Susan Bush
11/28/05
Lesson Plan: Balinese Gamelan
Objective: Students will perform a Balinese Gamelan piece on metallophones, using
memorized complex rhythmic patterns. Students will gain an understanding of Balinese
culture and the use of the gamelan.
Age/Grade: 7-10th grade, general music
Prerequisites: basic playing skills on orff instruments.
Standards:
2.3 Perform on an instrument a repertoire of instrumental literature representing various
genres, styles, and cultures with expression, technical accuracy, tone quality, and
articulation, by oneself and in ensembles (level of difficulty: 3 on a scale of 1-6).
2.6 Improvise melodic and rhythmic embellishments and variations in major keys.
3.1 Compare and contrast the functions music serves and the place of musicians in
society in various cultures.
3.2 Identify and explain the influences of various cultures on music in early United
States history.
3.3 Explain how music has reflected social functions and changing ideas and values.
3.4 Compare and contrast the distinguishing characteristics of musical genres and styles
from a variety of cultures.
3.5 Perform music from diverse genres, cultures, and time periods.
Equipment: orff metallaphones (four soprano, four alto, two bass) for each student, one
hard rubber mallet for each student, one small gong, one hand drum (djembes, conga,
etc.), chalkboard and chalk, CD player, CD: Gamelan Semar Pengulingen: Tabuh Gari
(Brown/Nonesuch), projector with slide of gamelan instruments (from attached handout.)
Wall map or slide to be projected- should show world and a more detailed view of
Indonesia.
Procedure:
Greeting: 1. “Good morning everyone! Today we’re going to learn a Balinese gamelan
song called Bapang Selisir. The Gamelan is an Indonesian instrument consisting of
special metallophones of different ranges, accompanied by gong, drums, special
recorders, and other instruments.”
2. Who can show me Indonesia on this map? And the island of Bali? Gamelan music is
used in Bali for all sorts of ceremonies and events. It is really a part of daily life.
3. Here’s a picture of the gamelan. The instruments are called the jegogan, jublag,
pemade, trompong, kendang, gemrarng, ceng-ceng, suling, and rebab. <teacher points
out each instrument and explains any one the students do not understand.>
4. First lets hear an example of Balinese gamelan music. This gamelan is called the
Semar Pengulingan, saih pitu. This means that it is the gamelan dedicated to the god of
love and it has seven pitches. This gamelan has a lighter, sweeter sound than some other
gamelans. Also, not all semar pengulingen gamelans will have the same pitches. They
can be quite different. <listen to 30-60 second selection.> What did you hear? We have
a main melody, which is accompanied by the interlocking soprano parts. Did the
gamelan seem out of tune to you? Actually, each pair of instruments in the gamelan
made to sound out of tune so that the waves of the pitches are apparent to listener. It is a
part of the sound.
5. The piece we will learn is called Bapang Selisir. First we will learn the kawitan, or the
main melody of this piece. The Balinese use the numbers to indicate the notes. For
example, this melody <teacher performing on metallophone> would be five, three, six,
three, two, three, six, three five and then it repeats over and over until the drummer ends
the piece. These pitches would be G, E, A, E, D, E, A, E, G. <this is written on the
board for the students to follow.> Play using the mallet in your right hand only. Let’s all
play this together.
6. Now we need to separate our soprano and alto metallophones to form the sangsih and
polas, or first and second parts. These two parts play interlocking parts. For the sangsih
part, we will play 6-656-65-65-65-656-56-5-65-656-5:6 on notes A and G. <on board>
Let’s practice this!
7. Our polas part will play <with teacher example> is 323-323-32-32-32-23-23-32-32-23
on E and D. Let’s try this slowly.
8. Now our bass can play the jublag part: just 5 then 2- the circled notes of the melody on
the board. On the first note (the five) of each phrase one person will play the gong to
keep the place in the kawtican for all the other players. When gamelan is performed, the
same loop is performed over and over until the drummer cues and ending. Our bass
metallophone players will stick to the melody or kawitan. We’ll add the sangsih and
polas. Let’s try this all together. <teacher plays drums to keep group together.>
9. “You are all doing great. Now, if you were in a gamelan troupe, you would have to
dampen each note after you play it. This means that your left hand will follow one note
behind the right hand to dampen each note. To dampen the note, just grasp the key with
the fingers on the top and the thumb on the bottom of it. Let’s try this on the main
melody. <play, teacher assesses.>” Group will then try dampening on the sangsih all
together, then the polas.
