The Old Clock
Lesson Book page 11
- Keeping a steady beat
- Playing with alternating hands
what's new
- Feeling a steady beat in the body
- Dropping arm weight from the shoulders
what's important
let's get started
- Let's pretend we're clocks. (Combine saying Tick-Tock with swaying from side to side, like a pendulum.)
- What's the most important thing about a clock? (Answer: it must keep steady time.)
- This time both hands are going to play. Let's see how. (Have student point to the notes as you play the piece.)
- (Tap the piece, using the hands as written. First say right-left, etc., then the words.) Is your clock steady?
- Let's put our clock on the 2-black-key groups and listen to it keep steady time. (Play the piece.)
Tapping before playing prepares the gestures and sets a steady beat.
explore and create
A Big Grandfather Clock
(Play the piece low on the keyboard. Slow and steady.)A Tiny Table Clock or Wrist Watch
(Play the piece high on the keyboard, quicker and softer.)Ring Those Chimes!
Create some long, loud chimes—play groups of 2-black-keys with both hands. Then, still on the 2-black-keys, create short chime sounds. Alternate hands and play quicker and softer. Let's improvise a duet together. (See video and download duet)
Playing with alternating hands keeps the body in balance.
pedagogy pointers
This is the first piece that uses both hands. Playing with regularly alternating hands develops upper body balance and reinforces gestures made with the entire arm, dropping from the shoulders.
The finger clusters never change notes, so the student can focus attention on the alternating hand motions. The eyes learn to track from left to right and up and down—a development of directional reading.
Large body gestures help internalize the beat.
accompaniments on disk
- CD Tracks 2-3
- MIDI File 1