"House of the Rising Sun"
"House of the Rising Sun" 2017 4th & 5th Grade Keyboard Ensemble Recording
i-Pad Arrangements, Sketches, and Independent Student Projects
One advantage of using the i-Pad when teaching inexperienced musicians is that you can narrow a keyboard down to 5 or 6 keys with only one a different colored key within an octave. It sure beats the 12 skinnier back and white keys on a traditional piano. The disadvantage is that you may have deal with different keyboards (with 5 to 8 keys per octave) with different “scale format” settings, in order to cover all of the notes needed in any given song. With the multiple keyboard options a traditional score and staff are of no use, especially if your purpose is to get students into an “ensemble and “performing” mode at a very early age.
For that reason, some of the songs on this web site are full arrangements, while others are simply “sketches”. The “sketch” allows the music teacher to challenge his or her students with a wide range of difficulty levels when assigning parts, doubling them as many times as needed. The teacher can select a song as a “class project” and use as many or as few parts as he or she wishes. The teacher can also collaborate with the students in setting up the structure and sequence of the class arrangement of their targeted song. This allows students to learn about different “forms” and arranging techniques by “doing” not just listening to the teacher and examples. Students can audition for their parts, or the educator can teach the entire class all of the parts being used. Start easy, “dropping” off students as he or she begins to struggle, getting more “reps” and gaining confidence as others advance. The teacher can then move the students on that comprehend the new material being taught and can perform at a deeper level. The process of class instruction itself becomes the “evaluating tool” and when a project is completed, the teacher will have an accurate picture of each student’s final “performance level”, as well as, an accurate assessment of his or her classes and individuals musical strength and weaknesses.
Resource songs can be purchase on “Amazon” for only $1.29 each. All of arrangements and sketches are written in the original key, so you can “play along with the pros” so to speak. One also might consider following up a class project with independent student or small group projects. This will allow the teacher to re-trace and reinforce the sequence of, and steps taught, in the initial “class project”. That is why, after the first couple of songs (needed to establish the basics) there are several additional songs offered on the web site. Students can learn, record, then edit, just a few parts or as many as they wish. The class can also choose to follow the original song’s format, or create their own instrumental arrangement. It will probably not be long until your students are composing and adding their own parts to the “mix”. The student possibilities are endless and the teacher is given numerous opportunities to differentiate instruction. Considering; exposure to technology, level differentiation, rehearsal / performance experience and practice, high level critical thinking, rigor, and immediate relevance, the i-Pad HAS IT ALL!
Sincerely,
Richard Moon
Goodwin Elementary School
"House of the Rising Sun" 1st Part for i-Pad / Traditional Keyboard:
"House of the Rising Sun" 4th & 6th Parts for i-Pad / "Grey" Keyboard:
"House of the Rising Sun" 4th & 6th Part Rhythm & Vocalization Sheets:
"House of the Rising Sun" 2nd, 3rd, & 5th Parts for i-Pad / "Grey" Keyboard:
"House of the Rising Sun" 3rd i-Pad Part "Short Melody"/ "Grey" Keyboard:
i-Pad Sound Assignments and Counting Time Lines by Part:
"House of the Rising Sun" Smart Piano Part:
"House of the Rising Sun" Smart Strings / Short Melody:
"House of the Rising Sun" i-Pad "Main Melodies" / Notation:
"House of the Rising Sun" Main Melody Part 1 i-Pad "Grey" Keyboard:
"House of the Rising Sun" Main Melody Part 2 i-Pad "Grey" Keyboard with Overlay:
"House of the Rising Sun" Part Variations at the "Stop Time":
"House of the Rising Sun" Ending Duet / "Double Stops":
"House of the Rising Sun" Ending "11th" Chord for Fade Out Ending:
Keyboard Ensemble Parts / Standard Notation
Arrangement of “House of the Rising Sun” for Performing Keyboard Ensemble:
The audio file a little further down on this page is a Finale “play back” file of the Performing Keyboard Ensemble score to “House of the Rising Sun”. Normally (for keyboard ensemble songs using a minor pentatonic or a minor blues scale format) I use the key of E flat minor. This allows me to take advantage of “black key improvisation”, which is the cornerstone of the “Keyboard Ensemble” concept. That is why almost all of my piano ensemble arrangements incorporate an improvisation section. All of the inexpensive electronic keyboards I use have “transposition” capabilities which allow them to play in one key and yet still be pitched in the same key as the original performer or performing group. This is why the recording by “Rage” is in the key of “B” minor, and yet this arrangement is written with five flats. In this way your students can “play along with the pros”.
