Ame, Ame
Time Signature
- 6/8
Cross Curricular
- Geography
- History / Social Studies
Theme
- Nature
- Traditions
Origin
- Japan
Content Type
- Story
Articulation
- Marcato
Tempo
- Moderato
Dynamics
- Forte
Form
- Binary (AB)
- Concerto
- First and Second Endings
- Introduction
- Repeat Signs
Movement Type
- Body Percussion
- Choreography
Voicing
- Unison
Language
- English
Rhythm
- Crotchet
- Crotchet Rest
- Dotted Crotchet
- Quaver Rest
- Single Quaver
Year Group
- Year 5+
See More
Year 1
Lesson 20: Performing Different Sounds
Year 2
Lesson 5: Rests
Year 3
Lesson 21: Sections and Phrases
Year 5
Lesson 18: Polyphony
Year 6
Lesson 8: Mixed Metres
Instrument Units
Lesson 1: Guitar Class Method - Unit 1
Instrument Units
Lesson 0: Recorder Class Method - Unit 2
Listening Maps
Lesson : Listening Maps
Demo Group
Lesson 2: Mark is Developing
Disney Music Activities (EYFS & KS1)
Lesson 3: Very First Steps: Sound
Disney Music Activities (EYFS & KS1)
Lesson : Very First Steps: The Beat
Disney Music Activities (EYFS & KS1)
Lesson 2: Very First Steps: Singing
Musicals
Lesson : Once Upon a Starry Night
New Test Group
Lesson 30: Am I Hearing You Right?
New Test Group
Lesson 28: It's Dynamically Fun!
Global Drumming
Lesson 1: 1. High Tone on Drum; Rattle
Global Drumming
Lesson 2: 2. Low Tone on Drum; Bell
Global Drumming
Lesson 3: 3. Question and Answer with Echo
Global Drumming
Lesson 4: 4. Double Bell (Gankogui)
Global Drumming
Lesson 5: 5. Rhythm Complements
Global Drumming
Japanese Folk Song
Arranged by John Higgins
Copyright © 2017 by Hal Leonard LLC
International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved
Available Learning Resources
Ame, Ame Credits
Japanese Folk Song
Arranged by John Higgins
Copyright © 2017 by Hal Leonard LLC
International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved
Teaching Plan
Ame, Ame
Goals
- Sing a Japanese folk song in two parts.
- Recognize and sing a pentatonic song.
- Play a melodic ostinato on Orff instruments to accompany song.
- Add body percussion to this folk song.
- Recognize and sing in canon form.
Materials
- Orff instruments or melody bells
Instructions
-
Learn the pronunciation to this Japanese folk song. (Japanese: a = ah / e = ay / i = ee / o = o / u = oo)
- Ame, Ame, fure, fure, kasanga : Ah-may, Ah-may, foo-ray, foo-ray, kah-sahn-gah
- Picchi, picchi, chappu, chappu, ran, ran, ran. (Pitter, pitter, patter, patter, drip, drip, drop): peachy, peachy, chah-poo, chah-poo rahn, rahn, rahn
-
Rehearse and learn the rhythms and pitches.
- Practice the intervals between fure, fure. (mi, re and sol, mi)
- Practice singing the descending melody for kasanga (Do, la, so, mi, so) smoothly and accurately.
- While most of the rhythm uses a long-short pattern, make sure to sing ran, ran, ran legato and drip drip drop separated.
-
Japanese traditional music is often based on the pentatonic scale.
- Pentatonic scale: a scale with five notes in each octave. It uses the 1st(do), 2nd(re), 3rd(mi), 5th(so), and 6th(la) notes of a major scale. (It does not use the 4th (fa) or 7th(ti) notes of the major scale.)
-
Add some motions to help demonstrate running and jumping in the rain, as well as the raindrops themselves. .
- Ame, Ame, fure, fure, kasanga. Running in the rain, I love to jump, and splash, and hop : Jog lightly to the steady beat, then jump, jump, hop. (Twice)
- Picchi, picchi, chappu, chappu, ran, ran, ran. Pitter, pitter, patter, patter, drip, drip, drop : Alternately pat your legs to the long/short rhythm, then snap three times. (Twice)
-
Add a melodic ostinato to accompany the song. Think of the words drip, drip, drop. (rest).
- Sometimes, it is sung: G, high C, repeated high C, rest. (Practice by patting your left leg, right leg, and right leg again. Hold palms up for the rest.)
- Sometimes, it is sung G high C, low C, rest. (Practice by patting your left leg, right leg, and left leg. Hold palms up for the rest.)
- Choose one of these patterns and play repeatedly on Orff instruments throughout the song as an ostinato. When holding your palms up for the rest, pretend to be catching a drop of rain! Whisper the words for assistance, if needed. Play as lightly as gentle drops of rain!
-
When the melody can be sung well, divide the group into two equal parts and practice singing the song in canon form. (Canon: a piece of music in which two or more voices (or instrumental parts) sing or play the same music starting at different times.)
- When canon singing is successful, add body percussion. (Challenge: try a body percussion canon!)
- Perform with melody, canon, body percussion and Orff instruments. This would be a great song for a rainy, Spring concert!
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