WHAT WE DID TODAY (SEMESTER #1-20): WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010

GENERAL MUSIC PERIODS 2,3
COMPOSER: BACH BRANDENBURG CONCERTO #3 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KlT4EUfXkY&feature=fvw 

OBJECTIVE: MUSICAL ALPHABET and HOW INSTRUMENTS USE IT

1. QUOTE AUTHOR: Stephen Sondheim

.....a. Famous composer of the musical theatre

.....b. Composer of the musical (that was made into a movie called "Sweeney Todd"

.....c. Worked and studied under the famous composer Leonard Bernstein

2. SOLFEGE: MI-RE-DO
.....a. Each student sings the pattern and hand signs to...

teacher: "Did you finish your quote?" Student reply, "Yes I did."

3. Musical Alphabet and the keyboard:  Reviewed musical alphabet

....a. Showed the keyboard and asked if a pattern could be seen on the keyboard between the white black keys.
....b. Class discerned that there was a pattern of 5 black keys (falling in patterns of two's and three's) and 7 white keys
....c. The 5 black keys are played and students can also hear the pattern as well as see it. Same is done with the 7 white
key notes.
....e. Rule: White keys are named after letters of the musical alphabet and the black keys (called sharps and flats) are named after the white keys.
.......1)If there are only 7 white keys (in a pattern) on the keyboard, how many letters are there in the musical alphabet? Answer: 7 (A, B,C, D, E, F, G)
.......2)To be able to identify all the white keys on the keyboard all that has to be done is to memorize where one key is located and to know and memorize the musical alphabet, in order, forward (to the right/higher in order on the
keyboard) and backwards (to the left/lower in order on the keyboard).
.......3)Easiest white key name on the keyboard to locate and memorize is "D" because it is located in between the black keys when they are located in the patterns of two. (Class was then asked to locate certain notes on the keyboard by using the key note of "D" as the guide.)
.....f. Memorizing the musical alphabet forward and backwards is extremely important when understanding how notes are identified on musical instruments and also in note reading.
........1)Memorize the 7 letters (white keys) going up (forward) fast as a reaction or an automatic reflex.
........2)Memorize the 7 letters (white keys) going down (backwards) fast as a reaction or an automatic reflex.
........3)Automatic Reflex: When something is totally learned it becomes a reflex; though the act 0f thinking is good, a reaction is best. Speed in music can not be attained until a reflex has been initiated.
........4)Memorize the musical alphabet backwards in patterns:

G, F, E//4x//
G, F, E, D//4x//
C, B, A//4x//
G, F, E, D....C, B, A//4x//
G,F,E,D,C,B,A//4x

4. Gave directions on an assignment to work on at the keyboards

.....a. Students were asked to find the "D" key on the keyboard (the white key which is located in between the black keys in groups of 2)

.....b. Using the song sheet given, locate the musical alphabet letters (EX: B, A, G) on the keyboard.

.....c. Place as many fingers down needed to play each of the keys (as possible) for each letter in the chosen song in preparation.

.....d. After the fingers are placed ahead of time, before playing, keep the eyes on the music sheet (not the fingers) and let the fingers feel their way while pressing down on the keys.

.....e. To coordinate the movement of the finger muscles with the directions sent to move those muscles from the brain (when first learning a new fingering passage often the brain sends messages to the muscles but the muscles are slow to respond) it is often helpful to slow the brain's messages down to give the muscles a chance to react. A way this can be done is by saying the letter names of the keys out loud as the fingers move down on them.

5. Students were then given specific directions on the procedural rules on using the keyboards before leaving their seats to go up and play them.

6. Students practiced songs from the handout sheet while I monitored their progress making sure that everyone knew how to locate the musical alphabet notes on the keyboard.

LESSON TO CONTINUE TOMORROW

BEGINNING VIOLIN PERIOD 5:
OBJECTIVE: Bowing on Open Strings
1. TUNE
2. SILENT BOW ROCKING for arm levels at the MB (middle bow)
3. SILENT BOW SPRINGING to prepare for bowing articulation of separate bows
4. ARTICULATION SOUNDS of the bow on the string
.....a. Practiced lifted down bows specifically to hear the articulated "pop" like sound of the bow starting the string to vibration.

.....b. Practiced at MB (middle bow) than at UH (upper half or tip) 4x each open string using "cycle of strings"

5. OPEN STRING BOWING at the UH (Upper Half) of the bow using the "CYCLE OF STRINGS"(G,D,A,E,E,A,D,G)
6. OPEN STRING SONG: "LITTLE BITTY"

.....a. Reading open string notes: With teacher direction, we sang open string letter names as we listened to the recording.

.....b. Students sang letter names out loud and played the open strings at the same time as teacher directed.

TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW


ADVANCED VIOLIN PERIOD 4: 
OBJECTIVE: Preparation for Harvest Day performance on October 28th/Hoedown music
1. TUNE
2. MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND NIGHT at La Serna: reviewed from yesterday...REMEMBER TO GET THOSE PERMISSION SLIPS IN!
3. ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL
.....a. Worked to get speed
.....b. Achieved better coordination between violin melody and lower harmony parts
.....c. Guitar started to play the cello part instead of the chords only-prepared note reading in his part
4. DE COLORES (new song)
.....a. We are all starting out learning the harmony part to help everyone who plays the melody parts learn how their part will connect with it.
.....b. Reviewed violin note reading and fingering
.....c. Demonstrated and practiced the fingering pattern (based on the key signature) in this piece for the strings
Starting on the"D" string:
pattern: 0 12 3 4 for violin
pattern: 0 1 2 4 for cello
pattern: 0 2 3 0 for guitar
.....d. Practiced for articulation (starting and stopping together) by starting off with 2 players (who work together to sound like one instrument, then add another instrument into the mix, until all students are playing together and sounding like one huge instrument

QUIZ ON THE DIFFICULT 4-NOTE PASSAGE OF ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL WILL BE HEARD ON FRIDAY (HOPEFULLY)