Literature: Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony Quartet

Jake - Warm-up and overview of concepts

Objective: Students will warm-up through scales and other exercises relating to
concepts shown throughout the piece.

VA SOLs:
HIAR.13 The student will read, notate, and perform scales.
HIAR.16 The student will demonstrate, describe, and analyze musicianship and
ensemble skills.

Procedure:
● Teacher will hand out a sheet of paper with various exercises on it to each
ensemble member, explaining that these exercises are to help them warm up
while becoming familiar with musical concepts they will find in the Beethoven
piece.
● Students will play through the scales associated with the key signature, both
major and minor.
● Students will play through these scales again, much faster to match the tempo of
the piece.
● Students will play through an exercise to help them get used to articulations they
will find in the piece, both at loud and soft dynamics.
● Students will play through a final scale exercise designed to help with dynamics,
articulation, and various rhythms found throughout the piece.

Assessment:
● Students will be assessed informally on comprehension of concepts discussed
and ability to demonstrate these concepts musically in a variety of scenarios.

Mary - Harmonic analysis and intonation

Objective: Students will identify and tune the chords that make up the harmonic
structure of the Beethoven 7th Symphony arrangement.

VA SOLs:
HIAR.13 The student will read, notate, and perform scales.
a) Identify and notate all key signatures.
b) Read, notate, and perform all ascending and descending major scales, as well
as selected minor scales and tonic arpeggios.

Procedure:
1. Students will identify the key signature (D minor, transposed from A minor).
2. Students will establish the D major chords by singing I IV V7 and then contrast
them with D minor chords i, iv, and v chords by arpeggiating in solfege
a. [Keyboard needed for pitches]
3. Students will identify the starting chord and build it from bottom up on their
instrument, then play the note given in their part
4. The ensemble will then move from chord to chord, playing and identify its
purpose
5. After working through the chords, ensemble will play from the beginning and
pause on each chord to perfect intonation

Assessment:
I will assess informally by noting their understanding of harmonic structure, ability to
match pitch, and ability to adjust intonation as needed

Jackson - Articulation
Objective: Students will perform the written articulations with the proper intent and
purpose.

SOL: HM.13 The student will perform a variety of music. a) Sing or play with increased
technical proficiency. b) Use indicated dynamics, phrasing, and other elements of
music. c) Evaluate and apply performance practices.

Procedure:
a. Students will be asked to interpret the intended use of the articulation markings
written in the music.
b. The students will share their ideas.
c. The students will play from the beginning to ‘A’, and discuss if they had
interpreted it the way they had decided to as a group.
d. The students will play from the beginning to ‘A’, but this time they will try to
reinforce their interpretation.
e. I will break down how the outlined articulation style is applicable throughout the
piece. More specifically in the counter-melody of ‘C’.
f. The students will play from ‘B’ to ‘D’, and will apply the materials we had
discussed prior.
g. They will repeat this for the remaining time of the lesson.

Assessment: I will assess the students on how well they personally adapted and applied
the intended style of articulation throughout the piece. This will be an informal
assessment, consisting of student responses.

Lexie - Dynamics
Objective: Students will perform with dynamic contrast through the identification of
written dynamic changes and discussion on the implicit meaning of these.

Procedure:
1. Ask “What are the dynamic boundaries in this piece?”
2. Discuss what this means for performance (ie won’t get incredibly loud, softs need
to be super soft in order to create noticeable contrast, mp doesn’t necessarily
mean the same thing for all parts *melody vs accompaniment*)
3. Place discussion in context through performance of A-B
4. Reflect upon the presence of contrast or lack thereof and play again as needed
5. Apply concepts from the previous step to perform 4 before B-C
6. Discuss similarities/differences between contrast in first and second sections
played- did the relative dynamic level decrease at the same “rate” for each
change in level?
7. Play A-C, keeping in mind what was discussed

Assessment:
Assessment will be informal and primarily based off of student responses to
questions and self-reflective prompts. Students will also be assessed based on
whether there is a noticeable change in their relative dynamics and if they stay
within a reasonable dynamic range.

SOLs Used:
HM.12 The student will use a variety of analog and digital notations (e.g.
standard notation, lead sheets, tablature, piano roll). b) Identify symbols for pitch,
rhythm, dynamics, tempo, articulation, and expression.
HM.13 The student will perform a variety of music. a) Sing or play with increased
technical proficiency. b) Use indicated dynamics, phrasing, and other elements of
music. c) Evaluate and apply performance practices.

Anna (last):
Objective: Students will be able to play the entire piece with the correct style, dynamics,
phrasing, and form.

SOL: HM.13 The student will perform a variety of music. a) Sing or play with increased
technical proficiency. b) Use indicated dynamics, phrasing, and other elements of
music. c) Evaluate and apply performance practices.

Procedure:
1. Play from the beginning to Rehearsal D and stop
2. Ask students to raise their hand and evaluate how they performed everything
they had previously worked on in this run.
a. If students feel there is a lot that they could improve on repeat this section
3. Play from Rehearsal D to the first ending and tell them to repeat this section and
end playing the second ending.
4. Repeat step 2 and 2a
5. Continue from E to F
6. Repeat step 2 and 2a
7. Repeat step 3 but from to the end including a mention of the ritardando
8. Repeat step 2 and 2a
9. Play the whole piece through
10. Repeat step 2 and 2a but specifically for any transitions that might have not gone
well

Assessment:
- Assessment will be informal and will consist of asking students to reflect on how
they performed a specific section and evaluate if they need to do it again.