top of page
KUMA SAN
(Honorable Bear)
Japanese Folk Song
Hokkaida Brown Bear
in Japan
RHYTHM WARMUP:
Clap, sing, or play along with the rhythm cards!
Slow
Fast
CONNECTING:
LANGUAGE
The Japanese language has 3 different alphabets called hiragana, katakana and kanji. Watch this video and learn to say some words and phrases in Japanese. How many can you pronounce and remember?
The lyrics of the song "Kuma San" are also in Japanese. The Music and the Brain Listening Collection features the lyrics in both Japanese and English.
00:00 / 01:49
Listening Collection:
"Kuma San"
Mt. Fuji and Pagoda in Japan
CONNECTING:
GEOGRAPHY & CULTURE
JAPAN FUN FACTS
-
Japan is similar in land area to the United States East Coast.
-
Japan is made up of 6,852 different islands!
-
Japan is home to a variety of martial arts including karate, judo, jujitsu, aikido and more.
-
Tokyo, Japan's capital is one of the most populated cities in the world.
-
Japanese food is famous all over the world. Well-known examples include sushi, sashimi, and tempura.
SONG ANALYSIS
Think, track the notes with your pointer finger, and sing along with the following recordings!
What does the rhythm sound like?
00:00 / 00:59
What does the melody sound like?
00:00 / 01:01
Which fingers play this song?
00:00 / 00:50
What do the Japanese lyrics sound like?
00:00 / 00:59
PRACTICING:
Play along using the keyboard image with the video, or download your own keyboard card:
USE A CURVED HAND POSITION WITH THE THUMB ON MIDDLE C
Play Video
PERFORMING:
Play along with and without the video using the interactive keyboard below!
USE A CURVED HAND POSITION WITH THE THUMB ON MIDDLE C
Play Video
5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5
PRACTICE TRACKER:
How many times did you practice the song?
0
CONNECTING:
Children and adults love bears and there are many reasons. Learn more about bears and listen to other songs about bears!
CREATING:
Compose your own rhythms in 2/4 time!
(Hint: each measure in 2/4 time has 2 beats.)
Click here to download the PDF:
bottom of page