Unit: Intonation, balance, blend Enduring Concept: Expression of Music Grade Level Expectations (GLE): Perform music accurately and expressively Why is it important to hear balance between other parts in an ensemble? What qualifies a specific performance as exemplary? How does the instrumentation of music change the characteristic of the musical performance? Intonation, Adjust, Hand Frame, Sound waves, Sharp, Flat, In tune, Accuracy, Pitch, Timbre, Balance, Blend, Tone. Position, Shifting Performance Tasks: Student demonstrates the ability to adjust pitch and balance during performance. Student will demonstrate the ability to adjust elements of music during ensemble performances. Student can respond to conductor s cues of balance and blend while playing. Student can maintain a consistent tone quality, intonation, balance, and blend. Student can perform accurate shifts through 1. Discrepancies in pitch 2. Appropriate adjustments to instruments 3. Balance & Blend (Pyramid of Sound) 4. Responding to conductor s cues 5. Shifting Accuracy, Carl Flesch Scale System Page 1 of 10
Unit: Music Terms and Symbols Enduring Concept: Theory of Music, Expression of Music, Aesthetic Valuation of Music Grade Level Expectations (GLE): Perform music accurately and expressively, Identification of musical elements. What determines the level of difficulty in a composition? Why is it important to analyze compositions based on the use of musical elements? How will evaluating performances help you become a better musician? Simile, Harmonic progression, Tonic, Dominant, Subdominant, Triplet, Mode, Genre, Form, Arrangement, Melody, Harmony, Swing, Trill, Stagger, Accelerando, Largo, Vivace, Rallentando, Ceasura, Mordent, Marcato accent, Grace note, Sforzando, Forte piano, Fortissimo, Pianissimo, Binary, Ternary, Rondo, Mixed meter, Instrumentation, 8va, A2, A tempo, Binary/Ternary Form, Chord Structure, Modality, Interval, Triad Student applies knowledge of musical terms and symbols to performance. Student demonstrates knowledge of music symbols and terms through performance on instrument. Student will describe using articulation, dynamic, and tempo markings when analyzing a musical example. Student will incorporate all musical symbols, expressive indications, tempo indications, and technical indications while maintaining consistent tone quality, intonation, balance, blend, and phrasing. Student will respond to conductor s cues of balance and blend while playing. Student will evaluate works with an advanced vocabulary. 1. Analysis of articulations, dynamics and tempo markings while performing on instruments 2. Analysis of articulations, dynamics and tempo markings while listening to a performance 3. Correct responses to a conductor s cues 4. Criteria for evaluating musical works using advanced vocabulary Page 2 of 10
Unit: Rhythm and tempo Enduring Concept: Theory of Music Grade Level Expectations (GLE): Demonstration of rhythms in multiple and changing meter signatures (From the standards document): How does the meter affect the personality of a piece of music? Accelerando, Sixteenth rest, Quarter note triplet, Rallantando, Largo, Vivace, Molto, Poco a poco, Subito, Dolce, Presto, Rubato, Adagio, Allegro, Largamente, Prestissimo Student successfully demonstrates rhythms using various tempo and dynamic markings. Student demonstrates rhythms within musical examples that incorporate combinations of dotted notes and corresponding rests in varying meters. Student demonstrates written rhythms using various tempo and dynamic markings. 1. Rhythms incorporating: Sixteenth rests, quarter note triplet, Half-Note/Quarter-Note Ties across barline 2. Tempo Markings: Largamente Prestissimo Page 3 of 10
Unit: Note fingerings, accuracy, articulation and ornamentation Enduring Concept: Expression of Music Grade Level Expectations (GLE): Perform music in four or more parts accurately and expressively. Identify notation of level two compositions. Why is it important to read and play correct notes? What knowledge is needed to read and perform music? Describe the ways notation is like musical language. Where do you find fingerings for uncommon notes and ornaments? How can knowing how to read ledger increase musicianship skills? Glissando, Ornament, Trill, Grace note, Slur, Staccato, Accent, Legato, Tenuto, Inverted Accent, Fermata, Spicatto, Legato, Staccato, Doublestops, Mordents, Riccochet, Simultaneous Markings, Harmonics (Natural and Artificial), Sautille, Soltasto, Student demonstrates knowledge of terms and able to perform on instrument. Student can play in three, four, or more parts. Student can read notes on a staff including four or more ledger lines above and below the staff. 1. Correct Alternate fingerings for notes, including shifts into new positions. 2. Accidentals with accompanying rules (review) 3. Any Combination of Ornamentation and Articulation Page 4 of 10
Unit: Sight reading Enduring Concept: Expression of Music, Aesthetic valuation of music Grade Level Expectations (GLE): Perform music accurately and expressively at the minimal difficulty level of 3-4 at first reading: individually and as an ensemble member. Analysis, through compare and contrast, of music performances and compositions using detailed criteria and vocabulary. Why is the ability to sight read important? How does sight reading impact higher level performing opportunities? Which general criteria might be used to evaluate music from all cultures and genres? How are musical symbols related to punctuation? Sight read, Balance, Clap/Tap/Count, Sizzle, Sing, Phrasing, Key change, Meter change, Road map, Rehearsal markings, Director cues Student will sight read observing all musical symbols, tempo and expressive indications. Student will observe technical indications and maintain consistent tone quality, intonation, balance, blend and phrasing while sight reading. Student will sight read, observing all musical symbols, tempo indications, expressive indications, and technical indications. Student can develop and describe criteria for evaluating musical performances and compositions. 1. Sight Reading (STARS: S Sharps & Flats found in Key Signature; T Time Signature & Tempo; A Articulations; R Rhythms; S Signs & Symbols) 2. Prescribed criteria for evaluating musical performances and compositions Page 5 of 10
