LEARNING RESOURCE

SPA-MUSIC

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TRAINING FOR RONDALLA

GRADE 7- QUARTER 1

 LEARNING RESOURCE for MUSIC

TRAINING MODULE FOR RONDALLA

GRADE 7, QUARTER 1

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Published by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts

Development Team of the Learning Resource

Writer: Engr. Anthony Ryan T. Cruz

Editor: Jose S. Soliman, Jr.
Cover Illustration: William Matawaran
Layout Artist: Arvin Manuel R. Villalon
Management Team: Marichu Tellano and Henrietta Kangleon (NCCA),
Tanya P. Lopez (PerfLab)

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 FOREWORD

Welcome to this Learning Resource for Music

This Learning Resource was developed by experts from the National Commission for Culture
and the Arts as a reference to aid you in developing rich, meaningful, and empowering learning
in the creative fields. Every effort has been exerted to produce a Self-Learning Learning
Resource that incorporates the most fundamental elements and principles of each discipline,
while providing a spiraled, scaffolded, and multi-sensory approach to allow you to explore your
innate creativity while building discipline and rigor in your chosen discipline.

Each lecture, activity, or reflection here is designed to be meaningful. Each one designed to
build from the previous one, and each one with the objective of building up for the next skill or
competence. We hope that you will find these activities challenging but empowering, and that
your potential as a Filipino artist and Creative is further enhanced and inspired.

These Learning Resources take into consideration the various limitations and challenges
brought about by the current situation, and provides you with the flexibility to manage content
and pace to your individual needs while maintaining standards for creativity, embodying 21st
Century skills, and aspiring towards artistic excellence. Beyond compilations of dry information,
these Learning Resources seek to develop Higher Order Thinking Skills of Analysis, Evaluation,
and Creation.

If you are planning to use this Resource as a facilitator or teacher, you are expected to guide
and orient your learners in the proper and efficient use of this Learning Resource. Most, if not all
activities, will entail exploration, investigation, and experimentation, as such it is imperative that
you, as the facilitator, establish the guidelines which will allow your students to be creative but
within responsible, safe, and academically-sound limits. Your guidance and mentorship is
expected and encouraged throughout the learning process.

We look forward to your journey as an artist, MABUHAY!

 INTRODUCTION and OBJECTIVES

Dear Readers,

In this Learning Resource we will explore the world of rondalla and the different instruments
that we use to form a rondalla group.

This Learning Resource is also a training module that will help instrumental music students
develop further their skills in playing the various instruments use in a rondalla group. It also
discusses different music fundamentals and explains the different musical symbols found in our
music sheets.

At the end of this Learning Resource, you will be able to:

1. classify musical instruments according to the Sachs-Hornbostel system;

2. distinguish the different classifications based on the characteristics, sounds and uses
of the musical instrument;

3. differentiate each of the rondalla instruments;

4. learn the different techniques and positions on how to play a rondalla instrument;

5. tune your own rondalla instrument;

6. perform the necessary warm up exercises intended for this lesson;

7. memorize the warm up lessons given.

The Learning Resource may be used for, and is applicable to the following DepEd Code:

SPA_MVC7- Ih-8

LESSON 1: Membranophones, Chordophones, Aerophones, and
Electrophones.

Idiophones

Idiophones are musical instruments which create sound by the vibration coming from the
material itself. Examples of solid materials used in such instruments are hard plastics,
woodblocks, and metal alloys. Idiophones are further divided into struck idiophones or plucked
idiophones.

Membranophones

Membranophones are musical instruments that uses a vibrating stretched membranes or skin to
produce sound. Membranophones are classified to how the instrument is used to produce
sound.

Chordophones

Chordophones produce sound by means of a stretched vibrating string. When a string vibrates,
the resonator picks up that vibration and amplifies it giving it a more appealing and louder
sound.

Chordophones also have subcategories depending on how the strings are played – bowing,
plucked and strucked. Examples of chordophone instruments played by bowing are double
bass, violin, and viola. Examples of chordophones instruments that are played by plucking are
banjo, guitar, harp, mandolin, and ukulele while piano, dulcimer, and the clavichord are
examples of chordophones that are struck.

Aerophones

Aerophones produce sound by vibrating a column of air. These are commonly known as wind
instruments.

Electrophones

Electrophones are musical instruments that produce sound electronically or produce its initial
sound traditionally and then are electronically amplified. Some examples of instruments that
produce sound electronically are electronic
organs, theremins, and synthesizers.
Traditional instruments which are
electronically amplified include electric
guitars and electric pianos.

LESSON 2: DIFFERENT RONDALLA INSTRUMENTS (Week 1)

Rondalla instruments are classified under CHORDOPHONES. The main instruments of the
rondalla are the banduria, octavina, laud, guitar, and bajo or else the upright bass. In some
cases, a piccolo bandurria is added for music that requires higher tones; a mandola for lower
tones.

PICCOLO BANDURIA – The piccolo makes the highest tone in the rondalla. It plays melodies,
counterparts, and tackles different types of melodic embellishments.

BANDURIA – This is the mainstay instrument in the rondalla. It excels both in number and in
the roles played in the group. It plays the principal melody as well as a variety of ornamental
musical lines.

LAUD – In terms of natural sound and the parts played, the laud is almost the same as the
octavina.

OCTAVINA – Traditionally the octavina plays counterparts and serves as filler in the harmony.
Today it also plays the melody in full or in part for special effect or variety.

MANDOLA – The mandola plays it notes in the lower register. It enhances and complements
the low tones of the octavina or the laud.

GUITAR – The guitar serves chiefly as accompaniment in the rondalla. It helps maintain the
rhythm and supports the blending of tones in the group.

