SCHEME - CATALOGUE
Title of the module
Musical instruments
Author
School
Subject
Roberto Frisano
IPSIA “G. Ceconi” Udine
Music (Educazione musicale)
Class and school
First class of Course “Operatore dei servizi sociali”
Linguistic level
A2
Point of the programme
Module must be proposed after pupils are acquainted with the basic
terminology of music (concepts of timbre/colour, intensity, extension,
register, vibration, sound wave etc.).
Period: April-May 2007
Subject matter
Musical instruments: knowledge of terminology, classification and
operation of the main instrumental families, identification by
listening.
The main instrumental groups (symphony orchestra, duo, string
quartet, jazz band, pop orchestra, rock band)
Number of hours
6
Material
Supports
Books, photocopies, videos (videotapes or cd-roms/dvds), compact
discs
Blackboard, video recorder, cd recorder
Co-presence
Lessons held with the collaboration of the English teacher.
SCHEME - MODULE
FIRST LESSON
BRAINSTORMING (5-10 minutes)
1.
2.
Warm-up questions: pupils are asked to name (in Italian) musical instruments of their choice
without any preclusion of category (classical, electronic or folk instruments). About 15
different names are listed on the blackboard. Pictures may be shown to the class to help elicit
the names of the instruments.
Glossary: names in Italian are translated with the help of the teacher or a dictionary.
LESSON PLAN
The teacher explains the aims of the whole module (writing them on the blackboard), namely the
knowledge of the terminology related to musical instruments, the operation and classification of the
main instrumental families.
In the first lesson the aim will be the knowledge of the classification system elaborated by Sachs
and Hornbostel in 1914 on the basis of the sound produced by each instrument. Instruments are thus
divided in:
a) CHORDOPHONES: instruments in which the sound is produced by one or more vibrating
string;
b) AEROPHONES: instruments in which the sound is produced by means of the passage of
vibrating air in a tube-shaped instrument;
c) MEMBRANOPHONES: instruments in which the sound is produced by one or two vibrating
membranes;
d) IDIOPHONES: instruments in which the sound is produced by vibration of the very material
they are made of, without employing strings or membranes;
e) ELECTROPHONES: instruments in which the sound is produced by amplified electric
impulses.
SUPPORT STRATEGIES (COMPREHENSIBLE INPUT)
The names of instruments previously written on the blackboard are assigned to their proper
categories using a spidergram: in order to consolidate specific glossary (in Italian and in English)
pupils are asked to do this exercise (individually or pairs). Variant of the exercise: one of them
writes on the blackboard the prompts given by the class.
It is also important to illustrate the real sound-producing mechanism using “sounding objects” like a
simple wood box with a tightened string, or blowing in a plastic tube or a bottle, striking e little
drum, a triangle etc.
HOMEWORK
Crossword-puzzle (see Homework 1).
SECOND LESSON
BRAINSTORMING (5-10 minutes)
1.
2.
A few warm-up questions to help recall the names of the instrumental families (in English).
Pupils write the answers on the blackboard.
Quick summary of the previous lesson (done by the teacher).
LESSON PLAN
The teacher explains the contents of the lesson (writing them on the blackboard): how string
instruments work.
a) Three ways to produce sound from a string: plucking it with fingers, nails or plectrum;
striking it with sticks or hammers (like in the piano) and rubbing it with a bow.
b) How the hollow body of the instrument amplifies the sound of the strings.
c) How does the sound of a string change with variations in length, tension or thickness?
d) How to obtain sounds of different pitches from a single string (fingering strings on the neck)
d) Strings (classical: violin, viola, violoncello, double-bass; folk: Balkanian gusle, Arabian
rebab).
e) Struck strings instruments: piano, Hungarian cimbalom.
f)
Plucked strings instruments (classical: guitar, harp, mandolin; folk: banjo, Japanese koto).
SUPPORT STRATEGIES (COMPREHENSIBLE INPUT)
Pupils write on the blackboard schemes about functioning of three types of stringed instruments
(one writes what others prompt him).
For each instrument or at least each type prepare music examples. Show also pictures of these
instruments.
STRATEGIES FOR CHECKING COMPREHENSION DURING THE LESSON
1.
Short session of questions and answers for the whole class: “how can you vibrate the strings in
chordophones?”; “which are the instruments played with the bow?”; “how will be the sound if the
string has a double length” etc.
2.
Listening exercise to recognize timbres of main stringed instruments.
HOMEWORK
Matching exercise and multiple choice exercise (see the attachment Homework 2).
THIRD LESSON
BRAINSTORMING (5-10 minutes)
1.
2.
Quick summary of the previous lesson (done by the teacher).
Key words from the previous lesson are written on the blackboard by some pupils.
LESSON PLAN
The aim of the lesson is learning how wind instruments operate. The teacher explains the essential
points of the matter writing them on the blackboard:
a) acoustic behaviour of wind instruments: relation between length of the instrument and pitch of
the sound; function of holes in wind instruments;
b) three ways to vibrate the “air column” passing through a wood instrument: blowing directly
into a hole, by means of a reed (simple and double), by means of a mouth-piece
c) woodwind instruments: flute family (classical: recorder, flute; folk: Pan flute, Arabian nay,
Irish tin whistle).
d) woodwind instruments: reed family (classical: clarinet, oboe, bassoon, sax; folk: Sardinian
launeddas)
e) brass instruments (classical: trumpet, trombone, French horn, tuba; folk: German alphorn,
African bronze horn).