Unit: Composition and Improvisation Enduring Concept: Creation of Music Grade Level Expectations (GLE): Create music using melodic sequences. Arrange a simple existing composition. Improvise over simple harmonic progressions. What other disciplines use improvisation and how? What distinguishes one composer s works from another? Orchestrate, Transpose, Call and response, Improvise, Licks, Riffs, Slashes, Swing, Transcribe Student successfully improvises over a repeated/ modulating 12 bar blues/marked form chord progression. Student will complete an arrangement of an existing composition. Student will notate a melodic pattern of 12 measures. Student will create a new arrangement of an existing instrumental composition. Student will improvise a 12 bar solo instrumentally. Student notates a melodic pattern of 12 measures. 1. Notation of music using a combination of melodic and rhythmic patterns 2. Improvisation of music using a combination of melodic and rhythmic patterns Resources : Grades 4-6 selected music, supplemental materials as needed, Abersole Improvisational Studies, Finale/Sibelius Programs Page 6 of 10
Unit: Key Signatures and Scales Enduring Concept: Expression of Music Grade Level Expectations (GLE): Demonstrate contrasting modalities through performance How do modalities shape musical expression? FCGDAEB order of Sharps, BEADGCF order of flats, all 12 one octave major and minor scales, G, D, C major/minor 3 octave scales Student can play at least 12 major and 12 minor scales and understand relationships between major and minor. Student can play at least 6 major and 6 minor scales and understand relationships between major and minor. Student can perform music literature that contains contrasting modes. Student can perform music literature that contains contrasting modes. Student will play known scales through the appropriate range of their instrument (2 octaves in some cases) 1. 3 octave Major/minor scales in all 12 keys 4. 2 Octave Arpeggios for up through sharps and flats, major and minor modalities. Page 7 of 10
Unit: Aesthetic Valuation Enduring Concept: Aesthetic Valuation of Music Grade Level Expectations (GLE): Articulation of music s role in cultural tradition in history and society What happens to popular music over time? How is music an integral aspect of various activities and traditions? How are personal listening choices strong indicators of cultural and ethnic backgrounds? How has technology changed our expectations of performances and the availability of music? Society, Culture, Ethnic, Aesthetic, Popular music, Genre, Timbre, Traditional Music Student describes various ways music is used and enjoyed in different societal backgrounds and cultural traditions. Students will be able to retain a folk melody learned from rote. Student will describe various ways music is used and enjoyed in different societal backgrounds and cultural traditions. 1. Social background in music 2. Cultural traditions in music, Supplemental Recordings of Traditional Music/Documentaries Page 8 of 10
Unit: Time Signatures Enduring Concept: Theory of Music Grade Level Expectations (GLE): Identification and rhythmic demonstration of multiple, changing meter signatures in music. Compare characteristics of 3/8 and 6/8 to ¾ and 2/4 time? How is music evolutionary? 5/4, 9/8, 12/8 compound and simple, 5/8, mixed meter, Student demonstrates written rhythms using various tempo and dynamic markings. Student can demonstrate written rhythms using various tempo and dynamic markings. Student demonstrates rhythms within musical examples that incorporate combinations of dotted notes and corresponding rests in various meters. Student can demonstrate rhythms within musical examples that incorporate combinations of dotted notes and corresponding rests in various meters. 1. Various rhythms (Including dotted notes and corresponding rests) in any combination of Time Signatures 2. Conductor s cues in various time signatures and changing meters Page 9 of 10
Unit: Dynamics Enduring Concept: Theory of Music, Expression of Music Grade Level Expectations (GLE): Identification of musical elements in a level two composition or performance. Perform music in four or more parts accurately and expressively. How would music be different if there were no dynamics? Pianissimo, Fortissimo, Forte piano, Sforzando, Subito, Mezzo Piano, Fp-Crescendo, ppp, FFF, Brief-Broad Crescendo/Diminuendo Student incorporates all musical symbols, tempo indications, expressive indications, and technical indications while maintaining consistent tone quality, intonation, balance, blend, and phrasing. Student can incorporate all musical symbols, tempo indications, expressive indications, and technical indications while maintaining consistent tone quality, intonation, balance, blend, and phrasing. Student demonstrates the ability to adjust elements of music (pitch, rhythm, dynamics, timbre, texture, form) during ensemble performance. Student can demonstrate the ability to adjust elements of music (pitch, rhythm, dynamics, timbre, texture, form) during ensemble performance. Student describes using a minimum of four markings (articulation, Student can describe using a minimum of four markings (articulation, dynamics, and tempo) when analyzing a musical example. dynamics, and tempo) when analyzing a musical example. 1. Dynamic symbols: Pianissimo, Fortissimo, Forte piano, Sforzando, Subito, Mezzo Piano, Fp-Crescendo,ppp, FFF, Brief-Broad Crescendo/Diminuendo 2. Listening skills while in performance (Balance and Blend) 3. Analysis of a musical example using Articulation, Dynamics and Tempo markings Page 10 of 10