Students will learn all about the Cello and Double bass through these easy and fun games.
To help students learn the parts of the instruments: play Pin the Parts on the Cello or or Double Bass (a variation on the classic party game called Pin the Tail on the Donkey). In this game, blindfolded participants attempt to pin paper instrument parts (e.g., endpin, scroll) on a picture of a double bass or a cello.
Another game they can play is to gather objects of different sizes, or collect pictures of such objects, or simply make a list of such objects (e.g., telephone, tree, beach ball, baseball, etc.)Show or speak pairs of objects, and have the students indicate the relative size relationships with the words cello (for small) and double bass (for large).For example, telephone, tree would be cello, double bass and beach ball, baseball would be double bass, cello. This will reinforce the relative sizes of these instruments, which may be a little tricky to remember. If you have already had a lesson on the violin and viola then you can extend this activity to include all four instruments, and have students compare the relative sizes of them all.
These games will make your Music Lesson Planning easy and fun!
Here are a few excellent pieces featuring the cello and double bass:
Camille Saint-Saens, Carnival of the Animals, V. The Elephants (featuring double bass section). Several commercial recordings are available.
Edgar Meyer, Double Concerto for Double Bass, Cello, and Orchestra (available on CD or as mp3 download from Amazon.com).
Dvorak Cello Concerto, first movement