Another factor that allows many of my arrangements to be played by young musicians is the use of what I call the “motherboard”. In order to put together a “keyboard ensemble” you can use any kind electronic keyboards you wish, BUT you do need one Yamaha PSR 225 (also known as the “motherboard”). This particular keyboard has a special feature called “smart chord”, which has chord progression sequences prerecorded into the piano. Once you identify a songs key, you set “smart chord” to the appropriate number and you’ll have complete harmonization and accompaniment by touching only one key at a time (on the left side of the keyboard). On this score, the PSR 225 is labeled as “Keyboard Harmony” or just KH. You will notice there is only one note written at a time played by this designated performer. Remember, this one note activates a complete set of harmonization’s and accompaniments that best suits the arrangement it is written for. The “smart chord” setting is activated on this Finale playback audio file. This i-Pad version matches the keyboard arrangement, but instead of the “motherboard”, i-Pads will use “smart piano”. If you are combining electric keyboards and i-Pads, either one or both may be used.
One more note about this arrangement. I later added the 11th chord “tone cluster” use by the “Animals” in their original version of “House of the Rising Sun”. I thought it sounded “cool”. Happy Listening!
Sincerely,
Rich Moon
"House of the Rising Sun" Keyboard Score:
"House of the Rising Sun" Playback with Drum Set:
"House of the Rising Sun" Resource "Dance" Mix:
"House of the Rising Sun" Playback without D. Set:
"House of the Rising Sun" Original by the "Animals":
Cueing Entrances By Colors:
If an arrangement or sketch is rather involved, the use of colored construction paper can help clarify things for the younger musician. A good example is “House of the Rising Sun” when many entrances are staggered at different times. Assign a certain color to each part or entrance, and match its corresponding colored construction paper (as best you can) with a similar colored marker. Note: It is a good idea to laminate your construction paper making them easier to handle. Color the top right or left corner of each corresponding part with that same marker. Prior to each entrance hold up their color of construction paper and verbally or visually count them down (“5, 6, 7, 8”) at the time each section is to enter. This is also helpful in organizing and keeping track of songs that have an excessive number of parts.
Below is an example of how I broke down “House of the Rising Sun” for the “BIG GIG” in Columbia South Carolina on February 16. There are two ways I organized the data, “score order” and “entrance order”. The lists I used are uploaded below:
The Yamaha PSR 225 is the only electric keyboard I know of, that has the “magic blue button” or “smart chord” settings. “Smart chord” assigns 15 possible chord combination settings to each note of any give scale. These 15 different chord combinations can cover a majority of major, minor, and modal keys that particular scale progression creates. The “motherboard” player plays the tonic note of each desired chord (with one finger) and the PSR 225 does the rest. The final background sound of harmonies, drum set, and accompanying “backup” instruments, will be determined by the combination of the “smart chord”, style, and tempo settings the player initially programs into the keyboard. In all keyboard arrangements and improvisation audio files, the necessary settings are already pre-determined and notated for the “mother board” performer.
"House of the Rising Sun" Color Sequences by Section:
Entry Sequence:
FX / Mother Board Rhythm Only (“red” button)
Yellow
Orange
Red
Green
Blue
Brown (Main “B” 4 counts before next entrance)
Black
“Fade Out”:
Yellow and Red (cut out after “Interlude”)
Green
Orange
Brown (Main “A” 4 counts prior to the “Vamp” section)
Re-entry Sequence: Note “Vamp” begins with Blue & Yellow Bass only.
1st Soloist / Starts on cue.
Red comes in soon after on next cue. This entrance is “double” in length.
2nd Soloist / Green
Orange
3rd Soloist / Brown (KB4)
Brown (Mother Board)
Last 4 counts of “Vamp” activate Main “B”
Black