1. Composition and Improvisation
Cornerstone 2
Composition and Improvisation

2. Day 1 Do Now What components (things, parts) make a language?
Why do you think some people consider music a universal language?
A pretest is suggested to determine student’s prior knowledge.

3. Input compositions into notation software.
Unit Goals:
To write an original piece of music using standard music notation concepts.
Input compositions into notation software.
Noteflight.com is a free, user friendly, online notation software that is suggested. Students will need and address to create their account.

4. Notes:
The music staff is a system of 5 lines and 4 spaces on which composers place notes and rests when creating a piece of music. Always count the lines and spaces from the bottom. 5 4 3 2 1
Depending on how your students did on the pre-test will determine where you start with the lessons and slides.
Students should write notes.

5. Double bar lines = The End
Bar lines organize and separate the measures on a staff in a piece of music. The vertical (up and down) lines are the bar lines. A double bar line signals the end of a piece of music. Measures are the spaces between bar lines.
Double bar lines = The End
Measure 1

6. The Treble Clef
This is a treble clef which you find at the beginning of the staff.
There are other clefs, but we will focus on the treble clef.

7. Let’s Practice! Notate a staff first.
Method 1
Notate a staff first.
Use on of the methods shown to notate a treble clef. Follow the steps.
Method 2
Distribute rulers or have students use a straight edge to draw staff lines.
Practice drawing treble clefs.

8. Exit Ticket
Notate a staff with a treble clef and all of the parts learned today. Label each part and number the line and spaces. There should be 5 measures.
Students can do this in notebooks, or distribute a half sheet of paper that they can turn in.

9. Day 2 Do Now The _____ _____ organize and separate the measures.
The ______ is made up of ___ lines and ___ spaces.
When counting lines and spaces we always start from the _______.
Notate a staff with 3 measures.
A pretest is suggested to determine student’s prior knowledge.

10. Pitch/Note Names Today we will talk about note names
Pitch/Note Names Today we will talk about note names. There are 7 letters in the musical alphabet. We’ll look at where they belong on the staff.
What is a mnemonic device? What are some you have heard of or used in other subjects?
mnemonic devices are techniques or acronyms that help remember something.

11. Practice Example: Every Good Bird Does Fly
This is one of several common examples.
Come up with original mnemonic devices for the line and space notes. Notate a staff and the notes. Write your words under each corresponding note. Model your like the one shown below:
This should be done on the worksheet that has been distributed. Encourage students to work together to create original mnemonic devices, but do the note naming portion individually.
Have students complete the note name activity sheet. (student facing materials)

12. Day 3 Do Now Notate a treble clef. Write the note names.
Notate a treble clef. Draw the notes on the lines or spaces.
A pretest is suggested to determine student’s prior knowledge.

13. Notes and Rests Duration and Value
Different notes are worth different amounts of beats. Duration is how long the note or rest lasts.
Rests are silent beats, and still count as beats in a measure. Look at your reference sheet. See if you can fill in the note value chart.
Distribute reference sheets. Students should keep these and use for notes for the duration of the unit.

14. Notes and Rests Duration and Value
Students should fill in the durations on their reference sheets.

15. Notes and Rests Duration and Value
Discuss the relationship of the notes with this chart.
Have students clap this chart to show the relationships. To clap a whole note: Clap on 1, keep hands together, circular motion for beats 2,3,4 to show continuous beats. Do the same for half notes but for 2 beats.

16. Day 4 Do Now
Look at the symbols. Write each name, tell its duration and notate its corresponding rest.

17. Time Signatures
TIME SIGNATURE – a way to organize beats within a measure.
The top number tells how many beats are in a measure.
The bottom number tells which note gets one beat.
Students should write these notes on their reference sheet in the time signature section.

18. Practice rhythms
Create simple 3-4 measure rhythm exercises for each time signature. Have students clap and count the rhythms as a class and as a group. Write beat counts under notes in the beginning.
For advance students, you may introduce 6/8 time at some point in this lesson.