9. Let’s try the piece once through. Listen carefully- when I play the drum at a much
louder dynamic it will be our last time through. End on the gong note, the five and
bounce the mallet on the key until it slows itself. <teacher demonstration.>
10. Awesome job! Next time we will learn the middle section of this piece and add
improvisation. Then you will be ready to arrange it yourself for performance. Tonight,
try to find some information on the uses of gamelan music in Indonesia. See if you can
find two or three uses to share in our next class!
Assessment:
Students will be informally assessed. If formal assessment is needed, students could be
asked to notate the parts or provide solos.
Future lessons: Students can learn more of this piece, including the angsel’s and the
ngelik. This allows students to work on group collaboration. One part will improvise
over the rest. A drummer will lead the group, cueing the angsels, the ngelik, and the
ending.
Susan Bush
12/1/05
Snare Drum Introductory Lesson
Objectives: Students will know the history of snare drum use in military context and will
begin playing the instrument and reading notation.
Age/Grade: Beginning snare, 7-10 graders.
Prerequisites: knowledge of simple notation.
Standards:
1.2 Read, write, and perform rhythmic and melodic notation in duple, triple, compound,
and mixed meters.
1.4 Sight-read accurately and expressively (level of difficulty: 2 on a scale of 1-6).
2.3 Perform on an instrument a repertoire of instrumental literature representing various
genres, styles, and cultures with expression, technical accuracy, tone quality, and
articulation, by oneself and in ensembles (level of difficulty: 3 on a scale of 1-6).
3.2 Identify and explain the influences of various cultures on music in early United States
history.
3.3 Explain how music has reflected social functions and changing ideas and values.
4.3 Explain how and why people use and respond to specific music from different
musical cultures found in the United States.
Equipment: Drum pads or drums for each student, drum sticks for each student, computer
with internet access, projector from computer screen (alternately pictures can be printed
and shown on a traditional projector), 2 Music stands and 1 chair for each student,
Attached hand-outs for each student.
Procedure:
Greeting: Good morning everyone! Today we will learn about the snare drum and how it
has been used historically and then we will begin learning to play the snare drum
rudiments.
1. Define Rudiments: “Has anyone ever heard of rudiments on snare drum? Well
this term is used to describe the different strokes that percussionists use to play
snare drum, like rolls, flams, drags, paradiddles and the basic single strokes.
These may all sound like strange terms now, but soon you will be able to
communicate the music you are playing with these terms.”
2. History: “historically, these rudiments were use as a form of communication.
How were battles fought before tanks and bombs? What about during the civil
war, for example? <Student Answers, Picture of Civil War battles, soldiers, and
drum and fife groups will be shown on the projector (from the computer screen)>
During battle, generals couldn’t shout their orders across the field because it
would not be heard and it would give away their next action. Instead, the snare
drummer was responsible for giving cues to the army via music. It could be said
that the drummer was the most important soldier- one wrong rhythm could be the
difference between ‘fire’ and surrender!”
3. Technique: “I’m sure you’ve all heard snare drum rolls before. We will start first
with exercises that will soon lead to an even roll technique. Everyone take out
your sticks and place the drum pad on the music stand in front of you. Open your
hand first and pat your drum pad. Do you see the position of your hands? Now
just put the stick between your thumb and pointer finger and curl your hands
around. Make sure that your hand position remains the same as when you patted
the drum. Your ring and pinky fingers should be curled around, but can be
loose.” <Informal assessment: teacher will walk around class to inspect and
correct grip. >
4. Background info: “This grip is called the matched grip because the two hands
hold the sticks in the same manner. Traditional grip was devised to allow military
drummers to work with snare drums that were suspended on straps at a severe
angle. If they used matched grip, the left stick would have hit the rim of the
drum.”
5. Single-stroke open: “Now let’s start with the right hand. When you do a singlestroke on the drum, let the stick bounce off of the head of the drum, like this
<teacher demonstration. > Let’s all try that. <Informal assessment as students
practice stroke. > Remember that the stick should bounce naturally, so that your
rolls will sound even and natural. <Further practice. > That’s looking good.
