Lesson Plan: 10101 - Pedal Point

Topic Area: Rock Music Stage of Learner: 5/10 Syllabus Pages:

Date:20/10/17 Location: D11 Lesson Number: 1

Time: 63 minutes. Preparation:

Outcomes Assessment Students Learn Students Learn to

About

Syllabus Outcomes Informal Pedal Point (and how Hear, Analyse and Play
Formative (then it can influence guitar Pedal Point.
5.1, 5.4, 5.7 summative) riffs)
assessment
(Innovations in Rock
Music)

Life Skills Subject Specific Concepts

LS1,2,3,4,5.
Pedal Point, Riff

CCP/GC Discipline Specific Skills

Listening, Composing, Performing.

Quality Teaching Elements (lesson focus) Highlight the appropriate areas

1.1 Deep knowledge 1.4 Higher-order thinking

Intellectual Quality 1.2 Deep understanding 1.5 Metalanguage
This refers to pedagogy focused on producing deep 1.3 Problematic knowledge 1.6 Substantive
understanding of important, substantive concepts, skills and communication
ideas. Such pedagogy treats knowledge as something that
requires active construction and requires students to engage in
higher-order thinking and to communicate substantively about
what they are learning.
 2.1 Explicit quality criteria 2.4 Social Support
Quality Learning Environment 2.2 Engagement 2.5 Students self
This refers to pedagogy that creates classrooms where students 2.3 High Expectations regulation
and teachers work productively in an environment clearly 2.6 Student direction
focused on learning. Such pedagogy sets high and explicit
expectations and develops positive relationships between
teacher and students and among students.

3.1 Background knowledge 3.4 Inclusivity

Significance 3.2 Cultural knowledge 3.5 Connectedness
This refers to pedagogy that helps make learning more 3.3 Knowledge integration 3.6 Narrative
meaningful and important to students. Such pedagogy draws
clear connections with students prior knowledge and identities,
with contexts outside of the classroom, and with multiple ways
of knowing all cultural perspective.

Teaching Indicators Present In Lesson

Element

Time Learning Activities Preparation T/S

5 Classroom Entry Teacher:

Senior Class: they have more freedom to enter the Students:

classroom and sit down.
Resources:
Also, Leaders retreat so this will be very
intimate lesson.

20 Describe the guitar riff that i am playing Teacher: Elaborating T/S

on student responses,
Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne. providing them with
knowledge about the
Likely responses: Lots of open strings, concept of Pedal
random usage of notes etc. Point..

There is a melodic device called Pedal Students: Learning

Point. (Write on the board) It is used in about pedal point
classical music, and we even have through the
technically played pedal point: through sus performance right in
chords last week. front them.

In rock music however, pedal point is often Resources: Laptops,

used to create guitar riffs, and for guitar Guitar
solos.

Play Thunderstruck - ACDC

This is another example of pedal point. In this

riff its used in three different ways.

Idea 1 - Idea 2 - Idea 3

It all revolved around the B string.

What technique am i using on the guitar?

(Hammer On - Pull Offs) This technique
allows guitarists to play very complicated,
and fast patterns.

What Pedal Point Looks like on piano.

Play Isolated System - Muse

This is some pedal point used on the piano.

What are some differences between this
usage and the guitar usage?

Different notes, lower chords underneath,

right hand plays pedal point, left hand plays
chords.

Is the left hand just playing chords? Or is

there some pedal point in there as well? (yes
there is)

.Eddie Van Halen - Eruption Solo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_lwocmL
9dQ

Amazing example of pedal point in rock

music for guitar solos (the man is a freak)
Also reference classical musical motifs.
 I could talk to you for an entire lesson about
pedal point. However once you sort of know
the concept, this guitar solo really says it all.

Pedal Point is a fantastic show off technique.

Demonstration of One, Reapers, Eruption

Solos which all use open strings to create
pedal point.

How is pedal point created? One frequently

repeated note/chord, with other notes
alternated around that one note.

DO you feel confident in recognising Pedal

Point in an exam setting?

20 Your starting note is E. Teacher: Supplying S

feedback for students
I would like for you to create a short pedal creation of Pedal
point riff using these Notes: Point.

E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, E.

(Tabs) Students:
0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12. Creating/Synthesising
their own usage and
Repeat examples of what pedal point could understanding of pedal
sound like. point through
composition and
Develop students knowledge by constantly performance.
providing them with real world examples of
pedal point.
Resources: Guitar,
Use various rhythm to change how your Piano, Laptop, Books.
pedal point sounds.

Limit composition to 8 bars. Invite them to

create a riff that is easily repeatable.

15 Performance: Teacher: Providing S

students with platform
Perform pedal point on Piano/Guitar. to perform.
 This consolidates students understanding of Students: Performing
Pedal Point and provides them with a finished their short r iffs.
guitar riff that is their own.

Remember to highlight the relationship to

rock music.

Pedal point is a pitch/melodic device

frequently used to create riffs in rock music.

Extension:

Create a pedal point riff, focused around the

sus chords from last week. Use C as your
pedal tone.

Other Resources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_lwocmL9dQ