Scott Cunningham
Instrumental Methods
Dr. Seybert
29 April 2014
The Harmonious Blacksmith Suite Grade Level 2 Unit Plan
Composer: George Frederic Handel arranged by Merle J. Isaac
Orchestra Unit Plan Grade 7-8
Analysis
Description (Introducing the piece): The Harmonious Blacksmith title is believed
to have be derived from Pythagorean’s theory of music harmony or, as William
Cummings has speculated from the story that Handel would hide out in the
Blacksmith’s shop when caught in the rain. The piece was originally written for
Harpsichord in 1720. The students will listen to a recording of the piece on
YouTube. (O’Toole pg. 207)
Type/Genre: Baroque Suite
Background Information on the Composer: G.F. Handel born in Germany in 1685
and died in London in 1754. His famous works include Messiah an English language
oratorio, Water Music, and Music for the Royal Fireworks. The Harmonious
Blacksmith Suite comes from Handel’s suite for Harpsichord No. 5 in E Major.
(O’Toole pg. 207)
Background on the Arranger: Merle J. Isaac (1898-1996) was a well-known
arranger who taught in the Chicago area schools for more than 35 years. He is
regarded most for arranging famous pieces for lower level performers was awarded
the lifetime achievement award by the American String Teachers Association.
National Standards:
 Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of
music.
 Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.
 Reading and notating music.
 Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
 Understanding music in relation to history and culture.
Pennsylvania State Standards
 9.1.8.A: Know and use the elements and principles of each art form to create
works in the arts and humanities.
o Elements: Music: • duration • intensity • pitch • timbre
o Principles: Music: • composition • form • genre • harmony • rhythm •
texture
 9.1.8.B: Recognize, know, use and demonstrate a variety of appropriate arts
elements and principles to produce, review and revise original works in the arts.
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o Music: Play an instrument, read and notate music, compose and arrange
9.1.8.C: Identify and use comprehensive vocabulary within each of the arts
forms.
9.1.8.D: Demonstrate knowledge of at least two styles within each art form
through performance or exhibition of unique works.
9.1.8.G: Explain the function and benefits of rehearsal and practice sessions.
9.2.8.A: Explain the historical, cultural and social context of an individual
work in the arts.
9.2.8.B: Relate works in the arts chronologically to historical events (e.g.,
10,000 B.C. to present).
9.2.8.C: Relate works in the arts to varying styles and genre and to the
periods in which they were created (e.g., Bronze Age, Ming Dynasty,
Renaissance, Classical, Modern, Post-Modern, Contemporary, Futuristic,
others).

Long Range Outcomes (O’Toole pgs. 25-41)
 Cognitive Outcome: SWBAT identify composers and pieces of the Baroque
Period
 Cognitive Outcome: SWBAT identify of characteristics of the Baroque Period
of music
 Skill Outcome: SWBAT to perform each movement with stylistic integrity
Strategies: (O’Toole pgs. 43-67)
 Introducing the piece and relating the music to the Baroque Period of
music history including works, composers, stylistic concerns.
 Warm-Ups:
o Down bow and Up bow slurs
o G major scale (low 2nd finger)
o Preparing students for C#, D#
o Trills (teaching pg. 183)
o Shifting positions in the 1st violin, Cello, and Bass
o Tuning the third of the chord (O’Toole pg. 206, Auditory)
Student Centered Strategies
 Starting where the students are at, going from the known to the unknown
Listening Assignment: (O’Toole pgs. 129, 207)
The students ill be expected to keep a listening journal for the duration of this unit
and include at least 1 entry a week on Baroque music. This journal includes: Times
listened to, piece, composer, and describe the piece utilizing musical vocabulary.
 Additional Listening for this Unit: Anderson, Elizabeth. The Harmonious
Blacksmith (Teaching, pg. 185)
 Perahia Murray, piano. Suite No. 5 in E Major HWV 430: IV. Air with five
variations; The Harmonious Blacksmith. Bach: English Suites Nos. 1, 3, and
6 (Teaching, pg. 185)
Assessments (O’Toole pgs. 69-99)
 Students will keep a listening journal in which they will list the dates and
time spent listening to the assignments and pieces giving and describing
the music with correct terms that include characteristics of the Baroque
Period.
 Rubrics
 Individual playing tests
 Sectional playing tests
Outcomes
 Long Range: Playing the piece with stylistic integrity
o Obtaining and understanding of the Baroque Period of music and
its stylistic concerns
 Instrumentation:
o Violin 1
o Violin 2
o Viola
o Cello
o String Bass
o Piano Accompaniment
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 The suite is broken up into 4 movements
 Mvt. 1: The Harmonious Blacksmith; Andante Quarter = 88
Section
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Measure