Now we’ll do an exercise- first play eight strokes with the right hand on the beat,
then eight with the left hand, then eight both hands, then eight alternating. At the
end we will repeat the whole cycle. <Teacher counts off four beats and count as
the students play. Informal assessment and corrections. >
6. Buzz/closed stroke: “All snare drum rudiments are played either open or closed.
We just practiced playing them open. The closed rudiments, also called buzz
strokes, is played by letting the stick continue to bounce closely against the
drumhead. <Teacher gives example. > Can everyone try this? <Assess student
success> It should feel like you just stop the sticks from bouncing up high and
make them disperse the energy in small bounces against the drum head. Let’s try
this with out exercise from before. Who will count off four beats to start?
<Student volunteer counts and starts the piece, teacher assessment and help. >
7. Six-eight reading exercise: “You are all doing really well. Now we can use our
music reading skills from last week to learn a new piece. <Handouts, including
additive exercise given out> What is the time signature? <Student answer> And
what does that mean? <sa> How could we count this piece? And how else? <sa>
Let’s try it from the beginning with everyone counting the whole time out loud.
Who will start us? <student volunteer leads group, teacher assesses individual
note reading skills. Formal assessment- Teacher can make note of points earned
in this exercise.>
8. Homework: “That was a really nice start! At home, set aside some time each day
to practice. First you can play through the additive exercise with both open and
closed strokes. Next, learn the piece that we sight-read today with both open and
closed strokes. Look at the piece below and figure out how we would count it for
next time.” <in next class, students can be assessed informally or formally on
progress with group or solo performances of the piece. One option would be to
play as a group, but with a different soloist on unlimited repeats of the middle
section.>
Susan Bush
12/1/05
Introductory Mallet Lesson
Objective: Students will perform trios on mallet percussion instruments with solo
improvisation.
Age/Grade: beginning percussion 7-10 grade
Prerequisites: knowledge of musical notation, improvisation techniques, basic scales, and
snare drum grip, basic knowledge of piano keyboard would be encouraged.
Standards:
1.2 Read, write, and perform rhythmic and melodic notation in duple, triple, compound,
and mixed meters.
1.4 Sight-read accurately and expressively (level of difficulty: 2 on a scale of 1-6).
2.3 Perform on an instrument a repertoire of instrumental literature representing various
genres, styles, and cultures with expression, technical accuracy, tone quality, and
articulation, by oneself and in ensembles (level of difficulty: 3 on a scale of 1-6).
2.6 Improvise melodic and rhythmic embellishments and variations in major keys.
Equipment: selection of orchestral mallet keyboard percussion instruments, including
xylophone, vibraphone, marimba, and glockenspiel. (If more instruments are needed,
orff xylophones and metallaphones can be substituted or students can share large
instruments.) Music stands for each student. Appropriate mallets for each instrument.
Attached handouts for each student. Chalkboard and chalk.
Procedure:
Greeting: “Good morning everyone- today we will begin playing the “mallet” keyboard
instruments that are used in an orchestral percussion section. These instruments each
have a very different timbre, or sound quality and tone, so their uses in music are also
unique. Today we will warm-up with our scales to get used to the instruments, then jump
right into pieces.”
1. Notes: “Everyone find an instrument and stand behind it. Don’t worry, we will all
rotate. Now we need to know which notes correspond to the keys. <on
chalkboard, the teacher will draw a piano keyboard and a staff below.> Who
knows what note this is on a piano? <points to C> And where is that on the staff?
<teacher writes note name on key and note below it.> Everyone find the C on
your instrument. Pick up your sticks and hold them with our snare drum grip.
Can everyone play the C? Ok, now as I point to the key, let’s say the note and
play the note <D, D#/E-flat, F, etc.>
2. Scales: “That was great! We all just played a C major scale. Now when you play
your instrument one mallet should be slightly ahead of the other, and alternate
right and left hands. What are the accidentals in the D major scale? <teacher
writes student response on board.> Let’s play through the scale on quarter notes,
do not repeat the top note. <teacher counts out-loud, informally assesses students
on note recognition.>” This would be followed with the same method for three or
four more scales with increasingly difficult key-signatures. Students can rotate
instruments now.
3. Trios: “Great, let’s start with ‘America.’ We will all play the top part together.
What is our key signature? And the first note? <teacher counts, students
perform.” Students learn second and third parts in the same way. “Now let’s split
up. <splits group, performs trio.> That was great! Do you remember when we
talked about improvisation in jazz music? Well let’s try improvising over this
piece. You can start by just changing the rhythmic values, skipping or adding
notes. Who will volunteer first? Great! Now everyone listen to the marimba as
M plays the solo over our accompaniment. <student performance> What did you
notice about the sound of the marimba?” This process will be repeated with each
student playing an improvisation and the students rotating instruments and parts.
