In this 3-5 lesson, students will explore non-traditional music instruments and review basic music theory. Students will learn 4/4 and 3/4 time signatures, then compose original melodies. They will rehearse and perform their compositions on a non-traditional instrument for an audience.
Lesson Content
Learning Objectives
Students will:
Explore non-traditional music instruments.
Demonstrate an understanding of 4/4 and 3/4 time by composing an original melody.
Create an instrument using objects or tools from the classroom.
Perform original compositions on a non-traditional instrument for an audience.
Standards Alignment
Generate musical ideas (such as rhythms and melodies) within a given tonality and/or meter.
Generate musical ideas (such as rhythms, melodies, and simple accompaniment patterns) within related tonalities (such as major and minor) and meters.
Generate musical ideas (such as rhythms, melodies, and accompaniment patterns) within specific related tonalities, meters, and simple chord changes.
Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers marked with halves and fourths of an inch. Show the data by making a line plot, where the horizontal scale is marked off in appropriate units— whole numbers, halves, or quarters.
Make a line plot to display a data set of measurements in fractions of a unit (1/2, 1/4, 1/8). Solve problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions by using information presented in line plots.
Make a line plot to display a data set of measurements in fractions of a unit (1/2, 1/4, 1/8). Use operations on fractions for this grade to solve problems involving information presented in line plots.
Recommended Student Materials
Editable Documents: Before sharing these resources with students, you must first save them to your Google account by opening them, and selecting “Make a copy” from the File menu. Check out Sharing Tips or Instructional Benefits when implementing Google Docs and Google Slides with students.
Teachers should be familiar with time signatures and composing simple melodies. Review all media and digital tools prior to introducing them to your students.
Student Prerequisites
Students should be familiar with music instruments and have some knowledge of music notation.
Accessibility Notes
Modify handouts, text, and utilize assistive technologies as needed. Allow extra time for task completion.
Engage
Introduce students to a non-traditional instrument. Without telling them the song title or non-traditional instrument, play the to see if they can guest the song.Ask students: What type of music is this? How did the performer learn how to play this tune?
Reveal the song title to students or compare keypad melody to . Ask students: What are some ways people can capture the musical notes? What other devices or objects could be used to make similar sounds? What role does mathematics play in this performance?
Explore other non-traditional musical instruments. Ask students: What defines an instrument (something that can be used to produce musical tones or sounds)? Do instruments have to be intricate or complicated?
Have students explore the classroom looking for objects or tools that can be used as non-traditional instruments. Allow students to be creative and innovative. For example, pencils, supply buckets, paint brushes, fluttering pages of a book, pencil sharpener, crayons, a coffee can, desks, markers, rulers, and other supplies. Instruments can also be found on them (zippers, clapping hands, etc.) or they can use recycled materials to make an instrument.
Bring the students together to show what instruments they came up with. Allow them a chance to demonstrate how the instrument produces sound.
Build
Review basic music theory with students or watch the video, , to time. Review basic notes (whole, half, quarter, eighth).
Explore music notation using mathematics. Dissect a measure of music, looking at total beats for the measure and the number of beats of individual notes within that measure. For example, in 4/4 music, each measure must contain four beats. Thus, one measure in 4/4 time can hold eight eighth notes (each half a beat), four quarter notes (each 1 beat), two half notes (each 2 beats), or one whole note (4 beats). In 3/4 time, one measure can hold six eighth notes, three quarter notes, or one dotted half note.”
Model for students how to create an original composition using 4/4 or 3/4 time signature. Display the handout and .Create a short musical phrase as a whole class. Demonstrate how to perform the phrase on a non-traditional instrument.
Apply
Create original compositions. Divide the class into small working groups. Assign some groups 4/4 time (four beats per measure) and other groups 3/4 time (three beats per measure) and tell them they will create original compositions.
Distribute to students. Allow time for students to work collaboratively to create an original notation for various lengths of notes.
Rehearse the composition on a non-traditional instrument. Group members can optionally add more instruments to the original composition.Ask students: How would you note these new additions on the musical notation paper?
Reflect
Assess students’ knowledge of 4/4 and 3/4 time with a performance. Call students up group by group to perform their original piece. Have the audience observe the time signature and the integration of the non-traditional instruments they selected.
Extend
Expand students’ knowledge of music composition. Have students select one of the following Teaching Artists Present activities to compose music by chance or randomness:
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Arts Integration
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