Songs and Rhythm
Primary 2 · Creative Arts
Songs and Rhythm
Lesson 1 of 3
10 min
Let's begin
The bell rings. Uwase and her friends stand up beside their desks.
One voice starts. Then twenty voices join in. The whole classroom fills up with the song.
Singing on your own is nice. Singing together is even better. Today you will learn how.
Look at Byiringiro. He is slumped over his desk. His chin sits on his chest. He sings, and his voice comes out small and squashed.
Now he stands up. Feet a little apart. Back tall. Shoulders down and easy. Head up. Hands soft at his sides.
He sings again. This time his voice comes out big and free!
Nothing changed but his body. Your voice needs room. Stand tall and you give it room. That is called good posture.
Try it now. Sing one line sitting all bent over. Then stand tall and sing it again. You will hear the difference yourself.
Put one hand flat on your tummy. Now breathe in.
Did your shoulders jump up to your ears? That is a shallow breath. It is a small breath. It runs out before the end of the line, and then your voice goes wobbly.
Try again. This time keep your shoulders still and let your tummy push out gently against your hand. That is a deep breath. It is a big breath, and it lasts.
Here is the test. Take a deep, low breath and sing this whole line without stopping:
Good morning, friends, good morning to you!
Did you reach the end on one breath? Then you breathed low. Well done.
The class sings laa all on the same note. Keza opens her mouth and her laa comes out way up high, like a tiny bird. Her sound sits on top of everybody. It sticks out.
So Keza does two things.
First she stops. Then she listens. She lets the class sound fill her ears.
Now she sings again, and she slides her voice down until it fits right inside their sound. Nothing sticks out any more.
That is singing in tune: not higher, not lower, the same note as everyone else. Your ears do the work first. Then your voice copies.
Gatete sings the line so fast it comes out as goodmorningfriends. It is one big blur. Nobody can hear the words.
So he slows down a little. He opens his mouth wide for each word. He finishes the ends: morn-ing, not mornin.
Now everybody hears him. Open mouth, finished words. That is how words come out clear.
Many songs we sing in Rwanda work like a game. One person sings a line alone. That line is the call. Then everybody else sings back together. That part is the response.
Try this one. The teacher sings the call. The class sings the response.
Call: Good morning, friends!
Response: Good morning too!
Call: Are you ready?
Response: Yes, we are!
The caller sings alone. The class waits, listens, and answers together. If you sing during the call, you spoil it. Wait for your turn, then come in strong.
Twenty voices only sound beautiful if they move as one. Here is the order:
Ishimwe knows every word, but he starts two beats before everyone else. His voice pokes out at the front. Knowing the words is not enough. You must go with the others.
Tip
Stand tall, breathe low, ears first. Say it before you sing. Tall body, low breath, and always listen before you open your mouth. Your ears are the boss of your voice.
Byiringiro sings bent over his desk with his chin on his chest. What should he change?
Answer: His posture. He should stand tall, shoulders down, head up. Then his voice has room.
You breathe in and your shoulders jump up to your ears. Is that a good singing breath?
Answer: No. That is a small, shallow breath. Breathe low, so your tummy pushes out instead.
Keza sings much higher than everybody else. What two things must she do?
Answer: Stop and listen, then match her voice to the class. Ears first, mouth second.
One person sings Are you ready? and the whole class sings back Yes, we are! What do we call the part the class sings?
Answer: The response. The part sung alone first is the call.
Sing a song you know to someone at home. Stand tall, breathe low, open your mouth wide.
Answer: Ask them one question afterwards: could you hear every word? If not, slow down a little and try again.
What you learned today
Quick check
Match each word to its meaning.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
