Group 1 Lesson Plan for teaching in Brass Tech

Objective:​ Students will play up and down a concert Bb scale with an even tone and in time,
using articulations from a 5-measure exercise. To achieve this goal, students will review the
scale and complete exercises that improve their ability to play each note of the scale with the
same tone.

Segment 1: Hunter Cigich

● Reinforce fingerings for Bb scale
○ Starting with Bb remind everyone of the fingerings and slide positions for
the instruments
○ Call on a specific section to play the note together, and then have
everyone play the note as a group
○ Have each instrument group play Bb together, one by one
○ Continue this going up the scale note by note
○ As a group, play the scale up and down
○ I will call out notes at random, and then everyone will play that note,
proving that people have properly memorized the fingerings/slide
positions

Segment 2: Will White

● Long tone exercises
○ Model for the students the different breath patterns and explain how they will use
those patterns when going up and down the Bb scale.
○ Have students breathe in for four counts and play concert Bb for eight counts.
○ Repeat this going up the Bb scale.
○ Have students breathe in for two counts and play the top of the Bb scale for eight
counts.
○ Repeat this going down the Bb scale.
○ Have students breathe in for one count and play tonic for eight counts.

Segment 3: Mohammad Al-Khalili

● Tone Development & Embouchure
○ Review breathing exercises from earlier adding exhale into the instrument
○ Have students play concert F as they normally would
○ Instruct students to close their teeth all the way and play a concert F
○ Instruct students to open their jaw too wide and play a concert F
○ Explain that the previous two exercises were to find the extremes of bad
embouchure
○ Instruct students to find a happy medium between too open and too closed to
create their best sound
○ Instruct students to apply appropriate breathing and their proper embouchure to
play a Concert Bb
Guide students through a concert Bb Scale reminding them to keep their “Happy Medium”
embouchure on the way up and down the scale

Segment 4: Pete Berman

● Lip slurs
○ Have students play a low concert Bb (Do)
○ Then, have students play a concert F (Sol)
○ Ask students to play a concert F, and without tounguing, switch to a concert Bb.
○ Model a lip slur rhythm that goes “F-Bb-F-Bb-F” and have students repeat.
○ Ask students to assess what they did with their embouchure.
○ Students play a concert E.
■ Trumpet, Euph, Tuba: 2
■ Horn: 2
■ Trombone: 2nd pos.
○ Students repeat the same embouchure action with the Eb fingering/slide position.
○ Continue down the chromatic scale until concert B.
■ Trumpet, Euph, Tuba: 1, 12, 23, 13, 123
■ Horn: t1, t12, 23, 0, 2
■ Trombone: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th pos.
○ Go back up the scale. Assess the students’ performance.
○ If students are ready and time allows, try a lip slur beginning on a high Bb
(highest note students have learned).
○ Have students play a lip slur that goes Bb-F-Bb,-F-Bb.
○ Repeat the lip slur on concert A.
○ Descend the chromatic scale down to concert E (E-B-E,-B-E).
■ Trumpet, Euph, Tuba: 1, 12, 23, 13, 123
■ Horn: t1, t12, t23, t0, t2
■ Trombone: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th pos.

Segment 5: Kyle Mendez

● Tonic triad arpeggiation
○ Model for students a Bb-C-D (Do-Re-Mi) pattern and have students repeat
○ Model for students a D-Eb-F (Mi-Fa-Sol) pattern and have students repeat
○ Model for students a P5 major scale (Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol) beginning on Bb, having
students repeat this pattern
○ Students will be asked to now perform a siren from Do to Sol (Bb to F)
○ First time will be with my accompaniment
○ Second time will be students only
○ Model for students a Bb Major arpeggiation (Do-Mi-Sol-Mi-Do)
○ Ask students to repeat arpeggio
Segment 6: Scarlett Sullivan
● Articulation Patterns and Rhythm
○ Review how to articulate well with good air support
○ Explain first measure of articulation exercise and model for students
○ Have students repeat it back
○ Listen for any rhythmic discrepancies and air articulations
○ Have students repeat the measure 4 times
○ Explain second measure of articulation exercise and model for students
○ Have students repeat the measure 4 times
○ Explain third measure of articulation exercise and model for students
○ Have students repeat the measure 4 times
○ Explain fourth measure of articulation exercise and model for students
○ Have students repeat the measure 4 times
○ Explain the fifth measure of articulation exercise and model for students
○ Have students repeat the measure 4 times
○ Have students go through the whole exercise
○ Students play through the exercise on a Bb major scale, starting with the first
measure on a low Bb and changing notes at the start of each measure. Repeat
the 5 measures until the scale is complete.

Assessment:​ Split the class into four sections based on their seating position (“Everyone on
this side is group 1, etc.). Students will play the 5-measure exercise on the Bb major scale
again, but this time Group 1 will play the Bb measure, Group 2 will play the C measure, and so
on until the scale is complete. This will allow the teacher to listen more closely to each individual
and provide feedback.