Our Program

MATB Lesson 10 - Book One: Kuma San

 

Introduction

This is one of the most popular songs in the book. Children love singing and playing it and they especially enjoy acting it out. (Start with palms together in a prayer-like pose and then let the words of the song be your guide. Hold your palms together at the end and bow slowly while singing "Sayonara".)

One teacher chose to perform this piece at her Spring Concert with a group of 25 students. About seven children played it on the keyboards while another group danced, another sang the song and a fourth group played Orff instruments using a few different ostinato patterns. The simple three-note melody was transformed into a beautifully orchestrated and rich sounding ensemble. It was thrilling!

A good accompaniment is a simple ostinato pattern of C-G played as steady quarter notes or blocked into half note hollow chords. The children can be taught to do this and then put in pairs to practice.

Music/Concepts

  1. EIGHTH NOTES (dividing a beat in half)
  2. REPEAT SIGN
  3. Quarter rest
  4. Repetition of phrases
  5. Connection between words and phrases/music MOTIVES: Kuma San = 1-2-3 (two-eighths quarter or eighth-eighth quarter)
  6. Reinforce: reading lines and spaces -- up, down, repeat


Difficulties

  1. A long song with many similar phrases
  2. Eighth notes
  3. Feeling the quarter rest
  4. Repeat sign

Activities Away From the Piano

  1. Explain and demonstrate eighth notes (Game: Half the class can be eighth notes while the other half are quarter notes...counterpoint)
  2. With the rhythm cards have the children clap the various patterns -- say something for the rest (shhh)
  3. Showing the enlarged music, explain the repeat sign
  4. Pointing to the enlarged music, have the children clap the rhythm of the entire song
  5. Sing (and dance) the song with the words - say "shhh" or "rest" for the rest
  6. Point out or have the children discover, on the enlarged music that the first 2 measures of each phrase are the same -- as in the lyrics
  7. Talk about what "Sayonara" means
  8. Have the children perform the movements opposite a partner in lines, then shift to a new partner at the end of each verse (using the CD)

Ear Training

  1. Play the recording and discuss
  2. In pairs, have one child sing the words (or numbers or letters) while the other plays. Switch.
  3. Play the song on the black keys - THINK: up, down, repeat


Activities at the Piano

  1. Exercise: 1-2-3-2-1 (quarter notes) 11-22-33-22-11 (eighth notes) Steady beat for both
  2. Work on each line alone. Use L.H. to point to the notes while 1) singing numbers 2) playing
  3. Play two lines and then the entire song
  4. Play while the teacher sings the words.
  5. Play and sing the entire song


Extensions/Creativity/Exploration

  1. While the teacher plays an ostinato, the children make up a song using the three black keys only. This should be done after playing this song on the black keys.
  2. Children make up their own "bear" song and perform for each other.
  3. Discuss why Mr. Bear is saying "Sayonara" and make up/write a story about him.
  4. Draw a picture of Kuma San (perhaps even doing one of the described moves)
  5. Let the children create different moves/gestures for the dance.


Questions

  1. How do Japanese people say good-bye?
  2. What are the letter names/rhythms of the "Kuma San" motive?
  3. What do the two sets of dots and double lines at the end of the piece tell you to do? (repeat sign)
  4. How many times does the "Kuma San" pattern repeat? (two-eighths quarter)
  5. What patterns do you see?
  6. How many pairs of eighth-notes are in this piece?
  7. How many beats are in each measure?
  8. Why do we say goodbye to Mr. Bear or why is he saying goodbye?


More Activities

  1. Be a bear. Or bring in a teddy bear and introduce him/her as Kuma San.
  2. Do the dance. First have teachers demonstrate, then children try. Once they know it, they can do it with a classmate partner. When they get good at doing the dance slowly, do it with the CD, which is a bit lively and up-tempo.
  3. Ask if they notice the new time signature. Talk about how you know the number of beats per measure.
  4. When teaching notes and numbers in preparation for the keyboard, emphasize the rest in measure 4. When they go to their keyboards ask them to sing the song while playing. The room should be filled with "shh's".
  5. Introduce the repeat sign. Draw a stick figure with a repeat sign and explain that that means two stick figures. Draw a triangle with a repeat sign and ask what that means. Try putting a sequence of two or three shapes on the board with a repeat sign and ask the kids to interpret the repeat sign.


Observations and Suggestions (from the Music Rooms)

  1. The kids loved to sing/dance all 8 (or however many) times the CD repeated. They even picked up some of the words in Japanese.
  2. Remembering the rest and the repeat was challenging.
  3. Kids wanted to start with 1 in measure
  4. The third measure on each system seem to be common pitfalls. These are the measures where the words change - unlike the first two of each line which are constant in rhythm, pitch and lyrics.
  5. Don't be afraid to or lazy about learning the Japanese lyrics. It is fun, not too hard and well worth the while.