MUSIC

3-5

GRADES

ARTS TOOLKIT

lesson plans

Harmony: Major and Minor

Differences
Length: 1-2 sessions
Concept/Objectives
Students will be able to perceive aurally the difference between major and minor chords.
Students will be able to associate different emotions with major and minor keys.
Students will understand that composers make many decisions when composing music.

Activity
Students demonstrate their understanding of how major and minor keys can evoke feelings and mood in
music by creating and acting out stories based on the emotions evoked.

Music Toolkit Resources

From the Music Through Time DVD:
Excerpt from Bachs Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (Part 1 of The Baroque Period: Bach to
Bach)
Length: 3:45
Length: 4:38
The Romantic Period: Sunrise from Griegs Peer Gynt Suite

Kentucky Academic Content

Big Idea:
Structure in the Arts
Academic Expectations
1.14
1.15
Program of Studies
Understandings
AH-P/4/5-SA-U-1
Skills and Concepts
AH-P/4/5-SA-S-Mu1
AH-P/4/5-SA-S-Mu2
AH-P/4/5-SA-S-Mu3
Related Core Content
AH-EP/04/05-1.1.1

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Instructional Strategies and Activities

Before the Lesson

Youll need two boxes or bags, labeled Box 1 and Box 2. Write the
following on index cards:
Major
Minor
It was a dark, stormy evening.
The sun was shining bright on the clear, summer morning.
I heard a strange sound around the corner. I tiptoed to see what it
was..
The rabbits bounced across the grassy field on that cool April
morning.
Place the Major and Minor cards in Box 1.
Place the others in Box 2.

Introducing the Concept

1. As students enter the classroom, show the video clip of Sunrise from
Griegs Peer Gynt Suite (from the Music Through Time DVD). As
class begins, ask students to think about how the music they are
listening to makes them feel. After the excerpt, have them formulate
their thoughts into single word descriptions (peaceful, happy, majestic,
etc.). List these on the board.

2. Explain that composers use the elements of music to help express

emotions (e.g., fast tempos or loud dynamics to show excitement). The
element of harmony is also effective in expressing emotions. Write the
word harmony on the board and give the definition. Explain that
harmony can be based on major or minor keys.

Defining the Concept

1. Define major and minor. Songs in major keys are based on a major
scale. Play a C major scale (C D E F G A B C). (If you do not have a
classroom piano, use the keyboard in the Making Music section of the
World of Music CD-ROM.) Have students sing this scale on la or
loo. Songs in a minor key are based on a minor scale. Play a
harmonic minor scale (C D E-flat F G A-flat B C). Have students sing
this scale on a la or loo.

2. Explain that songs in minor keys evoke different emotions or feelings

than songs in major keys. Explain that the song you were playing as
they entered the room was in a major key. Explain that it was written
to give a musical picture of a sunrise. Play the excerpt Toccata and
Fugue in D minor by Bach (this is Part 1 of the The Baroque Period:
Bach to Bach segment on the Music Through Time DVD). Have
students formulate one-word descriptions of how the song made them
feel (sad, serious, spooky). Write these on the board.

Activity

Divide the class into groups of four or five. Explain that each group will
select randomly two cards: one card that will give them a story prompt
that they must finish; one card that will tell them whether the song they
will select to accompany the story should be in a major or minor key.
Students must finish the story prompt with the tonality of the song in
mind. For example:

140 Lesson Plans Arts Toolkit Music

MATERIALS
2 bags or boxes students can
use for drawing out cards
index cards
marker or pen

VOCABULARY
harmony
major
minor
scale

WRITING TO
COMMUNICATE
Have students take a popular
childrens story, such as Little
Red Riding Hood or
Goldilocks and the Three
Bears, and write a paper
explaining how major and
minor keys could be used to
create music as background
for the story. For example, the
music at the beginning of
Little Red Riding Hood would
be major until the wolf enters
the scene. Every time the wolf
appears, the music would turn
to a minor key.

GROUP 1 selects this story prompt: It was a dark, stormy evening.

They also select the Major tonality card. The group must finish this
story prompt with a story that is guided by the emotions evoked of major
keys (happy, joyful, peaceful, calm). One possible story might read:
It was a dark and stormy evening. The wind and rain poured down as
the hours ticked away. Suddenly, the door bell rang. Who was standing
in the door but my best friends, carrying a 2-liter of my favorite soda and
a large works pizza from Pizza Hut? The storm finally stopped and we
played video games until 2 a.m. That turned out to be one of my most
fun evenings that summer.
Students should have a few minutes to create their stories, select the
music, and devise the action (45 minutes). Tell them to select either the
Grieg or Bach selections to accompany their stories. They have one
minute to perform their stories for the classes, complete with action
and music. The stories can be as long or as short as you wish. Suggest
that one of the students be the narrator while the others act out the
story.

Conclusion

To wrap up the lesson, review the definitions of the terms major and
minor, playing the two scales.

Support/Connections/Resources

PBS Music & Mood lesson plan uses harmony to create mood:
www.pbs.org/harmony/teachersguide/lesson1.html

Annenberg Medias Exploring the World of Music has a section on

harmony: www.learner.org/resources/series105.html (You will have
to register to view the video and obtain materials, but the service is free;
this series is also broadcast on KET.)
The Dallas Symphony Orchestras DSOKids web site includes examples
of major and minor scales as well as a lesson on harmony:
www.dsokids.com/2001/rooms/DSO_Intro.html (Go to the Teachers
Lounge and select Theory for the scales and Activities for the lesson.)
Heres Wikipedias discussion of harmony:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmony

Applications Across the Curriculum

Language Arts

Students could write stories based on major or minor songs.

