Lesson Plan

Name: Rose Mooney Date: November 17, 2020

Grade: High School Class Type: High School blues class

1.Measurable Objective(s): (Measurable learning objectives use action verbs to describe what you want the
students to be able to do by the end of the class.)

Students will be able to identify the components of a blues song(chord progression, melody, and lyrics)
Students will be able to compose a blues song with a blues chord progression, melody, and lyrics

2.Assessment: (What evidence will show that the students understand? Describe the assessment used – formal
and informal assessments based on learning objectives.)

Students will create their own blues song, taking what they learned about blues songs- informal- will
be able to see if students comprehend what they just learned

3. National Standards: (Creating, Performing, Responding – Write out the standards that you will be
addressing in their entirety.)

MU:Cr1.1.C.Ia Describe how sounds and short musical ideas can be used to represent personal experiences,
moods, visual images, and/or storylines.

MU:Cr2.1.C.Ia Assemble and organize sounds or short musical ideas to create initial expressions of selected
experiences, moods, images, or storylines.

MU:Cr2.1.C.Ib Identify and describe the development of sounds or short musical ideas in drafts of music within
simple forms (such as one-part, cyclical, or binary).

MU:Cr3.2.C.Ia Share music through the use of notation, performance, or technology, and demonstrate how the
elements of music have been employed to realize expressive intent.

MU:Pr4.2.C.Ia Analyze how the elements of music (including form) of selected works relate to style and mood,
and explain the implications for rehearsal or performance.

MU:Pr6.1.C.Ia Share live or recorded performances of works (both personal and others’), and explain how the
elements of music are used to convey intent.

MU:Re7.2.C.Ia Analyze aurally the elements of music (including form) of musical works, relating them to style,
mood, and context, and describe how the analysis provides models for personal growth as composer, performer,
and/or listener.

MU:Cn10.0.Ia Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal choices and intent when
creating, performing, and responding to music.

4. State Standards: (Creating, Performing, Responding, Connecting - Write out the standards that you will be
addressing in their entirety.)

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 Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. Consistently apply research to generate
compositional ideas (e.g., to help generate new ideas, students listen to several different recordings
of pieces that use industrial sounds). (AG.M.Cr.01)

Select, analyze and interpret artistic work for presentation. Explain how one’s composition relates to
established musical genres, styles, forms (e.g., explain how one’s piece combines elements of jazz and
Celtic music). (AG.M.P.04)

Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art. Explain the development of
one’s musicality or musical style and how it relates to a composition. (AG.M.Co.10)

5. Required Prior Knowledge and Skills: (What must students know to be successful.)

Recognize basic chords of the major key by listening

Read music
Know major and minor scales and know how to raise or lower a note in the scale
Know form of a song (song structure)
Know how to actively listen and analyze songs
6. Material, Repertoire, Equipment needed: (Be sure to include music titles, composer/arranger, text etc.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqUfuW6kZnY “Do now” song – Blues with a Feeling

lined/staff paper and pencil
powerpoint
7. Review Needed: (What needs to be reviewed to reinforce prior learning related to this lesson.)
None
8. Accommodations: (Special Needs, ELL, etc.)
Students will be able to sit and can write a song in their own language. Students will be able to choose
their own seating if they have the accommodation. Students will be provided visuals as another
learning style
9. Agenda: (List items to be taught and post.)

- DO NOW: listen and respond

- blues
- chords
- form
- melody
- lyrics
- improv
- your own blues song
- blues warm down
- assignment

10. Lesson Sequence (Be sure to list time in the Pacing Section) Pacing
A. Brief Opening: (A teacher posted group or brief individual assignment. Brief A.…………………...
reading writing, editing, or problem-solving activity to ready them for learning – may
be a question about the rehearsal music or at the younger levels it may be a learning
activity to set up for today's lesson such as a "Do Now.")

Blues with a Feeling:

3 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqUfuW6kZnY

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 Blues music will be playing while students walk into the classroom. There will
be a do now on the board that asks what genre of music this is and what chords
they hear (hint: try and find root of chord)

SCRIPT: Hey everyone! Please have a seat and get situated while we listen to
Blues With A Feeling. As you listen, jot down what you think the song is about
and what chords you hear. Try to find the root of the chords. We’ll have a
discussion once the song is over.
B. Learning Activities: (What learning experiences and instruction will enable B
students to achieve the desired results – have more learning activities than you need.)

1. After listening, students will discuss/share what chords they heard and what 1. 2 minutes
the song is about
SCRIPT: what do you think the song is about? … what chords do you hear?

