JustPlay: Chord of E minor

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About this sample resource

This sample resource is part of the JustPlay whole class band programme which includes full video guides to support learners and teachers starting with basic chords and rhythmic patterns working up to performing a range of songs and chord changes.

In this section you will learn how to:

Play the chord of E minor on guitar, ukulele, bass guitar and keyboard using:

  • Warm ups
  • Keycards – how to use the them (if required)
  • Back to Bass – using the bass note of the chord of E minor
  • Get Ready – to check that you can find the right notes to play the chord of E minor
  • JustPlay E minor – playing rhythms whilst following fingering charts/keyboard cards

Warm Ups - Overview

Each Section of JustPlay starts with a keeping the pulse activity – to emphasise the importance of this skill when playing music together.

Warm Ups are designed to develop the following musical skills:

  • Respond to signals for start and stop
  • Feel the pulse
  • Mark the beat with the body, by counting, by counting and moving, observing rests
  • Develop a shared musical vocabulary e.g. rest, beat, pulse
  • Encourage listening to one another and if necessary to stop, listen and re-join the group

Development

  • Invent your own ‘counting songs’ to support keeping the pulse,
  • If you have a good sense of pulse, try to play the bass drum to support others to keep in time

Warm Up 1

  • Start by finding the 1st beat of the bar

Warm Up 2

  • Listen to each of the four beats – notice how the pulse is evenly spaced.
  • Can you nod your head on the first beat of each bar?
  • Can you clap your hands on the first beat of each bar?
  • Can you tap your foot on the first beat of each bar?

Warm Up 3

  • Following the playalong, can you clap your hands on all four beats of the bar?
  • Now try nodding then tapping your foot on all four beats of the bar

Warm Up 4

  • In this warm up, you are going to  make up (improvise) your own 4 beat rhythm using claps, taps and/or stamps
  • First, try copying the rhythm your teacher claps – make sure you keep in time with the beat!
  • Now working in pairs, can you copy the rhythm your partner claps keeping in time with the beat?

Keycards - Overview

Use the JustPlay Key Cards as a visual aid to help you play chords – your teacher may explain the theory behind this later.

  • Choose either the major key card or the minor key card
  • Set the red strip to the root (or letter name) of the chord and play red-blue-blue

If you find it difficult to play all three notes of the chord straightaway, you could just play the red or red-blue until you become more confident.

Development

All the chords shown in the JustPlay programme are in root position.  If you are able to play root position chords easily, you can:

  • Play the different inversions of the chord – with the 3rd or 5th of the chord as the bottom note.
  • Try out a more complex chord accompaniments – for example, broken chords

Set Your Key Card: E minor

  • Set the red strip on your Key Card to E on the keyboard. Then play the notes marked red, blue, blue

 

Back to Bass: E minor

Back to Bass uses just the root or bass note (E) on each instrument.

  • Play the 1st beat of the bar using the bass note (root note) E minor
  • This activity will help you to become familiar with reading tablature (TAB) and to find an easy stepping-stone to playing the full chord in the next activity
  • Check that you are playing the correct note on whichever instrument you are playing
  • Remember – the string to the left of each diagram is the one closest to your chin

Get Ready: E minor

  • Use the Get Ready prompt to find the right notes or chord on the instrument you are playing.
  • Play each of the rhythms using the fingering charts and keyboard cards to play EZ E minor or Full E minor
  • This activity will also help you to become familiar with reading tablature (TAB)

Easy E minor

  • Make sure you are muting the bottom three strings of your guitar, or bottom two strings of your ukulele

 

Full E minor

  • Try this option if you are feeling more confident with playing chords

JustPlay: Easy E minor

  • Use either 1+2+3+4+, or traditional rhythmic notation, and change between the three rhythms
  • Clap the rhythms first while the audio plays, then add in the instruments.
  • Play each of the rhythms using the fingering charts and keyboard cards to play Easy E minor or Full E minor
  • This activity will help you to become familiar with reading tablature (TAB)

JustPlay: Full E minor

  • Use either 1+2+3+4+, or traditional rhythmic notation.
  • Clap the rhythms first while the audio plays, then add in the instruments.
  • Play each of the rhythms using the fingering charts and keyboard cards to play Easy E minor or Full E minor
  • This activity will help you to become familiar with reading tablature (TAB)

Key Words - Overview

Check your musical understanding of the following:

  • Pulse
  • Beat
  • Metre of 4-strong (1 in green) vs weak beats (orange)
  • Major /minor key
  • E minor
  • Root
  • Rhythm
  • Crotchet and crotchet rest
  • Quaver and quaver rest
  • Pitch (note names)
  • Low-high pitch
  • Tablature
  • Strumming/rhythm patterns
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