Blues Clues:
A lesson for the 8th Grade General Music Classroom Using MixCraft Software
Prepared by Matthew Barbosa
Focusing Question:
In what ways do the theoretical and social components of music impact perception of
genre?
Notes:
This lesson was developed as part of a culminating curriculum in which the
students had prior knowledge and experience with the Mixcraft software and Ning.com,
as well as some experience with melody sequencing, and the basics of functional
harmony. This lesson, therefore, assumes that no further instruction is needed in these
areas. These particular students possessed a knowledge of treble clef, diatonic notation,
but little to no knowledge concerning accidentals, therefore this topic is included within
the scope of this lesson.
The lesson requires a keyboard mat, functional piano/keyboard, and several
youtube clips or recordings of various songs, all found in the “resources” section of this
lesson plan. The lesson also requires some preparation work by the teacher, including the
creation of a blog assignment (detailed in the “personalize” section), and gathering and
formatting of multiple video and audio clips.
Objectives:
Behavioral:
Students will compose a short piece that includes a blues progression and
stylistically appropriate harmonic rhythm and melody
Cognitive:
Students will understand the defining characteristics of blues music.
Critical:
Students will transform their perception of music to one that is conscious
of the historical and stylistic implications of the blues.
Problematize:
The beginning of each class within this lesson begins the same:
As students begin filing in to the classroom, teacher begins to either
perform a school-appropriate “blues” song or play a recording of such a
song (For the initial class period, a song with an easily recognizable blues
progression is most suitable, such as “Madison Blues” by George
Thorogood or “Worried Life Blues #2” by Big Maceo Merriweather). In a
visible spot, “What makes me blue?” has been written prior to the
beginning of class. Teacher and students discuss the qualifications (or lack
there of) of the piece as “blue”.
In the initial class period, student may be unable to answer in specifics (i.e. ability
to correctly identify blues progressions, “shave and haircut” or “Bo Diddley” rhythms,
melodic “blue” notes, etc.). Teacher should begin discussion with more general leading
questions, such as “What style or genre is this piece?”, etc.
Teacher guides discussion to focus on the harmony of the piece. Students are
asked to provide all of the information they know about functional harmony, including
roman analysis numbers and functions. Teacher explains the use of functional harmony
in music to set form and structure. The explanation includes the extended metaphor of
clothes and outfits; if each chord is an article of clothing, they can be combined in
different ways to create different outfits. Teacher then explains and diagrams the 8-bar
blues progression ( I, I, IV, IV, I, V, I/IV, I/V) . A group of three students are instructed
to create each chord in succession on the keyboard mat as another student plays each
chord after it has been formed and deemed correct by the class. Class repeats this process
with the 16 bar blues progression and the 12 bar blues progression.
Teacher replays “Worried Life Blues #2” by Big Maceo Merriweather, instructing
students to listen for which “outfit” the song “wears” (i.e., which of the discussed blues
progressions is used). The answer, the 8 bars blues, should be noted under the “What
makes me blue?” list once it is reached.
Prescribe:
Teacher then plays “Can’t Buy Me Love” by The Beatles and/or “Rock and Roll”
by Led Zeppelin, and/or “Red House” by Jimi Hendrix. Teacher asks what genre the class
would classify these two songs as (pop, rock and roll, classic metal, etc.) Teacher then
notes and exemplifies that each of these songs rely heavily on a blue progression (both
examples on the straightforward 12-bar blues). Teacher raises the question on whether
these songs are truly rock and roll, truly blues, a mixture of both, or an evolution of one
genre into the next. The teacher should guide the discussion towards the other defining
characteristics that differentiate blues from other genres.
These aspects should include but are not limited to – harmonic rhythm
(specifically the Bo Diddley beat and “shave and a haircut, two bits”), typical
instrumentation (as well as typical keys (E, A, and D, as they are the simplest for guitar),
lyrical themes, intent, and the definition and use of melodic “blue” notes, the lowered 3rd
and 5th scale degrees. All of the aspects should be noted under the “What makes me
blue?” list.
The Bo Diddley rhythm should be exemplified by playing “Who Do You Love”
by Bo Diddley, and then explained and performed by the class. The “shave and a haircut,
two bits” rhythm may also be taught in the same manner, using clips from Who Framed
Roger Rabbit or “Officer Krupke” from West Side Story. (For a list of songs that utilize
these rhythms, go to the resources section at the end of the lesson plan). The idea of
“blue” notes must be explained thoroughly, in the following manner:
Teacher defines the symbols designating “sharp” and “flat”. Teacher
explains that the flat sign indicates that pitch is lowered by one half step, while a
sharp sign indicates that pitch is raised by one half step. Teacher may then
demonstrate this on both the piano and keyboard mat. Teacher instructs several
students to move up and down the keyboard by given indications (i.e., if the
student is standing on the pitch E, teacher may say “E flat”, and the student
should move a half step down to e flat). This process must include the “trickier”
half steps between B and C and E and F. After the class appears to grasp this
concept, teacher instructs students to notate a C major scale on the board and on
the keyboard mat. Teacher then lowers the 3rd and 5th scale degrees on both
examples, defining that as the C major blues melodic scale, and identifying the
altered pitches as “blue” notes.
