What’s the difference?

Tim Connery
tcnj@mac.com
Crockett Middle School

TI:ME Technology Areas Addressed:

Notation

Level:

Elementary

Class:

General Music

Equipment:

Notation software with audio playback.

Duration:

15 Minutes

Prior Knowledge and Skills:

No prior knowledge is needed for this lesson.

NAfME standard of 1994 Addressed:

NAfME standard of 1994: Listening to, analyzing and describing music.

NAfME 2014: Responding 

Materials:

Notation software to create an arrangement of a song and be able to play it back.

Objectives:

The student will listen to a song and identify the musical element that is changed. This can be used as an introduction of the musical elements, Melody, Rhythm, Harmony, Tone Color, Dynamics and Form.

Procedures:

The teacher will need to prepare an arrangement of a song on a notation software program. The teacher can pick any selection that he or she feels is appropriate. The song Twinkle Twinkle Little Star would be appropriate for elementary.
In your arrangement introduce the melody as students are used to hearing. Stop the playback and discuss Melody as an element of music. Continue the play back with the melody being transposed. Stop and ask the students what is changed. Discuss Pitch and how it affects Melody. Continue with another version with a different Tempo. Play a version with a different time signature and discuss how Rhythm affects music. Play another version with a change in the Dynamics, Timbre/Tone Color, Harmony (minor), and finally change the Form (ABA to BAB).

Evaluation:

The lesson is successful if students can give a good evaluation after critically listening to the song selection using the appropriate terminology. Tempo, Dynamics, Tone Color, Form, Rhythm etc.

Follow Up:

This activity can be an introduction of a unit on the basic elements of music.