Note to the Teachers

Music holds the remarkable ability to evoke empathy, promote collaboration and facilitate self-expression. This book aims to motivate students to appreciate music and learn basic skills. It will be interesting to introduce specific songs and activities from the book which will encourage our students to participate enthusiastically and enjoy the process rather than solely focusing on specific outcomes, especially in the initial stages.

1. Practising at home helps to build skills like singing, playing of instrument, listening, creating, etc. It encourage students to do the same spontaneously.

2. Consider taking students to live musical performances for exposure.

3. Invite a musician to your school. Encourage children to ask questions and interact with the artist.

4. Learners love to sing songs that they hear at home, during religious and cultural celebrations. Encourage children to sing those songs in classroom that they learnt at home.

5. There are many opportunities to experience different genres of music in everyday life. In between classes, instead of ringing a school bell, consider playing a melody which will attract the attention of students.

6. There are many activities given in this section. You may add these activities for variations.

7. Most songs and activities in the book include an audio or video resource that can be accessed by scanning the QR code provided in the textbook.

This music curriculum desires that you and the students thoroughly enjoy the journey of making music. We aim to instill a lifelong love for music amongst them, fostering a deep appreciation that will grow beyond the classroom.

Resources for the Classroom

1. The classroom should be a place where the music learning is fun and comfortable. Both students and teachers should be able to sit comfortably and sing together. Sitting on the floor is the best arrangement for music classes. It helps the children to learn about good posture and proper breathing, similar to the exercises done in yoga. Teachers can also change the seating in different styles and designs based on the theme of the song. This makes the class more interesting and creative, and helps students to foster improvisation skills.

2. Computer with internet connection, provision of downloading app for tanpura and speakers for playing audio resources.

3. Provision of material to make simple instruments in class.

4. Provision of microphone and sound system for performances in school.

5. Provision of simple instruments such as harmonium, dholak, manjira, shakers, tambourine, mouth organ, electronic tanpura and tabla.

6. A map of India will be useful to show the students the locations of the states from where different compositions in various languages originate and are practiced regularly.

Objective: Listening to musical pieces to understand how they influence the moods and emotions, and learning to express your thoughts and feelings through musical elements.

Activity 1: Listen to this Song

Language: Malayalam

Kuttanadan Punjayile

Kochu Penne Kuyilale

Kottu Venam Kuzhal Venam, Kurava Venam

Kuttanadan Punjayile , Thithai Thaka Theithei Thom

Kochupenne Kuyilale, Thiti Thara Thei Thom

Kottu Venam Kuzhal Venam, Kurava Venam

(O … Thithithara Thithithai Thithai Thaka Thei Thom) × 4

Varavel Kanaaru Venam Kodi Thoranangal Venam

Vijayashree Laali Tharayi Varunnu Njangal

(O … Thithithara Thithithai Thithai Thaka Thei Thom) × 4

Karutha Chiraku Vachu Thithai Thaka Thei Thei Thom

Arayanna Kilipole Thitithara Thei Thom Karutha Chiraku Vechor Arayanna Kilipole

Kuthichu Kuthichu Payum Kuthira Pole (O … Thithithara Thithithai Thithai Thaka Thei Thei Thom) × 4

Activity 2: Music and Our Memories

Music has the power to influence our thoughts and emotions. Listening and creating music can bring us joy.

Sing the Tracks

Listen to the different types of music played along the advertisements, and make a playlist in this book or on your computer.

Write any jingle or song in the following boxes which you can recall.

Activity 3: Listen and Feel

We are surrounded by various types of music from dawn till dusk. Consider, your feelings when you hear different types of musical sounds. Recall the sounds of the shehnai, nadhaswaram, dhol, damru, edaikka or a melodious song — what do you feel while listening to these melodies? Do they make you happy, inspire you to dance, instil a sense of peace that you want to enjoy in silence or compel you to sing along? These feelings that come to life while hearing these melodious sounds are called emotions. Emotion is a natural trait inherent in all humans. Let us experience the same by listening to some instrumental music! What did you feel while listening to the musical pieces? Write down your emotions.

1.______________________

2.______________________

3.______________________

Violin

All the musical pieces here were played using the same instrument, a violin.

Similar to how your voice can convey various emotions and dynamics — happiness, sadness, loudness, and softness — an instrument has the capacity to evoke diverse emotions through different sounds.

You heard the sound of a violin. Now, try to listen to other musical instruments popularly played in our country. Like the flute, sitar, shehnai, tabla, etc., and try to understand how different sounds and tunes evoke diverse emotions.

Activity 4: Drawing Music

Each piece of music tells a story as we have been discussing till now. Now, let us try this; listen to a piece of music and represent it through your own art. You may draw and colour, using colour pencils, pens or paint. Give your drawing a caption or title.

Activity 5: Express your Emotions Through Music

Can you use your body to express any emotion through music without words?

When you are angry, what do you do? When you are happy, what do you do? When you are sad, what do you do?

