IMPROVISATION LESSON PLAN

Composition: Yorkshire Ballad

Student Learning Outcome: Students will improvise over given scale as they choose pitches according to harmonic changes.

California Standard: Int.MU:E.Cr1-compose and improvise ideas for melodies and rhythmic passages based on characteristics of music or
text studied in rehearsal.

Identify
 Musical Element(s) (e.g. specify from categories—melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, texture, form, etc.) : harmony
 Musical Actions (e.g. composing, improvising, performing, listening, etc.): improvisation
 Musical Skills (technique needed to accomplish action/element): Concert Bb major scale

Learning Activities:
Time Issue/ Scaffolded Activities Assessment
allocation Musical  Active learning  Kind of assessment (formal, informal,
Element  Scaffolded for higher-order thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, interpretation, self, peer)
transfer)  Criteria being assessed
 Groupings within activities
Concert Bb -Echoing Informal
Major scale  Finding correct pitches Playing correct pitches
 Play half of scale
 Play full scale
Rhythm cells -Sight read rhythm cells Informal
 play correct rhythms Correct pitches and rhythm
 integrate pitches from scale with correct rhythms
Collaborating -Sight read Informal
parts  Harmony one, two, and baseline Correct pitches and rhythm
Improvise -Exploration Informal & student self assessment
 All will improvise based off rhythmic cells and Bb major scale. Correct pitches rhythm
 Divide into groups assigning harmony roles and improvising roles. Appropriate pitches & rhythm
 Switch roles
Harmonic -Listen for chord changes Student Self Assessment
approaches  Assign roles for. Improvising Utilizing accurate rhythm and
 Trial and error notes with given harmony pitches.
 Repeat process and approach chord with different notes
 Switch roles
 Solo
volunteers

Required Materials:
Instruments, music hand outs