Creating A Basic Blues Progression

A lesson plan by Barry Eli, beli@cape.k12.de.us, Cape Henlopen High School, DE

TI:ME Technology Areas Addressed:

Electronic Musical Instruments
Notation
CAI

Level:

9-12 Basic Music Theory or Jazz Improvisation

Equipment:

Mac G4 Lab with Korg X5D Keyboards

Duration:

90 Minutes

Prior Knowledge and Skills:

Knowledge of Major Scales and Chords including Dominant 7ths
Knowledge of I, IV, V and V7 chords and chord symbols i.e. C, F, G, G7
Basic use of Band-In-A-Box
Knowledge of Creating a Basic Blues Scale
Basic skill at playing a keyboard
Some students will have knowledge of a band instrument

MENC Standards Addressed:

MENC 1: Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
MENC 2: Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
MENC 3: Improvising melodies, harmonies, and accompaniments.
MENC 4: Composing and Arranging Music within specified guidelines.
MENC 5: Reading and notating music.
MENC 6: Listening to, analyzing and describing music.
MENC 7: Evaluating music and music performances.

Materials:

Mac G4 with projector
Speaker System
Band-In-A-Box Software
Sibelius or Finale Notation Software

Objectives:

Students will be able to create a basic blues chord progression in Band-In-A-Box

Students will be able to sing and/or play the root of each chord as it appears in the progression

Students will be able to use basic blues scale knowledge to improvise a basic melody over the progression

Procedures:

1. Listen to a Band-In-A Box created blues progression – ask them to listen for number of measures
2. Students will count measures or bars and create a Band-In-A-Box lead sheet of the appropriate lenghth (12 measures)
3. Students will listen and identify where chords change as example plays and place markers on the measures where they think chords change- discuss and listen again
   1. At any time the students should be asked to sing the roots of the chords to help find the changes
4. Having already discussed where the chords change and basic I,IV, V and V7 chords- play each change and listen and identify which chords occur and where-singing roots helps here
5. Students will- by using the basic symbols for chords in C- input the correct chords into Band-In-A-Box

Evaluation:

Students will play back their file and listen for the correct changes
Students will be able to sing roots of chords as they change
Students will input chord progression in a different key

Follow Up:

Improve Blues melody using “Creating Basic Blues Scale” knowledge over created progressions as Band-In-A-Box plays the progression