Introduction to Simple Phrase Form

Faith Zimmerman
fzimmerman@qcsd.org
Pfaff Elementary in Quakertown, PA

TI:ME Technology Areas Addressed:

Notation Software

Level:

Elementary

Class:

Instrumental

Equipment:

Duration:

30 Minutes

Prior Knowledge and Skills:

symbols: measure, clef appropriate to their instrument, final ending
concepts: traditional folksongs end on “Do”, skips & steps

NAfME Standards of 1994 Addressed:

NAfME Standards of 1994: Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

NAfME 2014: Performing 

NAfME Standards of 1994: Listening to, analyzing and describing music.
NAfME Standards of 1994: Evaluating music and music performances.

NAfME 2014: Responding 

Materials:

1. Essential Elements 2000 Book 1 published by Hal Leonard
2. instrument (or voice) to model/perform each phrase
3. manipulatives (not attached but available upon request)
4. pencils

Objectives:

1. The student will practice fingering each phrase of “Lightly Row” #25 in their method book.
2. The student will play the song.
3. The student will arrange the four phrases in the activity to complete the song, “Lightly Row.”

Procedures:

1. After warming up on the five pitches learned thus far, the teacher will instruct the students to mark a light diagonal slash in their music at 4 measure intervals for song #25 in the EE 2000, Book 1, creating 4 phrases. (5 min)
2. Briefly explain that they have chunked the measures into phrases much like a comma would divide a sentence into a phrase. For example: “On the way to school today, I saw a flock of geese.” One phrase has an incomplete thought while another could stand alone. Which one is not complete? Which one is complete? (5 minutes)
3. Now look at your music while I play (or sing) each chunk called a phrase. Which one sounds finished? Which one ends on “Do”? Which phrases are similar and why? Different? Review steps and skips by finding them while comparing phrases 1 and 2. (5 minutes)
4. Student fingers each phrase silently many times until he thinks he can play it. I sing and count as we silently finger as a group. (7 minutes)
5. P! lay each phrase (or whole song) together slowly. (3 min)
6. Give each child the packet of 4 copied and laminated phrases. See if they can arrange the phrases in the correct order with the book closed. If not, they may use the book. When completed, ask them to double-check if the clef and double bar (final ending) are at the correct spot. (5 min)

Evaluation:

Visible assessment of note reading by watching silent fingering.
Audible assessment of note reading by hearing them play the song.
Visible assessment of the manipulation task.

Follow Up:

1. a lesson on how to practice correctly, i.e. repetition of phrase instead of playing through from beginning to end.
2. analyzing new music by phrase form.

Items to Purchase:

None.

When budget should be submitted:

N/A