Jacob's Ladder Productions
  • Home
  • Makaton
    • What is Makaton?
    • Makaton Courses
  • Hummingbirds Music
    • Music & Drama Education Expo
    • Creature Cantata 3
    • Creature Cantata 2 >
      • Animal Videos with songs
    • Folk Music Adventure
    • Olympic Torch Relay
    • Trailblazers Cantata
    • Planet Blue >
      • Lyric Booklet, Lead Sheets & Lesson Resources
      • 1. Planet Blue
      • 2. Tread Lightly
      • 3. Da Da Darwin
      • 4. I cannot change the world
      • 5. Thief of time
      • 6. You and me
      • 7. Water into wine
      • 8. Bug Sushi
      • 9. Palomita
      • 10. Back on track
    • Creature Cantata >
      • Creature Cantata Resources >
        • Song Lyrics
        • Instrumental Parts
        • A-Z Collective Nouns
        • Creature Poems
        • Creature Caricatures
        • Glossary
        • Makaton Signing
        • Artwork
      • Butterflies and ladybirds
      • Gorillas and monkeys
      • Rattlesnake rumba!
      • Crocs basking
      • Flambo of flamingos
      • Giraffes and lions
      • Iguanas in a mess
      • Hummingbirds and parrots
      • Spiders!
      • Shiver of Sharks!
    • Coventry Cultural Cantata >
      • Cuca Resources
    • Accidental Scientific Breakthrough
  • Kevin Stannard Music
    • Berkswell Music Festival
    • Live Music - Film
    • TGBXS
    • Blue Coat School Choir Spring 2024 >
      • Blossomise 2024
    • Blue Coat School Choir Autumn 2023
    • Come and sing Vivaldi
    • Lady Godiva Musical
    • FLW
    • Piano Tuition >
      • Piano Tuition Pieces
      • Vocal Tuition Pieces
      • Piano music composers A-Z
      • Music Theory >
        • Theory Grade 1
        • Theory Grade 2
        • Theory Grade 3
        • Theory Grade 4
        • Theory Grade 5
        • Theory composers A-Z
  • Resources
    • Nativity Musicals with Makaton Signing
    • Junior Voiceworks Songbooks
    • Songs
    • Hymns & Prayers
    • World Down Syndrome Day
    • Coming soon....
  • Online Shop
3. Rattlesnake rumba!
My tail is like a rattle and I live in a pit!
Listen to a sample of the track
Lyric Powerpoint
Lyric Video with Vocals
Lyric Video with BT
Picture
Fascinations
Contrary to popular belief, rattlesnakes do not want to bite you, and would much rather be left alone.  That is why they shake their tails, to warn off predators and save them the effort of biting humans who unwittingly stumble across their pit!  Be warned, rattlesnakes are venomous allowing them to paralyse their prey and swallow it whole.  A rattle is one of those instruments, like the maracas or cabasa which makes a sound or vibration within itself so it just needs you to move it or shake it to make music.
Learning moves
The cabasa rhythm has two elements which may be tapped/clapped: 8 repeated quavers 12312312 or the tresillo where you emphasize the number ones (in bold).  Who can tap the two rhythms in both hands at the same time? Learn each rhythm together then divide the group and take turns.  When clapping is confident, explore using other shakers and woodblocks.  This song needs a count-in, so why not play the cabasa rhythm until ready?  As you sing, articulate the lyrics precisely, especially the passage of quavers in bars 1 and 6 and make the syncopated rhythms bright and snappy. Don’t be caught out by the quaver upbeats which start each verse in the vocal Part 1.
 When gathering musicians in a circle, a useful warm-up/warm-down is to pass shakers around silently - no rattling!
Website by Gabriel Media Limited