Event and Scoring
Statement of theme in mf
Theme

1-8
followed by p
mf dynamic in response to the

9-16
piano. Bass enters at Measure
11. Piano at M. 13 Eight note
passages
Slurred eighth not passages and

17-24
ritard in the last two measures

The first movement in common time is to be played in a romantic style
(originally written for harpsichord) the students are encouraged to play
with a detached bow. The students will analyze the bowings, dynamics,
rhythm, and use of melody within the first movement of The Harmonious
Blacksmith.
Rehearsal Strategies for movement 1:
 G major scale in common time.
 Violin 1 high 2 (C#) Accidentals! (mm. 4)
 Terraced dynamic exercises (changing the dynamics of phrasing so that the
group is in sync with one another).
 Rhythm/bowing exercises to be in sync with stand partners/sections (8th notes
tend to drag in a middle school setting)
o Mvt. 2: Minuet from: Alcina; Tempo di Minuetto Quarter = 144
Section
Measure
Scoring
Minute
1-17 A Section mf
The theme is stated in Violin 1 with
17-37 B Section
the lower strings playing
accompaniment. This section is
repeated
Theme is stated an octave higher
with brief modulation to E minor.
At M. 29 the theme is again stated.
Repeated with 1st and 2nd endings

The minuet from Alcina will be discussed as well as the change in time
signature to triple meter. The first violins with analyze shifts, trills and
intonation within the movement. The class will analyze the form of the
movement as a whole and dissect the repeated sections as well as the first
and second endings to discover Binary Form!
Rehearsal Strategies for Mvt. 2
 Meter change to triple meter; students will chant their rhythms as a class
 Violin 1 will work on trills in sectional rehearsals
 Viola’s have dotted half notes in the harmony, exercises to utilize will bew on
appropriate consistent bow speed to keep the sound consistent and strong
 Assessment of Mvt. 2: Skill/Affective: Students will be tasked with
creating two four bar phrases or melodies that repeat once so that they
have created their own AABB form melody (they may utilize different
endings if they choose to).
o Mvt. 3: Bourree from Water Music; Allegro Quarter = 120
Section
Measure
Scoring
Bourree
1-8
Instruments move
homophonically with a
cadence on the
dominant. Section is
repeated
9-22
Piano until pickup to M.
17 and then forte.
Cadences on G Major
chord. Section is
repeated
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The Bourree movement from Water Music will be discussed (starting on
the 3rd beat, double time). This movement is in cut time but and the
students will be taught to count the movement in a fast four pattern. The
students will learn staccato bowing and leaving space between notes as
well as that in the baroque period there was ‘decay’ or space between
bow changes.
Assessment of Mvt. 3 Cognitive/Affective
For this binary form movement the students will create a roadmap and
create a story to go along with the roadmap. Ex: I was going to
McDonalds, I left my house and then realized I had to go back home to
grab my wallet (repeating the A section). After eating I left and found that
I had left my wallet at McDonalds. Therefore I had to return to retrieve
my wallet (repeated B section). (O’Toole pg. 77)
Rehearsal Strategies
 Beginning phrases on a pick up (incomplete bar) on an upbow
 Playing as an ensemble with the staccato bowings
 Appropriate use of bow length and bow speed for dotted half notes
 Terraced dynamics in the A and B sections
o Mvt. 4: Hornpipe from Water Music; Moderato Quarter =100
Section
Measure
Scoring
Hornpipe
1-8
Violin 1 and 2 bow with
a long-quick-quick step
that is differing in the
viola, cello, and bass
accompaniment. Slight
hemiola in M. 7. Section
is repeated.
9-16
Hemiola occurs earlier
in this section and ends
on a G major chord.
Section is repeated