SUPPORT STRATEGIES (COMPREHENSIBLE INPUT)
1.
Recall terminology frequently.
2.
Show specimens of different types of mouthpieces.
3.
For each instrument or each type prepare listening exercises. Also show pictures of wind
instruments, both classical and folk.
.
STRATEGIES FOR CHECKING COMPREHENSION DURING THE LESSON
1.
Short session of questions and answers for the whole class: “What will the sound be like if a
wind instrument is longer?”; “Which instruments are called brasses?”; “How many kinds of flute do
you know?” etc.
2.
Listening exercise to learn to recognize the timbres of the main wind instruments.
3.
Written exercise: in couples match pictures of instruments and types of mouthpieces with
terms or names.
SUPPORT FOR ORAL/WRITTEN PRODUCTION
Each couple refers (in English) about the previous exercise.
HOMEWORK
Matching exercise, multiple-choice exercise (see Homework 3).
FOURTH LESSON
BRAINSTORMING (5-10 minutes)
1.
Pupils are asked to give the names of instruments that are made out of a single material or that
have an elementary mechanism (idiophones).
LESSON PLAN
The aim of the lesson is to know the categories of idiophones, membranophones and electrophones.
Introducing idiophones, the teacher explains the essential points of the matter:
a) in idiophones, the sound is produced by the very material of which they are made (without
strings o membranes) [OR: by the constituent material itself ]
b) in membranophones there are different systems for tightening the membrane;
c) there are several types of membranophones: drums in the shape of sunglasses, frame drums,
double drums, timbales or kettle-drum;
d) electrophones and their invention. Main types: synthesizer and electric piano
SUPPORT STRATEGIES (COMPREHENSIBLE INPUT)
1.
2.
3.
Repeat terms and names of instruments frequently.
For each type of instrument, prepare examples of music. Also show pictures of instruments,
both classical and folk.
Illustrate different ways of playing an idiophone: (by shaking it, beating it, plucking it,
rubbing it etc.) with real examples (tambourine, triangle, maracas, glass rubbed with finger,
cymbals, rattle, African sanza, Italian scacciapensieri etc.)
STRATEGIES FOR CHECKING COMPREHENSION DURING THE LESSON
1.
Short session of questions and answers (for the whole class or individually): “How do you
play a triangle?”; “What can a membrane be made of?”; “What are the main electrophone
instruments?”; “Do you know an idiophone that needs to be shaken?” etc.
SUPPORT FOR ORAL/WRITTEN PRODUCTION
Oral exercise: in groups, pupils describe an instrument of their choice (name, material, way of
playing, origin, musical genre in which it is generally used etc.
HOMEWORK
Matching exercise, multiple-choice exercise, true or false exercise (see the attachment Homework
4).
FIFTH LESSON
BRAINSTORMING (5-10 minutes)
Start with a short session of listening in order to introduce the class to some instrumental formations
or ensembles: symphony orchestra, duo violin and piano, string quartet, jazz band, rock band, brass
band. A pupil writes these different types of instrumental formations on the blackboard , receiving
prompts from the class.
LESSON PLAN
1.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
The aim of the lesson is the knowledge of the main instrumental formations and groups in
classical, folk, jazz and pop/rock music and their identification by listening.
The symphony orchestra: instrumental families (strings, woodwinds, brass, percussions);
historical development; the function of the conductor (short video of an orchestral concert).
The string quartet: instruments which constitute it, its typical timbre, its historical origin.
The duos with piano (violin and piano, cello and piano, woodwind instrument and piano).
The jazz band: instruments that constitute it, differences in playing between classical and jazz
music.
The instrumental ensembles in pop/rock music.
SUPPORT STRATEGIES (COMPREHENSIBLE INPUT)
In groups pupils discuss the differences between classical instruments and those employed in other
genres (e.g. between classical, acoustic and electric guitar; or double bass, clarinet, piano in
classical and jazz music; percussions in classical, jazz and pop/rock).
HOMEWORK
Written exercise: fill in a blank map reproducing the outline of a symphony orchestra with the
names corresponding to the instrumental sections.
VERIFICA E VALUTAZIONE
1.
Verifica scritta con domande a scelta multipla, vero/falso, matching exercises, fill-in the gaps.
2.
Prova di riconoscimento all’ascolto dei principali strumenti musicali studiati e delle principali
formazioni strumentali
Testo della Verifica in allegato (final test)
GRIGLIA E CRITERI DI VALUTAZIONE:
La griglia di valutazione considera:
1.
2.
3.
4.
acquisizione dei contenuti disciplinari;
acquisizione del lessico specifico;
espressione in lingua straniera efficace dal punto di vista comunicativo e sostanzialmente
corretta sul piano formale;
capacità di percezione e discriminazione all’ascolto.
I livelli di valutazione seguono la tabella sotto riportata:
LIVELLO
INSUFFICIENTE:
VOTO
dal 2 al 5
SUFFICIENTE
da 6 a 6,5
DISCRETO
7
BUONO
da 7,5 a 8,5
OTTIMO
da 9 a 10
INDICATORI
se nessun punto della griglia di valutazione è raggiunto
in modo sufficiente
se i punti della griglia (in particolare i numeri 1, 2, 4)
sono raggiunti in modo sufficiente
se i punti della griglia sono raggiunti in modo
ampiamente sufficiente
se i punti della griglia sono raggiunti in modo sicuro e i
contenuti sono rielaborati in modo personale
se i punti della griglia sono raggiunti in modo sicuro ed
autonomo (in particolare il punto numero 3)