Daily Instructional Lesson Plan

Content Area(s)/Course/Grade: Unit:

Art of Teaching Music II: Middle School Intro to Musical Concepts

Lesson Topic: Date:

Teaching Vibrato 9/26/2023

Teacher: School:

Liz Berger, Sam Messenger, Jack Tharp, Sarah Westminster Choir College
Vawdrey

Materials:
- Video of violin 🎻VIOLIN VIBRATO EXAMPLES - Normal speed/slow motion 17:49
- Video of opera singer watch
- Video of flute Mozart - Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major (K. 313) By Emmanuel Pahud soloist (…
8:02
- Paper and writing utensil

- Spectrogram image

Student Outcome(s):
- Behavioral: Given a few minutes class time, middle school general music students will attempt to
sing/play their instruments with vibrato. It is expected that very few will be able to produce clear,
consistent, natural vibrato at first (40%?) but 100% of students are expected to try.
- Cognitive: Students will explain the scientific definition and physical function and production of
vibrato.
- Experiential: Students will sing with vibrato and communicate how it is produced and how it feels in
their body/on their instrument.
- Constructivist: Students will be able to explain how vibrato produced by multiple
individuals/instrumentalists can interact in an ensemble.

Indicator(s)/Sub-Outcome(s)/Expectation(s):
- Students will be able to identify vibrato in excerpts they listen to.
- Students will attempt to sing/play their instrument with vibrato.
- Students will be able to define vibrato and how it is produced by a singer and instrumentalist.

Context for Learning

Middle school 6th grade group instruction. Introduction to vibrato and how to develop it.

Instructional Delivery
Opening Activities/Motivation:
- Play the three videos for the class. Ask them what common elements they observe between the three.

Procedures:
- Continue the student-led discussion on the element of vibrato they noticed in the videos. Ask them for
their definition of vibrato.
- Instructor will demonstrate straight-tone singing vs. vibrato singing. Students will be asked to draw
the line of the note they hear on paper.
- Provide and explain a scientific definition of vibrato. Show the class an image of a spectrogram of a
sound wave with vibrato and explain how to interpret it.
- Explain that vibrato functions differently between the human voice and on an instrument.
- Explain that vibrato is not an intense trill between notes, and there is no physical outside movement of
the body (i.e. throat, larynx, jaw). Continue to correct this as students practice.
- Perform a breathing exercise with students - In for 4, out on “ch” for 4, 8, and 12. Explain how to feel
their diaphragm and perform abdominal breathing vs. clavicular breathing.
- Have students collectively echo instructor as instructor models a straight-tone note and a vibrato note.
- Have students discuss how vibrato would function in a larger ensemble setting.

Modifications/Adaptations:
- Students who are instrumentalists will be allowed to produce vibrato on their instruments. Students
who are vocalists will be allowed to produce vibrato using their voice.
- Students who are not comfortable speaking in front of the class are permitted to write their
responses/questions down and hand them in at the end of the lesson.

Assessment/Evaluation (Formative/Summative)

Formative Assessments:
- Students will be assessed through their ability to identify vibrato and straight-tone, and their ability to
predict how vibrato in an ensemble functions.
- Students will be assessed through their effort and ability to produce vibrato.
- Students will be assessed through their responses to what vibrato is (exit ticket).

Closure:
- Ask students to define vibrato in their own words on an index card as an exit ticket. Collect and wish
them a wonderful day!