19. Time Signature Practice
Distribute the time signature grid sheet. Students should complete these independently.

20. Day 5 Do Now What does each number in a time signature tell us?
Explain 6/8 time.

21. Let’s Notate!
1. Notate 4/4 time signature on your paper (the staff and treble clef are already printed for you.)
Measure 1: Notate 4 quarter notes on the pitch middle C
Measure 2: Notate 2 half notes on the pitch “E”
Measure 3: Notate a pair of eighth notes on “G”, a pair of eighth notes on “E”, and a half note on Middle “C”
2. Compose your own 4 measure melody in ¾ time using the notes C,E,G. USE NOTES AND RESTS! The first and last notes should be middle C.
Distribute staff paper. Do number 1 as a class.
Explain that eighth notes can be beamed in twos or in a group of four.
After completing number 2 have students do peer feedback and review (next slide)

22. Melodic Contour
If you had to sing or perform a melody, which one of these would you rather perform and why?
A B.

23. Melodic Contour
When we write music, we generally want to write melodies that people can sing or play.
For a fluid melody use mostly steps and skips. Avoid too many leaps so that the piece will not sound erratic.
Here are some example of melodic contour:
Yes! Skips are ok too No. Avoid many leaps.

24. Peer Review and Feedback
When you have finished, quietly exchange papers with someone at your table. Clap their piece, check for errors. (first and last note middle C, notes C,EG, barlines, Double bar at the end) If you see an error, remember to use positive and constructive feedback. I should hear the following phrases:
I like how you used….
I notice there is a mistake here….
We can _______ to fix the mistake….

25. Day 6 Do Now
On your staff paper, write 4 measures in 4/4 time, using notes C, E,G and rests. Use your reference sheet to help you. Remember melodic contour rules. FIRST and LAST note MUST be middle C.

26. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8(1) Scales- Scale Degrees
We can tell what key a song is in by looking at the first note of the piece and the last note and the key signature. We use scales when writing music. A scale is a sequence of notes, usually an octave. We will continue to use the C major scale. Each note is assigned a number or scale degree. Write these on your reference sheet. Remember, “C” is the strongest note.
(1)

27. Cadences- How to end a phrase or piece
A cadence is a sequence of notes that end a musical phrase or piece.
When ending a piece some combinations of notes are more pleasing to the ears than other.
To end our compositions we will use these cadences (always label your cadence):
Low (8)
V - I VII - I VII - I II - I
Students should write these notes on the back of the reference sheet in the box labeled “cadences”.
Teacher should play these examples on a keyboard or pitched percussion instrument. It is also suggested that the teacher play the same short melody with each of these different cadences at the end.

28. Practice and Feedback I like how you used….
Go back to your Do Now from the beginning of class, and edit your piece to include a cadence.
When you have finished, quietly exchange papers with someone at your table. Clap and count their composition, check for errors. Use this checklist:
If you see an error remember to use positive and constructive feedback. I should hear the following phrases:
I like how you used….
I notice there is a mistake here….
We can _______ to fix the mistake….
Time signature, correct amount of beats per measure
Use notes and rests
Correct notes, first and lest note middle C
Is there an appropriate cadence?
The teacher can play a few student compositions on a keyboard or pitched percussion instruments. If there are enough instruments, students can play their own compositions.

29. Compose 6 measures in 4/4 time, c major with an appropriate cadence.
Do Now Day 7
Compose 6 measures in 4/4 time, c major with an appropriate cadence.
**Please note** When notes are on the 3rd line of the staff or higher the stems go down to the left!

30. Dynamics- How loud or quiet. Volume.
Pianissimo (pp) – very soft
Piano (p) – soft-
Mezzo Piano (mp) – medium soft
Mezzo Forte (mf) – medium loud
Forte (f) – loud-
Fortissimo (ff) very loud
Crescendo gradually get louder
Decrescendo gradually get quieter
Students should copy these notes on their reference sheet.

