-
Learn Your Favorite Theme Song
Ask students to pick their favorite movie, TV show, or video game theme song to learn. These are often simple, easily identifiable melodies. Have them record it and pay a game to see if other students can guess what theme song it is.
-
Make Up a Chord
Ask students to make up a chord they think sounds good. Ask them to make up a chord that sounds bad. This is a good intro to theory, chord composition, and harmonies.
-
Learn a Song to a New Movie
New movies are a great source for new music (or reviving goodies-but-oldies). Teach students a song from a popular new release. We’ll often add these songs to Moosiko.
-
Learn a Song from a Different Country
Pick a country, or culture, and have students learn a song or melody from that culture. Even better if a student can share a favorite song from their culture with the class.
-
Replace Your Strings
An essential skill for all guitarists. Replacing strings strengthens an understanding of the instrument, and introduces students to the physics, sound, and mathematics of music. Tutorials can be found on YouTube. BONUS: Get your Physics and Math teachers involved.
-
Write a Song with a Fellow Teacher
Partner with another teacher to write a song about a specific subject (Pythagorean Theorem, Angles, American Revolution). Keep it simple (4 chords), or even just rewrite the lyrics to an existing song, and we’ll add this to Moosiko to help your students learn!
-
Write New Lyrics (to an existing song)
Have students make up their own lyrics for an existing song. This is an easy and creative way to introduce songwriting. We can also add these to Moosiko so other students can learn.
-
Record a Song with Makeshift Instruments
Instruments are all around us: Pots, spoons, whistles, boxes, bottles of water. Challenge your students to have their parents, siblings, or friends, play some of these household instruments while your student plays guitar. Record and share.
-
Build a Guitar (-ish) Instrument
A guitar is just vibrating taught strings. Challenge your students to build their own makeshift guitar. Show them the vibrating ruler on the edge of a desk to get them inspired. Great activity to get the parents involved.
-
Dress Up Like Your Favorite Artist
If students don’t have a guitar at home, have them dress up like their favorite artist or album cover and share with the class.