Instrument Lessons

Welcome to Handbells Music Lesson 5 for weeks 21 – 26. If you haven’t yet completed lesson 1, lesson 2, lesson 3 and lesson 4 be sure to complete those lessons and the rhythm flash cards lesson before moving on to this lesson. See the Handbells Syllabus for an overview of all the lessons.

🎶 Weeks 21-26: Review, Performance & Fun!

• ✅ Reviewing favorite songs from past weeks
• ✅ Practicing for a mini performance for parents

✅ Fun activities:

• “Musical Freeze Dance”
• “Play Along with a Story” (kids add sound effects to a simple story)

✅ Final concert in Week 26 🎉

🌟 Materials Needed:

• ✅ 8-color handbell set (C to High C)
• ✅ Color-coded song sheets
• ✅ Rhythm flashcards (clap, tap, slow/fast)
• ✅ Simple props (scarves, small instruments for variety)

Welcome to Handbells Music Lesson 4 for weeks 13 – 20. If you haven’t yet completed lesson 1, lesson 2, and lesson 3 be sure to complete those lessons and the rhythm flash cards lesson before moving on to this lesson. See the Handbells Syllabus for an overview of all the lessons.

🎶 Weeks 13-16: Building Confidence & Musical Patterns

✅ Adding new songs:

• “Happy Birthday”
• “The Wheels on the Bus”
• ✅ Learning note sequences & simple melodies

✅ Fun activities:

• “Musical Storytelling” (playing bells to act out a simple story)
• “Rhythm Relay” (each child plays their note in order)

🎶 Weeks 17-20: Expanding Creativity

✅ Learning more songs:

• “Jingle Bells” (for holiday fun!)
• “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”

✅ Encouraging creativity:

• Let kids make up their own short tunes
• Experiment with fast vs. slow tempos

✅ Fun activities:

• “Create Your Own Song” challenge
• “Handbell Parade” (march and play along to the beat)

Welcome to Handbells Music Lesson 3 for weeks 9 – 12. If you haven’t yet completed lesson 1 and lesson 2 be sure to complete that lesson and the rhythm flash cards lesson before moving on to this lesson. See the Handbells Syllabus for an overview of all the lessons.

🎶 Weeks 9-12: Expanding Skills with New Songs

Adding new songs:

• “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”
• “Bingo”
• Introducing basic dynamics (playing soft vs. loud)
• Playing songs in groups (each child plays only their assigned note)

Fun activities:

• “Follow the Conductor” (teacher directs tempo)
• “Guess That Note” (listen and identify the note played)

Welcome to Handbells Music Lesson 2 for weeks 5 – 8. If you haven’t yet completed lesson 1 be sure to complete that lesson and the rhythm flash cards lesson before moving on to this lesson. See the Handbells Syllabus for an overview of all the lessons.

🎶 Weeks 5-8: Playing Full Songs & Rhythm Practice

✅ Playing full songs:

“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”

“Mary Had a Little Lamb”

✅ Introducing rhythm:

Clapping beats before playing

Using simple 1-2 counting

✅ Fun activities:

“Freeze Play” (play when teacher says “Go,” stop when “Freeze!”)

“Bell Swap” (kids trade bells to play different notes)

Welcome to Handbells Music Lesson 1. This first lesson can be done at any pace for weeks 1 – 4 of lessons. See the Handbells Syllabus for an overview of all the lessons.

Before getting started by sure to go through and master the Rhythm Flash Cards.

🎶 Weeks 1-4: Handbell Basics & First Notes

• ✅ Learning how to hold and play handbells
• ✅ Introducing color-coded notes (matching bells with a chart)
• ✅ Fun activities:
• “Find the Color” game
• “Echo Play” (teacher plays a note, kids repeat)
• ✅ First song: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” (first two lines only)