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Objectives
Students will be able to:
• Play three- and four-note tonal patterns based upon pitches of Eb and Bb major triads by
echoing teacher’s patterns (P)
• Improvise tonal patterns in response to teacher’s patterns by responding with notes of
the same triad in a different sequence from that of the teacher (C, P)
• Outline the chord structure of the given song by playing broken chords in a given pattern
(P)
• Outline the chord structure of the given song by improvising on only chord tones in new
patterns on given rhythm (C, P)
Assessments:
Instrumental performance assessment
Materials:
Instruments
Class Groupings:
Full Group
Teaching Plan:
Objectives
Students will be able to:
• Play melody and bass line in groups simultaneously. (P)
• Improvise a melody over the given bass line while using only chord tones and
maintaining a steady pulse. (C, P)
• Use a rubric to assess their current level of improvisation and guide their own progress
toward their performance (A)
Assessments:
Instrumental performance assessment
Materials:
Instruments
Improvisation rubric
Teaching Plan:
• Review: play melody previously taught, then have students play it. (P)
• Repeat and provide feedback as necessary
• Possible strategies for remediation:
• Sing and have students sing melody
• Have students move to beats
• Break melody into parts
• Have students play bass line for review. (P)
• Repeat and provide feedback as necessary
• Use hand signals for guidance
• Students play bass line while I play melody. (P)
• Divide students into two groups. One group plays melody while other plays bass line.
Trade roles. (P)
• Establish that each person will solo over the length of one bass line repetition.
• Identify and demonstrate three options for improvisation:
• Play one note per chord and vary rhythms
• Play constant rhythm but change between chord tones more frequently than chord
changes
• Improvise on both varying rhythm and pitches (still chord tones only)
• Explain the process of taking turns for the performance.
• Practice melodic improvisation over opposite group bass line, and performance
procedure (C, P)
• Distribute and discuss improvisation rubrics (A)
Rubric for Beginning Improvisation
In this lesson, students began learning to improvise a melodic phrase over the bass
line they had learned. As seventh grade band students who learned to play their
instruments relatively recently, their first attempts at improvisation were not all polished,
but they demonstrated evidence of learning. Examples of these first improvised phrases are
heard in the video from the horn player further from the camera and the bassoonist. The
horn player struggled with finding the tonal center during this attempt, but it is clear that
he was aware of when the tonal function changed. The bassoon player displayed
surprisingly mature tonal and rhythmic performance for her first try at improvisation. Both
showed evidence of learning by demonstrating concepts from the Series of Lessons, albeit
with different levels of success in their initial attempts.
Students did not learn to successfully play the melody and bass line in groups
simultaneously. Although they had already learned to play the melody by ear, they did not
retain it as well as I expected. I spent some time reviewing the rote teaching process and
the students made some progress, but I decided it was more important to spend time on
the main point of the unit, improvisation. I therefore altered the lesson and performance
plan so I would play the melody over the students’ accompaniment to introduce the theme
before the students’ improvised phrases.
The performers received the improvisation rubrics at the end of this lesson. These
rubrics provided written guidelines to help them understand the main tasks involved in
improvisation and the goals of the performance. We did not have time for extended
discussion of the rubrics, but they reinforced in written form the information I had
expressed orally in the lesson.
Students’ questions and dialogue also demonstrated their learning. The clarinetist in
the group, for example, pointed out that they could improve balance by having the people
performing the bass line play more softly so the soloists could more easily be heard. She
did this immediately after their first chance to practice the process, before I made any
comments. It showed not only that she was thinking critically about the music and
assessing the performances, but that she made a connection between our task and her
prior knowledge about melody and accompaniment parts.
As in Lesson One, my main form of monitoring student progress was informal
assessment of playing performance on each task. In this lesson, I had the opportunity to
hear students playing both individually and in groups, so I could make more detailed
observations of individual progress and I could be certain performers were not simply
imitating those around them for their solos. Checks for understanding, questions, dialogue,
body language, and providing choices all helped inform my instruction as well. For
instance, after my instruction and melodic demonstration and before students’ first
attempts at taking a solo phrase, I asked if they would like me to model soloing while some
students played the bass line, but the horn player who sat further from the camera
exclaimed, “No! I want to try it!” (as seen on the video). Although I would not take his word
as everyone’s, his eagerness to play showed me that he could at least attempt the process
and that would help anyone who was less confident to understand the objective. In other
cases, I was happy to see that students were quite comfortable asking questions and letting
me know when they were confused so I could clarify elements. I hope I can foster that same
sense of openness and safety in my own classrooms.
As discussed above, my assessment of student progress led me to decide that I
would introduce our original melody in the performance, which is part of Lesson Three. I
gave them the option of playing the melody with me if they chose, but their improvised
phrases were enough for them to think about. Their performance in the lesson also
reinforced that my signaling chord changes would be a helpful guide and I confirmed for
them when asked that I would continue doing that in the performance.
Lesson Three Information Form
Objectives
Students will be able to:
• Improvise a melodic phrase over a bass line for an audience. (C, P)
• Perform a learned bass line in a group to accompany a soloist. (P)
• Reflect on successes and areas of improvement in their performance. (A)
• Self-assess using a rubric as a guide. (A)
Assessments:
Improvisation performance rubric
Materials:
Instrument
Improvisation rubric
Class Groupings:
Full Group
Small Groups
Individuals
Teaching Plan:
• Review plan for performance and procedure for taking turns soloing.
• Review options and objectives for content of improvisations.
• Practice performance process once before audience arrives. (C, P)
• Briefly explain to audience (cooperating teacher and students in the class who did not
choose to participate in the project) what the students have been learning and what they
will demonstrate in the performance.
• Perform. (C, P)
• Discussion with performers. (A)
• Include topics such as:
• What went well in your solo performance?
• What do you see on the rubric that you feel you achieved?
• What would you work to improve if you could do it again?
Lesson Three Analysis