OMEA 2015- Creation as Evidence of Knowledge€¦ · the neighboring notes to establish an expanded...

© Joy Reeve 2015 All Rights Reserved

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Creation as Evidence of Knowing and Understanding.

By Joy Reeve [email protected]

Evidence of student knowledge and acquisition of a concept involves the use of that concept in a new application, which is creation. This workshop will take teachers through the creative process of imitation/exploration, application & creation, refining & finishing, from rhythm to melody using the Orff approach. J/I. Simple Time:

1. Here’s the Beat- with Improv. New version simple time. 2. Pachebel’s Canon in C- use of simple time rhythm.

Melodic:

1. Step-wise Up 2. Joy’s Jam


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Rhythm Clap-‐backs:

Movement Ostinato Accompaniment:

Process:

1. Teach the entire chant. 2. Add claps on the rhyming words, and numbers. 3. Teach the movement, alternating from step-‐touch to the grape-‐vine. 4. Perform the chant with the movements. 5. Call on students, or ask for volunteers to clap rhythms for the class to repeat.

For Assessment/Evaluation: Specify the rhythms you want students to use to demonstrate their knowledge. i.e. sixteenth notes, sixteenth and eighth note patterns, syncopated rhythms.

Dance Moves: Substitute: “and now I’ll do a move, after you” for “now I’ll clap a rhythm after you.” Students can lead with various four beat dance moves. This can be expanded into sequences of moves to create a dance. Ask about direction, levels, turns, etc.


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Rhythmic and Melodic Improvisation, Venturing into Parallel 3rds


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Bass Line:

Process: Over Multiple Classes

1. Teach students the theme with singing and hand-movement replicating the pitch progression and playing technique.

2. Perform this in unison with the bass line. 3. Perform this in 2 part canon with each group playing through the theme twice.

Rhythmic Development:

4. Begin the three note value variations of half notes, quarter notes, and eighths. a) Students are to play through these in unison, then choose their own. b) Two sections of the class decide which note value they will perform, and do

so in canon. 5. Students now determine their own rhythm for the theme. This will either be a two

beat rhythm that is applied to each note, or a four beat rhythm that is applied to each bar.

6. In pairs, students play through their rhythmic variation in canon. 7. Students are to write down their variation, applying their rhythm to the melody on

the staff below. The beat boxes are a guide for transferring the rhythm to the bar.

+ =


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Melodic Variation: Question: When does the pitch change in the theme of Pachebel’s Canon?

1. Following the half note timing of the theme, students are to explore the neighboring notes to establish an expanded melody. This melody may be in pattern form, and must follow the timing of the half note pitch change. Challenge: What solution can the students find for the portion of the melody that is ascending? (Flipping the melody?)

Accumulative Version:

1. Two students perform their versions in canon. Their options include using their rhythmic version, the expanded melodic version, or both. A third student can play the bass line.

2. Students write down their version in full score form. 3. BE SURE TO PLAY A RECORDING OF PACHEBEL’S CANON

highlighting the variations in the melody. Non-‐Canon: During the exploration process of the expanded melody, usually some student will end up playing in 3rds. Use this as the entry point for the next segment. If this does not happen, ask if students can find some notes that sound congruent with the melody when played at the same time.

1. Students play the melody in thirds. Explore the options of E&G as starting notes, and C&E as starting notes-played together.

2. Students are to explore patterns of taking turns between the notes, and come up with a version that they like. It will helpful to follow either the top OR the bottom note as a guide.

3. Flip this pattern to use the opposite note as a guide (either the top or the bottom). These two patterns should last for 8 bars, providing the length of the original theme.

4. Play this pattern through as a part in the two-part canon.


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“Step-‐Wise Up”: Parallel Harmonies with No Key Change A Format for Melodic Improvisation: Students are to echo on their instruments/ vocally the motifs that are sung. These motifs focus on either the 1st, 3rd, 5th, or 6th degrees of the scale to provide a melody that can be created without a chord change. In patterns of three note groupings, either 1, 2, or 4 patterns students will compose their own melodies using the techniques of; echo/imitation, reverse/opposite direction, Q & A, harmony, in 3rds, 4ths, 6ths or 8ves.

