Pages

Sunday, January 24, 2021

Scratch Melodic Games


The challenges of distance learning have led me down a deep rabbit hole to learn how to code. I have been using Scratch to create interactive music experiences for my students learning at home. If you missed my other posts on Scratch, click this link.

The projects I'm sharing in this post focus on melody. In Tideo, the students will play the Tideo phrase at the ends of each line. In the video lessons, we examined the staff notation and used hand signs to sing in solfege. In a normal lesson, we would transfer this melody to the Orff instruments. In the Scratch, the song will play and a yellow box will appear around the notation for each phrase. Students use their number keys to play the melody.


I would normally use "Home" by Phillip Phillips with recorders. We would play the chorus on recorders and play the refrain on the xylophones. On Scratch, students will use their number keys to play both on a virtual xylophone. A yellow box will appear around each melody to show the students when to play.


"The Ballad of the Beetles and the Bedbugs" allows students to play a melodic ostinato to accompany the song-a broken bordun. Then, they have a chance to improvise a melodic section. This is one of the first lessons introducing melodic improvisation. I love using the baseball analogy. I compare Do to homebase and ask the students to end their melody on Do.


I hope your students enjoy these games! 


Click for more Scratch games created by me.

Click to join the Facebook Group Scratch for Music Educators.

No comments:

Post a Comment