DOUBLE BASS – The bass serves as the pulse that

controls the rhythmic flow of the music. It creates the low
and deep tones that broaden the range of sound of the
instruments.

LESSON 3: PARTS COMMON TO RONDALLA INSTRUMENTS

PLEASE WATCH THIS YOUTUBE LINK : https://youtu.be/L55uPvlN1VY

LESSON 4: HOLDING THE INSTRUMENTS (Week 2)

Keep distance between the left hand palm and the neck of the instrument as shown below:

NUMBERING THE LEFT HAND

HOLDING THE PICK

 NORMAL PLAYING POSITION

LESSON 5: TUNING THE INSTRUMENT (Week 3)

The actual sound of the banduria is an octave higher than the laud and the octavina, tuning
however is notated identically.

High precision tuning must be observed at all times. It is part of good ear training for the pupils.
We recommend electronic tuner or a tuner app that can be downloaded from the internet and
can be saved in your smart and android phones or in your desktops or laptops.

In case the string of your instrument snaps or breaks, you can buy ordinary guitar strings to
change your broken string,

1st to 3rd strings – 0 strength

4th to 6th string – 2 strength
7th to 9th string – 3 strength
10th to 11th string – 4 strength
12th to 13th string – 5 strength
14th string – 6 strength

Watch this YouTube link: https://youtu.be/jVRZinm5ijk


DAILY TRACKING PRACTICE CARD
DATE OF PRACTICE TIME OF PRACTICE LESSON PRACTICED PARENTS SIGNATURE

LESSON 6: BASIC PLAYING TECHNIQUES FOR RONDALLA

The manners of picking are: the tremolo, the downward picking, the upward picking and the
down up picking.

1. The Tremolo – it is the RAPID downward and upward stroke of the pick to SUSTAIN the
tone. It is the life of any plectrum instrument and should be introduced at the first hour of
training. Be sure in performing the tremolo, there are minimal movements from the right
arm and more movements from the tip of the fingers holding the pick towards the wrist.
Do not allow significant change in the playing stance and the left hand position.
2. Downward stroke – The natural stroke is downward.
3. Upward stroke – While this stroke is also used, it is by itself decidedly a departure from
common practice.
4. Down – up stroke – This is required in playing fast passages in fast tempo beats.

WARM UPS

Warm ups are important as part of a daily routine for instrumental music students. Individual
and group warm ups can serve multiple functions that can help in the physical, mental, and
technical preparation for rehearsal. The time allotted before, and at the beginning of the
rehearsal, should be viewed as invested time, not time wasted, when practicing warm ups.
Students and teachers can save hours of practice and rehearsal time by creating carefully
planned and executed warm-up activities.

DIRECTION: Using your banduria, octavina, or laud (bol), play the required warm-up exercises
given in this module.

Notes:

- Whole notes and half notes should be played in tremolo while quarter note is
played using downward picking.
- Maintain proper sitting position
- Hold the instrument with the right and the left hand in proper position
- Whole note receives 4 beats, Half note receives 2 beats, Quarter note receives 1
beat.
- We recommend using a METRONOME APP in practicing. Start with a slow pace
then gradually making it faster as you master your piece.
- Always check the TUNING of your instrument. You can download a free TUNING
APP from Google play store so that you could always check the tuning.
- Memorize all the warm up pieces and play them every time you start
practicing

 WARM UP 1: OPEN STRING WARM UP EXERCISES (Week 4)

Using Tremolo – vibrate the 3 highest pitched strings. That is considered as your 1st strings.
Follow the notation given below.

Watch this YouTube link: https://youtu.be/7Hrfpj1X7d8

WARM UP 2: USE DOWNWARD PICKING ONLY (Week 5)

WARM UP 3: PLAYING WHOLE NOTES USING TREMOLO (Week 6)

WARM UP 4: PLAYING HALF NOTES USING TREMOLO (Week 7)

WARM UP 5: HALF NOTE EXERCISE (Week 8)

LESSON 7: PLAYING SIMPLE MUSICAL PIECES

 Evaluation of Performing Activities
Let the TEACHERS answer the following:

5 = Very Good

Rating scale:
2 = Poor
4 = Good 1 = Needs Follow-up

3 = Fair

Week No. Activity No. Teacher’s
Evaluation
2 Holding the instrument

3

Tuning the instrument



4 Warm up 1

5

Warm up 2

6

Warm up 3



7 Warm up 4

8

Warm up 5


Musical pieces

____________________________

SPA MUSIC SPECIALIST SIGNATURE

 REFERENCES

Print:

Espejo, Celso (2014). Espejo Rondalla Method. Manila: National Commission

for Culture and the Arts

Hovey, Nilo W. (1935). Rubank Elementary Method. Chicago: Rubank, Inc.

Internet Resources:

https://www.smartmusic.com/blog/the-importance-of-warm-up-time-for-instrumental-teachers/

https://www.google.com/search?q=BANDURRIA+PLAYING+POSITION&rlz=1C1CHBD_enPH9
02PH902&sxsrf=ALeKk00z-XieKquwvBZbXR7-
L2f1WpzVwA:1596079420160&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjTxfyWg_TqAhXt
yYsBHQj_DpEQ_AUoAXoECA0QAw&biw=1360&bih=657#imgrc=tNokI5e4SptM2M

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FRondallaInstru
ments%2Fphotos%2Fbanduria-partsphoto-by-
vgg767%2F859773900709681%2F&psig=AOvVaw3Y1Fo_kxGGprYnrkZTofXg&ust=15961659
29471000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCKiP6MuD9OoCFQAAAAAdAAAAA
BAD

George G. Gange's Rondalla Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L55uPvlN1VY