Accompaniment:

Process: Note: These instructions are written assuming that students have pitched percussion instruments to play. These activities can (and should) be done vocally using solfa. Starting with the ascending portion of the song (first 8 bars only).

1. Begin with students singing the echo part of the song. 2. Then have students discover the pitches in the echo, either by playing

them, or singing/signing in solfa. Creation:

1. Students are in partners. Each person chooses four squares of paper that has 3 sequential pitches. Students lay these out side by side, for a total of 8 sequences.

2. Students play in echo form. One partner leads by playing only one sequence at a time, while their partner echoes. Then play two sequences with the partner echo. Switch leaders so both have had a chance to play.

3. Play through the four sequences. Refine the melody by changing sequences. REPEAT THIS LESSON FOR THE DESCENDING VERSION OF THE SONG.


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Next Flip-‐Reverse-‐Opposite 1. Students choose only 2 sequences, and use the flip/ reverse sequence for a total of

four. 2. Play in echo form, again in 1 or 2 sequence sets. (Eventually students decide

whether they prefer 1 or 2 sequence echo patterns.) Next: Q & A:

1. Students choose another 4 sequence pattern. Ask if they would like to use a flip. 2. Students ‘rehearse’ play playing in echo form, they decide whether to play in a 1,

2, or 4 sequence pattern. Switch leaders. 3. Now students are to take turns playing their own sequence after their partner.

This is to create a Q & A form. Begin with 1, 2, and then 4 sequence pattern. 4. Are their any adjustments that the partners would like to make for a combined

effort/piece? Next: Align the Pitches. Demonstrate, introduce octaves-‐if it hasn’t naturally come up.

1. Students choose 4 sequences. They are to horizontally line up the letters according to the pitch. This means that the letters that are the same are to be lined up, indicating the range of the pitches. Octaves can be used.

2. Students play through their pieces using echo, then Q & A. 3. Once the Q & A is performed, ask the students to show this with their squares on

2 horizontal planes. Ie: Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 (represent the pitches vertically) A1 A2 A3 A4 (Notate on 2 staves)

4. Students are to notate their pitches on the staff. Next: Harmony:

1. Students choose their 4 sequences, and lay them out in Q & A format. 2. Play through Q & A form either 1, 2, or 4 sequences at a time. 3. Now, merge the papers together so that there is no space. There should now be

two lines of 4 sequences. 4. Both players are to play at the same time. (Performance support: one sequence at

a time, then 4 beats rest, then 2 at a time, 4 beats rest, then all four). 5. What parts of this composition did you like? Were their particular combinations

that were appealing? 6. What directions were there? Contrary motion? Parallel motion? If there was

parallel motion, counting the notes that were played, how far apart were the notes? A 3rd, 4th, 6th, 8ve? What sounds did you like the best.

Final Composition: In partners, or alone, choose 2 separate 8 sequence patterns that use Echo, flips, Q & A, and harmony to create a composition. Composition Criteria:

1. Using 2 staves, write down what will be played. 2. Students are to indicate where and what melodic technique is used in their

composition.


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Parts layer up in thirds. Focusing on the 1, 3, 5, and octave of the scale. Students choose which they want to play. These pitches then are the launching points for their four bar improvisation.


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Exploration:

1. Students are to ‘mess around with’ the notes that are directly beside the launch notes. 1, 3, & 5.

2. Then students are encouraged to expand into a 3 note motive, going up and down. They can land on the middle note at times (this is in the chorus, so they may imitate).

3. Try the same pattern, but on a different set of notes. From these two Building Blocks students can expand into improvised patterns using three note motifs that build into larger motifs.

OMEA 2015- Creation as Evidence of Knowledge€¦ · the neighboring notes to establish an expanded...

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