Lyrical themes and intent should include various poetic (perhaps read by the
students) or audio samples of blue lyrics, and should cover the two main themes of blues
lyrics, struggle/hardship, and irony/humor. This discussion should include the social
associations with blues music that may differentiate it from its derivatives, such as rock
and roll, and has the potential to be incorporated in a co-curricular project with the
English or Drama department as an extension to this lesson plan.
Time allotted, teacher replays one of the previously played three songs, and
instructs students to listen for the components listed under the “What makes me blue?”
list. Teacher may also perform or play a different recording for this example.
Personalize:
As a homework assignment, students are instructed to access the class Ning.com
account page, and look at the blog posted by the teacher. The blog instructs the students
to find youtube videos or recordings of several blues artists, including, but not limited to:
Bo Diddley, Bill Withers, Big Mama Thornton, Muddy Waters, Ray
Charles, Big Maceo Merriweather, and The White Stripes
Students are also instructed to use music-map.com to create a music map with one
of these artists as the center hub. The blog posting instructs the students to discuss their
listening experience, including what makes that song “blue” or not “blue”. Additionally,
the students are instructed to report if they know any of the artists that are directly related
stylistically to the blues artists via the music map. If not, the blog instructs the student to
continue exploring the artists connected to the center artist until they find an artist they
are familiar with. The blog posting instructs students to interpret and discuss the meaning
of these correlations.
Perform:
After another game of “What makes me Blue?”, teacher and students discuss the
students’ findings from their homework assignment. Teacher should read each student’s
response before the class and be prepared to expand their answers with media or related
material. For example, if a student is bewildered or offended that an artist such as Amy
Winehouse is so closely related to Ray Charles, the teacher may bring in the music video
of Amy WInehouse’s “Rehab” as the subject of “What Makes me Blue?”, complimented
by a brief discussion on the racial and political implications of popular music
encompassing and “hiding” blues music. Students are instructed to list the “rules of
composition” from the earlier unit lessons, “Unchained Melodies” and “Hands-on
Harmony”. Students are also asked to discuss what complications and helpful information
they learned about composing melodies form the last two lessons. These answers should
be noted on a visible space or typed and posted on the class Ning.com page, so that all
students have the ability to reference it.
Students are instructed to create a 12 or 16 bar blues piece using Mixcraft. The
pieces must include a 12 or 16 bar blues progression (available as a pre-set loop on
Mixcraft) in C major and have at least two examples of “blue” notes. It is under the
teacher’s discretion to have the students use either the pre-set loops or input their own 12
or 16 bar blues progression via the MIDI keyboards. This latter option gives the students
the ability to experiment with the aforementioned Bo Diddley and shave and a haircut
rhythms. After the students have completed their compositions, they are instructed to
upload their songs to their Ning.com pages. The pieces are played for the class, and
students reflect and discuss what makes each piece “blue”.
Formative Assessment Tasks:
Teacher monitors student participation and engagement throughout lesson. In the
“Prescribe” section, teacher assesses class understanding of key concepts such as the
various blues progressions, harmonic rhythms, and “blue” notes. The teacher also uses
the blog assignment to assess students grasp of the over arching focusing question as well
as the presented content. The multiple “What makes me Blue?” activities and
composition assignment and discussion may also be assessed in this manner. A selfassessment rubric may also be created for the composition assignment.
Resources:
Youtube clips of various recordings:
“Worried Life Blues #2” by Big Maceo Merriweather:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMdnMkPW42I
“Madison Blues” by George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAcBCGOdDTo
“Can’t Buy Me Love” by The Beatles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMwZsFKIXa8
“Red House” by Jimi Hendrix:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IDd6QPFAz0
“Rock and Roll” by Led Zeppelin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owmrpWyTdxQ
“Who Do You Love?” by Bo Diddley:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rsqFI2GUlw
Other applicable music examples (for “What makes me blue” or further
instruction) :
“Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIdIqbv7SPo
“Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ofD9t_sULM
“Hound Dog” by Big Mama Thornton:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77v1e5_PCtQ&feature=related
“Train Fare Blues” by Muddy Waters:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2k2nKPnq_s
Other Resources:
List of songs that utilize the Bo Diddley beat:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Diddley#The_Bo_Diddley_beat_and_guitar
Music-map website:
http://www.music-map.com/