Students will share their perceptions of the different timbres and uses of the
instruments in the orchestra. Students can be assessed informally or formally on
improvisation, ability to find notes, and note reading in this lesson.
4. Homework: “That was really impressive- Here’s another trio that you can look at
home, so that we can play through it next class. Watch out for the key signature
and think how you might improvise over this tune. Next time you will get to
create an arrangement of the two trios with solo improvisation sections, just like a
jazz standard.”
Susan Bush
12/1/05
Introductory Timpani Lesson
Objective: Students will learn to tune timpani, will learn timpani technique, and will
perform orchestral excerpts.
Age/Grade: 8-11th grade, beginning timpani
Prerequisites: knowledge of musical notation, matched grip, and aural skills (able to
match pitch, intonation.)
Standards:
Read, write, and perform augmented and diminished intervals, minor chords, and
harmonic minor progressions.
1.2 Read, write, and perform rhythmic and melodic notation in duple, triple, compound,
and mixed meters.
1.4 Sight-read accurately and expressively (level of difficulty: 2 on a scale of 1-6).
2.3 Perform on an instrument a repertoire of instrumental literature representing various
genres, styles, and cultures with expression, technical accuracy, tone quality, and
articulation, by oneself and in ensembles (level of difficulty: 3 on a scale of 1-6).
Equipment: Timpani, mallets for each student (or one set per two students), music stand,
2 chairs (one padded or with some padding) for each student, Attached handouts for all
students.
Procedure:
Greeting: “Good morning everyone! Today we will learn timpani skills, so that you will
be prepared for orchestral performance. We will start with technique and tuning and then
you will play some real orchestral excerpts.”
1. Basic Stroke: “Place one chair in front of you. This will be your timpani. Take
the mallets in your hands using matched grip, just like snare drum. This is called
the German grip. If you turn your thumbs up, the grip is now called the French
grip. Most performers use this (French) grip because it is a little lighter, with
more after-ring. Now, the stroke should be placed near the edge of the drumhead.
When you play on the timpani, adjust the placement until you find the best
sounding spot. For now, practice the stroke near the edge of the chair and let the
mallet bounce like a snare drum stroke. <informal assessment> Let’s rotate
playing the timpani. At the timpani, improvise your own eight beat rhythm for
everyone else to repeat.” Students each improvise rhythms and practice stroke on
the drum. Teacher evaluates student progress and fixes any problems.
2. Roll: “when we play a roll on snare drum it is very exact, right? Well on timpani,
does not need to be so exact. Rolls can range from slow to fast. As we rotate,
play an four bar roll with two bars of crescendo and two bars decrescendo.”
Informal assessment and individual help.
3. Tuning: “Are the timpani pitched or unpitched percussion? Well, let’s see. If I
play the drum, I can raise the pitch with this pedal. When you are given a piece of
music, the pitch will be notated. You must first tune the drum by first letting the
pedal out and then tuning UP to the note. When you tune the drum, you must first
get the pitches from a piano or other instrument. You then must sing (or hum) the
pitch. Bring the pedal to the bottom, then slowly bring it up to pitch while softly
tapping the drum with your finger. Let’s each try this. <students rotate, teacher
gives two different pitches to each student to tune the drums and plays the first
pitch on the piano. Students are encouraged to match sing the first pitch, tune the
first drum and then sing the next pitch above to find it.>
4. Dampening: “When we play, it is important that we dampen the drum during rests
so that the sound doesn’t ring for too long. To do this, you just put your hand flat
on the drum to stop the vibrations. Take out the dampening exercises. <students
will tune the drums for the exercise, then practice playing and dampening on all
rests. Students will rotate. Teacher can assess informally.>
5. Excerpts: “Now that you have all of the basic skills, we will play passages from
orchestral piece by Handel, Bach, Haydn, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Sibelius, and
Strauss.” <Students will tune before each excerpt, dampen during rests, complete
rolls and dynamics, and adjust their sticking logically. Further sticking
instruction can occur in the next lesson, though major problems will be corrected
during this exercise.>
6. Homework: “really good work! At home or at the library, try to find recordings
or listen to the radio to hear works by some of these composers. Write a short
journal about each work you hear so that we can compare the musical styles
during next class.”