Adopt a Student Lesson Plan: Bassoon

MUED 202

Introduction and SMART Goal:

- The students will learn terminology for their bassoon as well as play Mary Had a Little
Lamb in three keys by the end of the class time.
- This lesson plan will be completed within 50 minutes. The class is from 9-9:50.
Materials:
- Bassoon
- Seat Strap
- Reed and water for reed
- PowerPoint
- Fingering Chart
Objective/Concepts:
- The students will:
o Learn the parts of the instrument and how to assemble the instrument properly
o Learn how to play Mary Had a Little Lamb:
 In two keys: Bb and Eb
 With correct fingerings
 With correct articulation (slurring and tonguing when needed)
Anticipated Challenges:
- Fingering Issues
o Wrong note coming out:
 Are we doing the correct fingering? Walk through the fingering with
students
 Check to see if all holes are covered properly
o New note/difficulty remembering fingering
 Walk through/model the fingering with students
 Ask them to take their fingering chart out
 Run through the piece saying the letter names while fingering along
- Half-Hole
o Start with the lower octave and practice rolling to half hole
o Try the “half hole” exercise to solidify the concept
- Tonguing
o Legato tonguing: do syllable
o Staccato tonguing: tah syllable
o Try these syllables on an airstream first
o Then add syllables to reed and open note

Winding Forward/Back:
- Forward
o Rhythm: the students can play the quarter notes as 8th notes and half notes as
quarter notes
o Notes: The students can play up the octave
 - Back
o Notes: the student can play only the tonic
 They can add notes as they feel comfortable
o Rhythm: the student can play half notes or whole notes

Procedure:
9:00-9:05 (5min) - Instrument Assembly: (the teacher will model this with the students)
o Open case flat on the floor
o Place reed in water to soak
o Take the boot out first, with the open holes facing away from the body
o Take the winged joint and place it in the right most hole. The curved side should
face the left hole
o Take the bass joint/long joint and place it in the left hole. At the top of the joint
should be a locking mechanism to lock both joints in place
o Take the bell and place it on the top of the bass joint/long joint
o Now take the bocal at the rounded portion and place it in the top of the winged
joint, making sure to line up the hole with the whisper key
9:05-9:10 (5min) - Breathing:
o In for 4, out for 4 with an “oh” syllable
o In for 4, out for 8 with an “oh” syllable
o Repeat above but with the instrument’s embouchure
9:10-9:20 (10min) - Warm Up:
o Bb Scale
 from Bb-F in half notes, legato tonguing
 from Bb-F in half notes, staccato tonguing
 from Bb-F in quarter notes
o Eb Scale
 From Eb-Bb in half notes, legato tonguing
 From Eb-Bb in half notes, staccato tonguing
 From Eb-Bb in quarter notes
o Tuning
9:20-9:45 (25min) - Mary Had a Little Lamb:
o Bb Version:
 SR the piece all the way through
 Discuss challenges
 Play through the piece with legato articulation
 Discuss
 Play through the piece with staccato articulation
 Discuss:
 Which style do we like more?
 How can we make this more musical?
 Play through one more time with what they respond
o Eb Version:
 SR the piece all the way through
  Discuss challenges
 Play through the piece with legato articulation
 Discuss
 Play through the piece with staccato articulation
 Discuss:
 Which style do we like more?
 How can we make this more musical?
 Play through one more time with what they respond
9:45-9:50 (5min) - Tear Down:
o Students put their instruments away and help tidy the classroom