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Children sitting on music room floor learning to play percussion instruments

Djembe Lesson Plan

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Illinois State Standards

Anchor Standard 7 (Responding)

Perceive and analyze artistic work.

Enduring Understanding: Individuals choose music based on their interests, experiences, musical understanding, and each musical work’s purpose.

Essential Question: How do individuals choose music to experience?

Anchor Standard 8 (Responding)

Construct meaningful interpretations of artistic work.

Enduring Understanding: Through their use of elements and structures of music, creators and performers provide clues to their expressive intent.

Essential Question: How do we discern the musical performers’ emotions, thoughts, and ideas?

Anchor Standard 9 (Responding)

Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.

Enduring Understanding: The personal evaluation of musical work(s) and performance(s) is informed by analysis, interpretation, and teacher- or student-established criteria.

Essential Question: How do we judge the quality of musical work(s) and performance(s)?

Anchor Standard 10 (Connecting)

Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.

Enduring Understanding: Musicians connect their personal interests, experiences, ideas, and knowledge to creating, performing, and responding.

Essential Question: How do musicians make meaningful connections to creating, performing, and responding?

Objectives

Students will:

  • Explore the sounds of the djembe
  • Learn basic rhythmic patterns of the djembe
  • Play solo and within ensemble
  • Practice accompanying music on the djembe

Materials

  • Computer
  • Speakers
  • Smartboard
  • Djembes

Procedure

Introduction to Djembe

  1. Listen and Watch

    5 minutes

    Djembe Music

  2. Sounds of the Djembe

    10 minutes
    • Divide students into groups
    • One djembe per group minimum
    • Students will find as many sounds as possible on the djembe

  3. Compare and Contrast

    5 minutes
    • What sounds have you found?
    • What sounds are common between groups?
    • What sounds are unique from your group?

Playing the Djembe1

  1. Basic Sounds

    10 minutes
    • Bass: Striking the djembe in the center
    • Tone: Striking the djembe towards the edge
    • Slap: An accented strike towards the edge
    • Allow students to explore the varying sounds on the djembe within their groups

  2. Listen and Watch

    10 minutes
    • Hear the basic sounds of the drum
    • Have students share the sounds they have learned

  3. Djembe Patterns

    15 minutes
    • Practice various djembe patterns (See worksheet)
    • Begin slowly
    • Strive for consistent rhythm and tempo
    • Gradually introduce new patterns

1These sections can be repeated throughout the unit as students develop greater mastery of the instrument

Playing in Ensemble

  1. Djembe Patterns

    5 minutes
    • Practice various djembe patterns in unison (See worksheet)

  2. Creating New Patterns

    10 minutes
    • Divide students into groups
    • Using bass, tone, and slap have each group develop a new pattern
      for the djembe

  3. Learning New Patterns

    10 minutes
    • Each group should demonstrate and teach the pattern developed

Accompanying Music

  1. Learning a Folk Melody

    10 minutes
    • Learn the folk melody “Heigh Ho” (See worksheet)
    • Practice the accompanying djembe patterns

  2. Accompanying Music

    10 minutes
    • Divide students into groups
    • Practice both melody and accompaniment within groups
    • Share with the class

  3. New Accompaniment

    10 minutes
    • Within groups, develop a new accompaniment pattern for the folk melody
    • Share with the class