Title – Staff Rap

By – Susie

Primary Subject – Music

Secondary Subjects – Other

Grade Level – 3-6

This is not really a lesson plan, but rather an idea to use to introduce the staff. When I used it recently, I illustrated the staff and explained the need for a staff in order to show pitch. I pointed out the difference between a line note and a space note. We counted the lines and the spaces and named them, then learned the rap. I put each verse of the rap on a small poster (I used Microsoft Word with a large font and printed it out on 8 1/2 x 11 card stock). I pointed to the appropriate places on the staff as we went along. The kids loved it, and of course wanted to add rhythmic accompaniment to it as they said it.

It is performed in 2/4 time, and I have put the words that get the accent (1st beat) in ALL CAPS.

“STAFF RAP”

ON the staff,

ON the staff!

The NOTES gotta go

ON the staff

IF ya wanna know

The PITCH of the note

You GOTTA put it

On the STAFF!

LINE or space,

LINE or space!

IS that note on a

LINE or a space?

IF ya wanna know

Which NOTE to play,

Ya GOTTA know,

Is it a LINE or space?

ONE,2,3 or FOUR or 5

WHICH line is it?

MY oh my!

E g b d F, which one?

READING notes is

SO much fun!

*Space ONE or 2 or THREE or 4

TELL me now and

TELL me more!

“F”a,c, or “E”, which space?

To TELL for sure,

You JUST think “face”

ON the staff,

ON the staff!

The NOTES gotta go

ON the staff

IF ya wanna know

The PITCH of the note

You GOTTA put it

On the STAFF!

*”Space” comes immediately after the word “fun!” in the previous verse –

“READING notes is so much fun!Space ONE…”

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Susie

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