31. Where are dynamics in the music?
Clap rhythms with dynamics.
Example 1
Example 2
Teacher should explain how dynamics affect a piece of music. Dynamics can change the mood, feeling and even the purpose of a song.
Ask students what dynamic a lullaby should be sung/played in? Dynamics give the music shape and helps express feeling. Play “Surprise symphony”.

32. Practice
Go back to your Do Now from the beginning of class, and edit your piece to include dynamics.
When you have finished, quietly exchange papers with someone at your table. Clap their piece, check for errors.
If you see an error, remember to use positive and constructive feedback. I should hear the following phrases:
I like how you used….
I notice there is a mistake here….
We can _______ to fix the mistake….
Time signature, correct amount of beats per measure
Use notes and rests
Correct notes, first and lest note middle C
Is there an appropriate cadence?
1 or 2 dynamic markings

33. Day 8 Do Now Draw the symbols.
Write the Italian words and English meanings for the following dynamic markings:
1. ff
2. mf
3. p 4.

34. http://www.sfskids.org/classic/templates/music LabF.asp?pageid=11
Tempo
How fast or slow music should be performed. The speed.
We will use the following website to explore tempo.
LabF.asp?pageid=11
Students should write notes in the tempo box on the reference sheet. While on the website, click each tempo word, play the sound with and without the band. Have students write the tempo words and a SHORT definition of each. ( Adagio: very slow, Andante: slow, Moderato: medium, Fast: Allegro, Very fast: Presto)
Have students move to the different tempos, run in place, clap, etc.
Play examples of slow tempo and fast tempo pieces.
Have students discuss songs they know that would be different if the tempo was changed.

35. Where are tempo markings notated in the music?
Visit this site for a metronome:
Explain that tempo markings are found above the measures an, at he beginning of a piece and can also change throughout the music.
Go to Explain bpm (beats per minute) and the relationship between tempo words. The more beats per minute, the faster the piece.

36. What Italian word is used to describe “a walking speed”?
Day 9 Do Now
Define tempo.
What Italian word is used to describe “a walking speed”?
If a piece of music has a presto tempo marking, how does the composer want it played?
Define: moderato, allegro

37. Form Form is the structure of a musical piece or how its organized.
Music has different sections..
Form
ABA form
3 sections
Same, different, same
Watch:
Play this example on a keyboard or pitched percussion.
Show:

38. Examples
This student explained that their idea was based on how chicken’s move because their family raises chickens. The have small feet and sometimes move quickly and stop. The sixteenth notes represent how chicken feet move quickly and take lots of steps. the eighth and quarter notes represent when the chickens slow down.

39. Examples
This student explained that their idea was soldiers marching because they like military movies. The first “A” section represents the army going into battle strong and ready. The decrescendo represents them getting quiet so they aren’t seen. The “B” section is the battle, some quick and slow moves. The last A section is marching away from battle.

40. Composition Project
Compose a piece in ABA form, 3/4 or 4/4 time, C major.
4-6 measures per section, label sections.
Include dynamics, tempo and a cadence in the last measure of your piece.
When you have finished, quietly exchange papers with someone at your table. Clap their piece, check for errors. Use this checklist:
Time signature, correct amount of beats per measure
Use a variety of notes and rests
Correct notes, C major scale, first note middle C
Is there an appropriate cadence? Is it Labeled?
Is there a tempo marking in the correct place?
Are there 2-3 dynamic markings in the correct places?
ABA form, labeled

41. Improvisation
The spontaneous creation of music, usually within a set of rules (key of the music, maybe time signature).
To improvise, we can use different rhythms, different notes within the key, different tempo and dynamics.
We will improvise on the “A section” of our compositions.
How?
Start by playing the first and last measure as written and improvise measures 2-3. Stay within your time signature.
Teacher should explain improvisation.
Demonstrate an example based on the example on slide 38 or 39Do .

42. Extension
Have students input their composition into notation software.
Suggestion: Noteflight.com is free and very user friendly. An address is required for students to create an account for 10 free scores. Noteflight plays back the music while performing tempo and dynamic markings. There are also YouTube help videos that provide how-to assistance. There are also school licenses available for purchase.
Finale or Finale notepad are also options.