PYP Music Blog

Welcome back to KIS and welcome to another year of music-making.
There will be instrumental units, listening units, creating units and a host of concerts and events so we have a great deal to look forward to as we start our year.
Grade information may be found on the class music blogs and general information will be posted here.
This year I intend to hold a morning class for G4 parents who would like to learn the ukulele as the G4 students are doing-I will post the information when we are ready to set up the class.
G 3 students will be learning the recorder this year while G4 will learn the ukulele and G5 the guitar.
Whilst we have enough instruments to use in the class I highly recommend that the students have their own so they can practice at home. A Yamaha recorder costs around 300 baht while a beginner guitar or a decent ukulele costs around 2,000.
I am happy to help with any advice or guidance if you require it.
Have a great year!
Mr Chris
(The Music Man)

That brings us to the end of another year of music making. I hope you have a wonderful holiday and return, refreshed, ready for another great year.
See you then!
Mr Chris

This year will see a change in the way we celebrate the coming of the holidays with not one but two concerts talking place on the last day of school.
The biggest change is that we will perform our item in the concert not as a whole class but as separate class groups. See your music blog for what you will be doing in the concert!

This year will see a change in the way we celebrate the coming of the holidays with not one but two concerts talking place on the last day of school.
The biggest change is that we will perform our item in the concert not as a whole class but as separate class groups. Our items will be:

G5A
Hound Dog. Elvis Presley (12 bar blues)
G5B
Rock Around the Clock. Bill Hayley (12 bar blues)
G5C.
Blue Suede Shoes. Elvis Presley (12 bar blues)
The songs follow the same 12 bar blues pattern which is written thus:

A///1A///1A///1A///1D///1D///1A///1A///1E///1D///1A///1A///11

Here are the lyrics for you to practice and learn:

Hound Dog
You aint nothing but a hound dog
Crying all the time
You aint nothing but a hound dog
Crying all the time
You aint never caught a rabbit
And you aint no friend of mine

You said you were high class
baby that’s a lie
You siad you were high class
Baby that’s a lie
You aint never caught a rabbit
And you aint no friend of mine

Rock around the clock
One, Two, Three O’clock, Four O’clock rock
Five, Six, Seven O’clock, Eight O’clock rock
Nine, Ten, Eleven O’clock, Twelve O’clock rock
We’re gonna rock around the clock tonight

Put your glad rags on and join me hon’
We’ll have some fun when the clock strikes one
We’re gonna rock around the clock tonight
We’re gonna rock, rock, rock,’till broad daylight
We’re gonna rock gonna rock around the clock tonight

When the clock strikes two, three and four
If the band slows down we’ll yell for more
We’re gonna rock around the clock tonight
We’re gonna rock, rock, rock,’till broad daylight
We’re gonna rock gonna rock around the clock tonight

When the chimes ring five, six, and seven
We’ll be right in seventh heaven
We’re gonna rock around the clock tonight
We’re gonna rock, rock, rock,’till broad daylight
We’re gonna rock gonna rock around the clock tonight

When it’s eight, nine, ten, eleven too
I’ll be goin’ strong and so will you
We’re gonna rock around the clock tonight
We’re gonna rock, rock, rock,’till broad daylight
We’re gonna rock gonna rock around the clock tonight

When the clock strikes twelve we’ll cool off then
Start rocking round the clock again
We’re gonna rock around the clock tonight
We’re gonna rock, rock, rock,’till broad daylight
We’re gonna rock gonna rock around the clock tonight

Blue Suede Shoes
Well, it’s one for the money
Two for the show
Three to get ready
Now go, cat, go

But don’t you step on my blue suede shoes
Well, you can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

Well, you can knock me down
Step in my face
Slander my name
All over the place

Do anything that you want to do, but uh-uh
Honey, lay off of my shoes
Don’t you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

You can burn my house
Steal my car
Drink my liquor
From an old fruit jar
Do anything that you want to do, but uh-uh
Honey, lay off of my shoes
Don’t you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

Well, it’s one for the money
Two for the show
Three to get ready
Now go, cat, go
But don’t you step on my blue suede shoes
Well, you can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

Here are the songs for you to listen to:

Rock around the clock

Blue Suede Shoes

To help you move further here is a basic chord chart for you to increase your knowledge of chords.
Just place your fingers as advised and you’ll soon learn some new chords and remember, new chords mean new songs so you’ll always have something new to do!

Try to learn the chords of A major, D major, E major, G major, C major, E minor and A minor. there’s a lot of songs with three chords, a huge number with four and six chords will give you pretty much everything!
Have fun!

Here is our first song on the guitar. It is Three Little Birds by Bob Marley and it uses just three chords, the tonic, subdominant and the dominant, or, chords I, IV and V.
In this key, the key of A, that means we use the chords of A major, D major and E major.

Three Little Birds

A
Don’t worry, about a thing
D A
Cause’ every little thing, gonna be alright
A
Singin’ don’t worry, about a thing
D A
Cause’ every little thing, gonna be alright

[Verse]

A
Rise up this mornin’
E
Smile with the rising sun
A D
Three little birds perch by my doorstep
A
Singin’ sweet songs
E
of melodys pure and true
D A
sayin’, this my message to you-oo-oo

Here is a chord chart to help you remember where to put your fingers. Try to make sure as you play that your hands are relaxed and that you don’t, unintentionally, press more than one string at a time.

A major chord

D major chord

E major chord

Guitar.

The guitar
This term in G5 we will be using the skills and knowledge we attained last year on our ukeleles to learn another new instrument, the guitar.
Last year was a fantastic experience with every student achieving success on the ukelele and transferring our skills to the guitar will be another step forward. We have bought enough brand new guitars to use in class but, as with any instrument, home practice is important so I really encourage you to ask your mums and dads to buy you a guitar of your own (not an electric one, though, we don’t have the facilities to plug it in so stick to an acoustic model!)

Its time for school again after the long summer break and I’d like to welcome everyone, both new students and old friends, to a new year of music making.
The year will be filled with opportunities to make music together so join in, take advantage of the opportunities on offer and let’s make some music!

Don’t forget to check out the music section on your class blog for information, important messages and up-to-date classwork.
See you there!

Welcome to a new school year at KIS!
This year will be filled with exciting musical journeys as we learn to play together on percussion and recorder, on ukeleles and as a marching band.
Our first units will be instrumental ones so, keep an open mind, prepare to practice and involve yourself in the magical world of music.
It’s going to be fun!

Just because…….