The Hornpipe from Water Music will be discussed including the return to
triple meter. Stylistic considerations for this movement include: playing
on the lower half of the bow, slurred notes and the two sixteenth note
eighth note rhythm, eight note two sixteenth note rhythm. The students
will also work on tied 8th note patterns to ensure rhythmic accuracy.
Rehearsal Strategies (O’Toole pg. 206 Kinesthetic)
 Eighth note, two sixteenth note patterns will be drilled to ensure
rhythmic accuracy and have the students not have the rhythm fall into an
even triplet pattern
 Tied 8th note phrases on the and of beats (syncopation)
 Tenuto accented notes
 Terraced dynamics on repeats of sections
MUSICAL ELEMENTS (Teaching, pg. 184, O’Toole pgs. 25-41)
 MELODY
o The melodies of this piece are either stepwise or triadic
 HARMONY
o Repetitiveness of phrases allows for directors to place emphasis on
accented notes, beats, and accidentals contained within the piece. One
idea would be to play the piece very apathetically so that students can
understand the importance of the subtle differences in the score.
 RHYTHM
o The eighth note two sixteenth notes patterns contained within the
Hornpipe movement (first introduced in mm. 2) have a tendency to
fall into a straight triplet. Directors may demonstrate the two rhythms
to model for students the difference so that they will know when they
are rushing the eight notes.
 TIMBRE
o The 1st violin line may dominate the sound throughout the piece. A
strategy to allow all of the parts to be balanced and heard is to put the
students into quartets and have them rehearse the piece in this
setting so that they can understand the balance needed within the
piece.
Rehearsal Strategies/Warm-ups (General) (O’Toole, pg. 206)
o G Major scale
o Playing in sync with your stand partner
o Tuning the third of the chord for correct tonality
o Triadic melodies
o Differing performances to accentuate accidents or hemiola so that the
students are actively listening
o Eight note two sixteenth note rhythm patterns not falling into triplet
rhythms
o Balancing the ensemble and understanding when their part within the
piece is important and when to fall back to let the other voices be heard.
Formal Assessments
o Listening journals will be graded based on completion (O’Toole, pg. 207)
o Students will have vocabulary folders in which they will list musically
terms associated not only with the baroque period but music in general.
o Individual playing tests (Scheduled with Point Scale; see below)
o Section playing tests
o Recording ones part and self assessment as well as peer assessment
 Informal/Formative Assessments
o String Quartet days
o This is where one player per part is put into a group of 4 so that
they can hear all of the individual parts better within the
ensemble. This is a great way to get the students to listen for
balance within the ensemble to reinforce that the violin 1 may
carry the melody but it should not overpower the other voices all
of the time.
o Correct bowing
o Stylistic concerns with bowing
o Rhythm checks
RUBRIC FOR PLAYING TESTS (O’Toole pg. 79)
Criteria
Outcome: SWBAT perform The Harmonious Blacksmith Suite with proper stylistic
concerns, bowing, dynamics, phrasing, and rhythms.
 Correct bowing
1
2
3
4
5
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Proper bow hold
Full use of bow
Correct terraced dynamic
Correct Rhythms performed
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
REFERENCES
Allen, M., Bergonzi, L., Dillon, J., Gillespie, R., Kjelland, J., & Straub, D. (2008). PART II:
Teacher Resource Guides. Teaching Music Through Performance in Orchestra
( ed., ). Chicago, IL: GIA Publications, INC.
Bonds, M. (2011). The Classical Era; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn.
Listen to This ( ed., ). Upper Straddle, NJ: Pearson.
Hanning, B. (2006). The Early Classical Period; Opera and Instrumental Music in the
Early and Mid-Eighteenth Century; The Late Eighteenth Century: Haydn and
Mozart. Concise History of Western Music ( ed., ). New York City: W.W. Norton
& Company.
Kamen, R. (2011). The Classical Period. Music: An Appreciation (). New York City:
McGraw-Hill.
O'Toole, P. (2003). Analysis; Outcomes; Strategies; Assessments. Shaping Sound
Musicians (). Chicago, IL: GIA Publications, INC.