Patrick Hait
Instrumental Music Lesson - Eighth Notes |
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Grade Level: |
4th
grade beginning band. This should take place approximately 5 months
into the curriculum. |
Approximate Time: |
1 class
period (40 minutes). The following lessons will include further
development and review. |
Objective: |
By the end of
one class period, the students will be able to read, verbally count
and play eighth notes on their instrument. |
Standards: |
MENC 1 (Singing alone and with others)
MENC 2 (Performing on instruments, alone and with others)
MENC 5 (Reading and notating music)
NY 1 (Creating, Performing and Participating in the arts)
NY 2 (Knowing and using arts materials and resources) |
Materials: |
White Board |
Procedure: |
- Warm up by playing the
Concert Bb scale in half notes. Up and down.
- Draw two eighth notes (♫) on
the board and ask students if they have ever seen them before.
- Review the durations of the
whole note, dotted half note, half note, quarter note.
- Teach students that the pair
of eighth notes ♫ = 1 beat.
- How much does one of those
eighth notes get? ½ beat.
- ½ + ½ = 1
- Ask students to define 4/4 =
time signature. The top number means that there are _______ Four beats
in a measure.
- Draw 4 quarter notes. Have
the students count that. Be sure that students are tapping their feet to
the beat.
- Where are your feet when
you say the numbers? On the floor. Count again so students realize that
their feet are in fact in the down position while they say the numbers.
- Draw a measure full of
eighth notes on the white board below the measure of quarter notes.
- To count these notes
The
first note gets a 1 because it is the first note in a measure. His partner,
we will talk about him later. Since we have used up all of beat one, we
go on to beat ___ Students will answer with 2.
- Write in 1 2 3 4 under the
appropriate eighth notes.
- Tell students that We are
going to call this guy And A N D. We write it like this +. We count it
like this: (make sure the students say it along with the teacher.) 1 + 2 + 3
+ 4 +. Be sure the students are tapping their feet correctly.
- Count the quarter note
measure while tapping feet.
- Count the eighth note
measure while tapping feet.
- Play quarter note measure on
the instrument on a particular note.
- Play the eighth note measure
on the instrument on a particular note.
- In my experience, most
students will play it the same as the quarter note measure. Sometimes,
one student will play it correctly. N.B. I do not give the students the
answer. We count it over and over again and then try to play it
correctly.
- If the students still
have a hard time playing it, I have them sing it G G G G G G G G.
Most of the time, they will play it correctly after this step.
- Are you ready to get more
confused?! Write 1 2+ 3 4 .. (in notation). Ask a particular student for
the correct counting. Then ask the whole class to count it, then ask the
whole class to play it.
- Write out one example for
each member in the class. Include quarter rests.
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Evaluation: |
There are
several areas for assessment built in to the procedure of the lesson
plan. If it appears that students are having difficulty with the
particular rhythms, modifications to the lesson should be made. |