Reading skills individually or in a group.
• Composing (or "arranging" a song) for students to play, individually or in a group.

It's almost like how Alton Brown likes to cook, we like to use resources that are "multi-taskers"...so you have more band for your buck!

Your support of a small business is greatly appreciated! Please note that while this resource is reproducible, you may only use this with your students. The resource license is not transferrable to other school or teachers.

Catalog: MTP-GBSM-DG

© 2024 ZS Music Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

Wanna get these kids engaged and smiling ear to ear? Get a TRAP REMIX going full of trap music, backbeats, and trance themes with the theme from Minecraft for Bucket Drumming!

There are two all-color coded slides along with the form identifiers listed next to each phrase. Discuss form with the students and teach them (by rote) the rhythms on the powerpoint with the corresponding repeats (most are repeated 3 or 4 times). Then, apply it to drums!

All regular notation is to be played on the buckets (or drums, or ground, however you wish), and the X notation (with a down stem) are played as stick clicks above their head (or you could apply it to a tambourine or other auxiliary instrument)

Here's the track so you can play along...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL4i9FKuiEA

Have fun with this and let us know how it goes!

Terms of Use:

All images/photos/clip art in this resource were created by me.

__________________________________

*** Looking for more BUCKET DRUMMING resources? *** Find them here!

In a fast-paced society, you need resources you can quickly pull out and quickly use for your students to work on essential skills...quickly!

We're introducing our new 3-note Big Sight Reading Cards!

This set includes 81 pages of cards that use the notes C, D, and E.

These cards are color-coordinated with popular pitched percussion instruments. Red for C, Orange for D, and Yellow for E.

The cool part of these cards is their versatility! How are sight reading cards versatile? Lemme tell you. You can use these cards to:

• Introduce Sight reading individually or in a group.
• Assess Sight Reading skills individually or in a group.
• Composing (or "arranging" a song) for students to play, individually or in a group.

It's almost like how Alton Brown likes to cook, we like to use resources that are "multi-taskers"...so you have more band for your buck!

Your support of a small business is greatly appreciated! Please note that while this resource is reproducible, you may only use this with your students. The resource license is not transferrable to other school or teachers.

Catalog: MTP-CBSC-DG

© 2023 ZS Music Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

Cup rhythms are terrific for your students of all ages! Inexpensive plastic cups from the dollar store, Target, or others make excellent substitutes for percussion instruments and in unison played together, solidifies steady beat, rhythm acuity, and gets everyone playing as an ensemble!

In this arrangement of Imagine Dragons' hit from 2022, the newly released "Bones"!

students will read each corresponding colored section along with the form identifier for the amount of times played.

Discuss form with the students and teach them (by rote) the rhythms on the powerpoint with the corresponding repeats. Then, apply it your class set of cups (to be done on the ground, in their seat, or however)!

Notation is as follows:

• CUP WITH ARROW - to be played by striking the cup (upside down) on the floor
• CUP WITH HAND - to be played with cup on the floor and patting the top of the cup
• CLAP - hands clap once
• QUARTER REST - one beat rest

Here's the track so you can play along...

https://youtu.be/kK9g0XTxSM0

In a fast-paced society, you need resources you can quickly pull out and quickly use for your students to work on essential skills...quickly!

We're introducing our new 3-note Big Sight Reading Cards!

This set includes 81 pages of cards that use the notes A, B, and C!

The cool part of these cards is their versatility! How are sight reading cards versatile? Lemme tell you. You can use these cards to:

• Introduce Sight reading individually or in a group.
• Assess Sight Reading skills individually or in a group.
• Composing (or "arranging" a song) for students to play, individually or in a group.

It's almost like how Alton Brown likes to cook, we like to use resources that are "multi-taskers"...so you have more band for your buck!

Your support of a small business is greatly appreciated! Please note that while this resource is reproducible, you may only use this with your students. The resource license is not transferrable to other school or teachers.

Catalog: MTP-ABSB-DG

© 2024 ZS Music Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

Need to connect with your kids with their pop music through general music? Involve them in bucket drumming with Motown the Musical: "Get Ready / Dancing in the Streets"

There are five all-color coded slides along with the form identifiers listed next to each phrase. Discuss form with the students and teach them (by rote) the rhythms on the powerpoint with the corresponding repeats (most are repeated 3 or 4 times). Then, apply it to drums!

All regular notation is to be played on the buckets (or drums, or ground, however you wish), and the X notation (with a down stem) are played as stick clicks above their head (or you could apply it to a tambourine or other auxiliary instrument)

Here's the track so you can play along...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oyn42moyN4M

__________________________________

*** Looking for more BUCKET DRUMMING resources? *** Find them here!