San Francisco Symphony
The American Five - Pentatonic scales in early American melodies
Through vocal warm-ups and exercises, budding musicians will attempt to grasp the five pentatonic scales, commonly used in early American songs. They'll sing and work to identify the pitch, tone, melody, and scales being expressed in the...
Curated OER
Compositional Techniques: Are There Similarities Between
Students recognize how chromatic scales create tension and pentatonic scales create relaxation as compositional techniques used to create tonality. Also, students aurally recognize the use of mixed or alternating meter as a means of...
Curated OER
Improvising in the Birthplace of Jazz
Learners recognize significant developments in New Orleans jazz music. They improvise blues licks using notes from a minor pentatonic scale.
Curated OER
Lesson Plan Project
Students demonstrate the composing of a string quartet piece by working together in small groups to write a short composition based around a pentatonic scale for all four instruments. They evaluate their peers compositions by...
Berklee College of Music
Create Your Own Afro-Latin Groove
The backbone of Latin American music is the beat! Young musicians work on blending Afro-Latin rhythms and beat patterns before incorporating the major pentatonic, minor pentatonic, and blues scales in their own compositions.
Curated OER
Blue Jazz Scale
Students engage in a study of music that includes the Blue Jazz scale. They listen to pieces of music in the targeted style while becoming familiar with the scale. Students then describe how the scale is built and demonstrate by playing...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan Project
Students demonstrate how to compose a string quartet by working together in small groups to write a short composition based around a pentatonic scale for all four instruments. They synthesis composing by creatively integrating their...
Curated OER
Using Garage Band to Enhance 2nd Grade Composition
Your second graders can become composers with a little help from the Garage Band software. You pre-select several drum, piano, and guitar loops for the groups to choose from, then they put them together following an ABA looping pattern....
Curated OER
Japanese Song: Fireflies (Hotaru, Koi)
Fifth graders examine the lyrics of a popular Japanese folk song to focus on the pentatonic scale and how it is used in the musical piece. English and Japnanese pronunciations are practiced in this instructional activity.
Special needs in Music
Music Work Sheet (Special Ed)
Music is beneficial for all learners. Help your learners with special needs learn about different styles of music, as well as the ways that music is represented on paper, with 30 different worksheets.
Curated OER
Write Your Own Rap
Third graders create a rap using basic AB form composition. Evaluation of performances are based on rubric formed during the first lesson by all students. This three to four day lesson culminates in student performances and evaluation.
Curated OER
Original Band Compositions
Students create and perform original band compositions using their own band instruments. This two day lesson requires student compositions to be done at home. Students evaluate performances using a checklist for composing (included).
Curated OER
Sakura
Students create, notate, and perform the melody of and a rhythmic accompaniment to the traditional Japanese folk song, Sakura. This lesson requires a networked computer lab with headphones.
Curated OER
Jack and the Beanstalk
Students create a creative interpretation of Jack and the Beanstalk. In this artistic expression lesson, students paint the stages of the beanstalk plant as a storyboard and create song about how the seed is growing.
Curated OER
Japanese music
Students explain music in relation to history and culture. They explore "Tanko Bushi."
Curated OER
Jazz: Expression through Improvisation
Students watch a video on improvisation. They improvise original melodies over given chord progressions. They develop criteria to evaluate the merits of improvisational performances and apply the criteria in their personal listening and...