Lesson Plan for Blues Scale Singing Exercise

Grade: 5​ th
Duration: ​10 minutes
Core Music Standards: ​Perform, Respond, Connect
Repertoire:
​ hiteboard (for writing out blues scale)
Other Teaching Materials: w
Vocabulary: ​Call and Response, Blues Scale
Focus/Concept: ​Students will learn about the blues scale. They will use
Lesson Outcomes: ​Students will:
● (Connect)​ Recognize that improvisation and call and response are features of the blues
● (Connect)​ Identify the notes of a blues scale
● (Perform)​ Sing accurate pitches and rhythms in call-and-response form

Teaching Procedure
Prepare
1. Ask students to sit down on their dots
2. Once students are seated, review the blues scale
a. Write out a blues scale (in c?) on the board (possibly have it written on the board
before class begins if possible)
b. Ask the class to identify the blue notes
i. (the lowered third, the lowered fifth, and the lowered seventh are expected
answers)
3. Ask the students to help you fill in solfege under the notes
a. To label the blue notes, we’re going to use the sage system. In this system, we
change the ends of flat notes to “ay” and sharp note to “i”, so flat mi will be me,
sharp fa will be fi, and flat ti will be te
Present
1. Get a note from the piano. Sing the scale once yourself
2. “1, 2, let’s sing” on pitch
3. Nice job! Let’s do it again.
Practice and Extend
1. Explain that an important element of the blues is call and response.
2. I’m going to sing a pattern with the notes of the blues scales, and then you all will sing it
back to me.
3. Sing patterns. Tap on chest to keep steady beat while singing pattern, then hands out to
class + breath when everyone sings
a. Do Me Fa Me Do Do Do
b. Do So Do Me Fa Me Do
c. Do Me Fa Fi So So So
 d. Do So Do Do Do Te Do
e. Do Fa -- Me Do
f. Do So -- Te Do
Assess and Close
1. Assessment portion is listening to each group’s call and response

Reflection from last class

1. I liked the connection I made between the hexatonic blues scale and hexagons at the
beginning of the lesson. I also liked that the students were responsive when I asked them
questions.
2. I noticed that I spent a lot of time with my back to the class, so next week I’ll try to be
mindful of that