2. Students will learn about the chord progression of a blues song and sing/play 2. 2 minutes
the each chord out loud
12 bar Blues chord progressions: usually consists of I, IV, and V
Basic chord progression: I IV I I IV IV I I V IV I V and then repeats
SCRIPT: what you just heard is a blues song with the I, IV, and V chords. We
call this chord progression the 12 bar blues. Let’s play this chord progression
all together on your instruments. If you don’t have your instruments you can
sing the root

3. Students will figure out with the teacher’s help what the blues scale degrees 3. 3 minutes
are since they know how to recognize intervals.
Blues scale - melodies usually use the blues scale: 1 ♭3 4 #4 5 ♭7 1
Blues scale singing exercise- students will repeatedly sing the blues scale in
different ways to get the sound in their heads for inner hearing
SCRIPT: Let’s now look at what notes can be played above the chord
progression. This specific scale we’ll be playing over the chords is the blues
scale. We all know how to recognize intervals and the major and minor scale
so let’s take all of this and figure out what scale degrees we use in this blues
scale. The scale starts on the first scale degree, aka the tonic, so let’s figure out
the notes from there and their relationship to each other and to the tonic. Take
a listen to the whole scale. Now let’s take it note by note. Now let’s try singing
it a couple times to get it in our head.

4. Improv activity: students play/sing blues chord progression while one 4. 5 minutes
student at a time improvises using the blues scale
SCRIPT: Now let’s take this scale and improvise over the 12 bar blues chord
progression. One by one you’ll have four measures to explore the blues scale.
When you’re not improvising, use this time to practice the blues chord
progression

5. Students will learn about the song form of a blues song and will be given an 5. 5 minutes
example from the song they just listened to, “Blues with a Feeling”, and then
discuss what the lyrics are trying to portray
Song form: AAB
A – first four bars melody
A – repeat first four bar melody only change key to fit the IV chord

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 B – Third four bars melody answering the A, usually with a twist
Example: song they listened to in beginning of class “Blues with a Feeling”:
A – blues with a feelin’, that’s what I have today
A – blues with a feelin’, that’s what I have today
B – I’m gonna find my baby if it takes all night and day
Lyrics are usually about struggle and hardship
SCRIPT: We’ve been talking a lot about the melody and chord progression of
a blues song. Let’s change gears and talk about the blues form. The blues form
is A A’ B. four bars for each phrase. that means that the A phrase repeats but
with a different melody that matches the chord progression. Then the b phrase
is the third four bars of melody that answers the A phrase, usually with a twist.
This form can be heard in the song we just listened to earlier in the class, blues
with a feeling.
A – Blues with a feelin’, that’s what I have today
A – Blues with a feelin’, that’s what I have today
B – I’m gonna find my baby if it takes all night and day
As we had discussed earlier in class, this song is about struggle and hardship
which is what most blues songs are about. “You don’t play blues, you feel it.”
6. Review the components of a 12 bar blues:
- chord progression (I IV I I IV IV I I V IV I V and then repeats) 6. 1 minute
- 12 bars (4 bars for each phrase)
- AAB form
- struggling/hardship lyrics
- melody: blues scale
SCRIPT: Let’s review the components of a 12 bar blues. The chord
progression, the blues scale, AAB form with four bars for each phrase, and
struggling and hardship lyrics.

7. Students will then create their own blues song, taking what they learned
about harmony, song form, lyrics, and melody used in blues music 7. 10 minutes
Guidelines: Must have all components of a blues song that we just reviewed
SCRIPT: Let’s take all that we’ve learned and compose a song on your own or
with a partner! Some guidelines: should be 12 bars, have all the components
we went over in class today, in C major in 4/4 time as we’ve always written
songs. We will present these at the end of class.

8. Students will share their songs and talk about their process of writing and
components of their song 8. 4 minutes
SCRIPT: Find a good stopping point and it’s okay if you have not finished
your songs yet. Just share with us what you have. We’ll go around and if you
would like to sing your song, go ahead and the rest of the class will accompany
you with the blues chord progression.
C. Closing/Wrap-up: (This is a recap of the key learning of the day to check for C.
understanding. Could be a ticket to leave as individuals or group answers.)

Blues warm down (blues scale exercise) 1 minute

Let’s review what the blues scale should sound like
D. Assignment: D.
Find a blues song and talk about what makes it blues
SCRIPT: For your assignment of the week, please finish these songs if you
didn’t get a chance to and find a blues song. Make note about what makes it a

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 blues song and find similarities in your original blues song. Listen for the
components of a blues songs that we went over today like the chord
progression, melody, lyrics, and form. Be prepared to share with your class
your findings.
Don’t forget to pack up your instruments and I’ll see you all next time. Happy
playing!

11.Reflection Prompt: What do you think went particularly well? How did this strength impact your students’
learning?

12.Reflection Prompt: If you could teach this lesson again, is there anything you would do differently? How
would this have impacted your students’ learning?

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