Students could partner: one could write a poem, the other select music to
be played while the poem is read.

Vocational Studies

Have students research how marketers and business owners use music
in their businesses to put customers in different moods to sell their
products.

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141

Open Response Assessment

Prompt: Composers often write music that makes the listener think of a
particular place or event. They use the elements of music in different
ways to cause the listener to know the place or event he or she is trying
to describe with the song.

Directions to Students: Imagine that you are a composer. Youve been

asked to create music for the background of a play about Little Red
Riding Hood. Here are some of the scenes:

Scene 1: Meet sweet, kind Little Red Riding Hood.

Scene 2: Meet the big bad wolf.
Scene 3: The wolf throws Grandma out of her house and dresses up in
her clothes.
Scene 4: Little Red Riding Hood gets to Grandmas house.
Scene 5: Little Red Riding Hood learns that her grandma has been
thrown out by the wolf.
Scene 6: Little Red Riding Hood runs away to get help.
Scene 7: The man in the forest saves the day!

A. CHOOSE TWO scenes from the play.

B. DESCRIBE how you would use the element of HARMONY to create
music for EACH scene.
C. EXPLAIN why you would make those choices.

142 Lesson Plans Arts Toolkit Music

OPEN RESPONSE SCORING GUIDE

Student selects
two scenes
and chooses
to produce
music in a
minor key for
scenes 2, 3, 5,
6 and a major
key for scenes
1, 4, 7.

Student selects
two scenes
and chooses
to produce
music in a
minor key for
scenes 2, 3, 5,
6 and a major
key for scenes
1, 4, 7.

Student selects
one or two
scenes but
choice of
major or minor
tonality for one
scene may be
illogical or not
match the
mood to be
depicted.

Student selects
one or two
scenes.

No answer or
irrelevant
response

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Student uses
minor keys
because the
scene depicts
the character
as mean, bad,
wicked, or sly
or because
scene evokes
emotions of
suspense, fear,
or sadness.
Student uses
major keys
because the
scene depicts
the character
as happy,
sweet, kind, or
gentle or
because
scene evokes
emotions of
happiness or
joy.

Student is clear
and specific in
the
explanation
with supporting
details.

Student uses
minor keys
because the
scene depicts
the character
as mean, bad,
wicked, or sly
or because
scene evokes
emotions of
suspense, fear,
or sadness.
Student uses
major keys
because the
scene depicts
the character
as happy,
sweet, kind, or
gentle or
because
scene evokes
emotions of
happiness or
joy.

Student assigns
major and
minor keys to
every scene
he/she
chooses but
not all show a
connection to
the mood of
the story.
Student is not
clear in the
explanation
and makes
little use of
supporting
details.

Student
incorrectly
assigns major
and minor keys
to every scene
he/she
chooses.

Student is
unable to show
connection
between major
and minor keys
and mood of
the story.
Student offers
no supporting
details for
choices.

Student is
general in the
explanation
and offers
some
supporting
details.

Arts Toolkit Music Lesson Plans

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Performance Assessment

Performance Event: Create motions for major and minor keys and use
them to show when musical examples are in major and minor keys.

Directions:
1. Have students create motions for major and minor keys (e.g., hopping
up and down for major, twisting at the hip to the left and right for
minor). Make sure the entire class knows each motion and its key.
2. Play five examples of songs in major and minor keys. Have the class
demonstrate whether the song is in a major or minor key by doing the
appropriate motion. (Sources for music: the Dallas Symphony
Orchestras kids web site listed in Resources, classroom music text
book series, or CDs from the public or school library).

MULTIPLE CHOICE
ANSWER KEY
1. A
2. D
3. B
4. C

PERFORMANCE SCORING GUIDE

Student
demonstrates
correct
motion for all
five songs.

Student
demonstrates
correct
motion for four
songs.

Student
demonstrates
correct
motion for
three songs.

Students
motion is
incorrect for
four or more
songs.

Nonparticipation

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Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following would MOST likely be true about a song

inspired by the gentle breeze of a sunny spring day?
A. The song is in a major key.
B. The song is played very slowly.
C. The song is in a minor key.
D. The song is played very fast.
2. Songs in a minor key are based on the
A. dynamics.
B. major scale.
C. rhythm.
D. minor scale.

3. Which of the following emotions is NOT usually felt when listening to

a song in a minor key?
A. sad
B. happy
C. fearful
D. somber
4. Why would a composer use a major key when writing birthday party
music?
A. Birthday parties are usually sad.
B. Birthday parties are often serious and somber.
C. Birthday parties are generally happy occasions.
D. Birthday parties are often depressing.

144 Lesson Plans Arts Toolkit Music

Author: Tim Lawson

Copyright 2007 KET

Reviewed by the Kentucky

Department of Education

This lesson plan is part of the

Music Arts Toolkit. To order the
entire toolkit or for more
information about the Arts
Toolkit project, visit
www.ket.org/artstoolkit or
call (859) 258-7294.