You can use your voice or body percussion (claps, stomp, snap, breath) to express these emotions.

DO YOU KNOW

Animals have emotions like us. Have you observed that many birds and animals use sounds to communicate with each other? Birds use chirps to communicate. The Ganges river dolphin, the national aquatic animal of India, is blind, and uses a mixture of clicks and whistles to share messages. Male humpback whales are also famous for their long and intricate songs. Have you observed animals show their feelings through sounds? Share some examples.

Extended Activity

Narrate a regional folk story or stories from the Jataka tales and Panchatantra. Intersperse the narration with musical elements or songs that will help bring the story alive!

Activity 6: Learn about Musical Elements

Pitch and Dynamics

Have you ever noticed how you use different pitches and volume when you are happy, angry or sad? Pitch and dynamics are used to communicate emotions. Pitch tells us how high or low the note is and dynamics tells us how loud or soft a piece of music is.

Rhythm

Rhythm is everywhere. Have you ever listened to your heart beats? Note how your walking rhythm is different from that of your grandparents? In music, rhythm is the pattern which has symmetrical beats, played with a song.

The Swara Song

Watch the video and sing the ‘Swara Song’. This song is set to ragam shankarabharanam or raga bilawal. Pay attention to the variations in pitch while singing the song. Use your hands to keep the rhythm.

The two instruments have different pitches. nakkara has a loud volume while ghumat has a deep resonance.

The pronunciation of notes in Hindustani and Carnatic music.

While writing the notes, we will write as S, R, G, M, P, D, N.

Let us know the names of all the swaras sung in Carnatic and Hindustani music. There are 12 notes in total.

Film songs, bhajan, regional songs, folk music, melodic instrumental music are all created with musical notes — S, R, G, M, P, D, N. All compositions or songs are created with these notes.

Indian music has many genres including classical music such as Hindustani and Carnatic, as well as genres such as folk, semi classical, devotional, patriotic and film music.

DO YOU KNOW

Smt M.S. Subbulakshmi is one of the most famous and inspirational Carnatic singers of all times. She was the first musician to receive the Bharat Ratna from the Government of India. Apart from Carnatic music, she also sang many bhajans and sanskrit shlokas. Amongst them, ‘Hari Tum Haro’ and ‘Vaishnava Janato’ were Gandhiji’s favourite bhajans. She is known for her originality, simplicity and purity of music. She sang with her magical voice which was filled with devotion.

Activity 7: Vocal Warmups

Vocal Warmups

The pattern of notes below is known as alankar or sargam.

Alankar means ornamentation or decoration. Just like jewellery is designed with gold and different arrangements of precious stones, the seven notes in music are arranged in patterns to create a melody that is pleasing and aesthetic. All music has to be pleasing to the ears, i.e., sruti madhur.

DO YOU KNOW

Bharat Ratna awardee Lata Mangeshkar was one of India’s greatest playback singer in the world of Indian cinema. She has recorded songs in over 36 Indian languages and also in a few foreign languages. Her melodious voice spanned over three octaves. She sang the patriotic song ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon’ and dedicated it to the Indian soldiers who lost their lives in the war of 1962.

Activity 8: Medley

A medley is a mix, or combination of different songs or tunes played together as one piece of music. Let us have fun.

1. Identify the mood that each song tries to convey. Even if you don’t know the language, do the musical elements help convey a certain emotion?

2. What does the rhythm in each of these pieces convey?

3. Identify the musical elements in each of the songs.

A song can be sung with the accompaniment of thavil, pungi, chimta, guitar, etc.

Let’s Learn to Sing a Medley

Learn the medley or a few songs in it. The class can be divided into groups with each group presenting one piece of the medley. This medley is a string of celebratory songs from different parts of India. Move, sway and keep the rhythm when singing these fun songs!

Learn to sing any medley with karaoke

Activity 9: Let’s Play Games on Dynamics, Melody and Rhythm

These games are designed to help students to achieve the objectives given. Teachers are encouraged to think and design their own games that reflect the local music cultures.

Activity I: Identifying the Voice (tone, texture, style). One student should be blind folded and other student can sing a song that is known or taught in the class. The blind folded student should be able to identify the student who sang it.

Activity II: Identifying the song based on the melody.

Select any student to hum a song that is known or taught in the class. By listening to the tune other children in the class should be able to identify the song.

Activity III: Rhythm Game: Students in groups of 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 in numbers can pronounce their names as below.

Group of three students will be given names Ta, Ki, Ta and the group name should be ‘Tishra’.

Group of four students will be given names Dh, Ge, Naa, Tee and the group name should be ‘Chaturashra’.

Group of five students will be given names Ta, Ka, Ta, Ki, Ta and the group name should be ‘Khanda’.

Group of seven students will be given names Ti, Ti, Naa, Dhee, Naa, Dhee, Naa and the group name should be ‘Mishra’.

Group of nine students will be given names Ta, Ka, Di, Mi, Ta, Ka, Ta, Ki, Ta and the group name should be ‘Sankeerna’.