Dynamics- Chant It Out!
This lesson introduces the proper musical terms for loud (forte), soft (piano), gradually louder (crescendo), and gradually softer (decrescendo). Students will learn that "dynamics" of sound make a song feel a certain way, either relaxing, exciting, scary , LOTS of different ways ! We will also learn that the complete name of the instrument we call "piano" is PIANO- FORTE, from the Italian words SOFT-LOUD. The piano was one of the first keyboard instruments that could do this, way back several hundred years ago when it was invented. The HARPSCHORD was similar to the piano, and also the CLAVICHORD, but couldn't achieve the same variety of volume as a piano.
Lesson Created By: MaggieHaggerty
Lesson Partners: ABC (Arts in Basic Curriculum)
Essential Question
How can dynamics change a song? Can you read the lyrics of a song, and get ideas about what role DYNAMICS could have in making it more meaningful?
Grade(s):
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Subject(s):
Recommended Technology:
Any electronic device that is available to play these recordings for students, either before or after they have done their own singing and/or playing
-"ARE YOU SLEEPING, BROTHER JOHN
-"ROCK -A-BYE BABY IN THE TREETOP"
-"WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN"
Other Instructional Materials or Notes:
1.-PREPARE MATERIALS
*several sheets of large chart paper in front of room, with the words to simple songs already written ( to save time)
*small pieces of colored sentence strips with dynamics WORDS written on one side/ & the abbreviation LETTERS written on the flip side of each ("P" flips over to read " PIANO", "F" flips over to become "FORTE") etc.
Lesson Progression
Hook- Sing or listen to a lullaby. (Ideally not Brahms' Lullaby....) Ask what they heard and what they think the song is supposed to do? Briefly discuss what makes a lullaby. (slow, soft/quiet)
1. Introduce the word "dynamics" as "how loud/soft (or quiet) a sound or the music is."
2. What is a CHANT? How is chanting different from singing? ( Could a sport's- team CHEER be similar to a CHANT?)
3 TEACHER will demonstrate: (chant rhythmically, "ta, ta, ta, ta"... "Loud is forte." ( Students then echo what teacher chanted.) "Soft is piano." (Rhythm: ta, ti-ka, ta, ta)
4. Repeat the chant, adding the dynamics with your voice. Perhaps divide the class into two groups and practice call-response, taking turns leading the chants.
5. Choose a simple, four-beat rhythmic pattern. Have students echo clap the rhythm, loudly, softly, gradually more loudly, and gradually more softly. Ask how it changed.
7. Introduce the concept of "crescendo" (gradually louder) and "decrescendo" (gradually softer).
8.. Explain the notation to students of the lengthened < or > signs in music. (If time at end of session, let students practice drawing the < and > signs on the whiteboard or pad paper.
9.Have students draw the symbols in the air as they say "crescendo" or "decrescendo" with appropriate dynamics.
10. TEACHER DEMONSTRATES: Say the word "crescendo" as you get louder....now say the word "decrescendo" as you get softer. Have students imitate this.
11 .If time allows, let students to take turns clapping ( or chanting) the same four-beat pattern utilizing the 4 new music words introduced. Afterwards, classmates can identify the performance as "forte, piano, crescendo, or decrescendo."
Teacher Notes
This lesson can easily be scaffolded up for older students. Build the connection that we use Italian for "music words" regardless of where one lives in the world; it has become an accepted music tradition
Build the connection with prefixes < and >, and how "de-" in Italian, is similar to the prefix "anti-" or "dis-" in English.
The Story of the Piano's Invention ( The origins of the Piano/Yamaha.com
This resource is FOR THE TEACHER. Since all music teachers are "keyboard" people, this is a great overview of harpsichord/ clavichord/ piano....how they are similar and yet different, and A TIMELINE for the development of these instruments.
Even though elementary school students may not be interested in the differences, at least the teacher can ILLUMINATE SOME OF THE BASIC DIFFERENCES to show how new instruments get invented by "spinning" off another similar idea.
Standards
- GM.R Responding - I can respond to musical ideas as a performer and listener.
- GM.R Responding - I can respond to musical ideas as a performer and listener.
- CM.R Responding - I can respond to musical ideas as a performer and listener.
- CM.R Responding - I can respond to musical ideas as a performer and listener.
- CM.R Responding - I can respond to musical ideas as a performer and listener.
Assessments
Student performances and responses allow for INFORMAL ASSESSMENTS of the dynamics "forte, piano, crescendo, and decrescendo."
SEVERAL SONG SUGGESTIONS:
1.Are you sleeping, are you sleeping, Brother John? Brother John? Morning Bells Are Ringing, Morning Bells are Ringing - DING DONG DING, DING DONG DING
(start off softly, and build the dynamics until Brother John would DEFINITELY wake up!)
2. Rock-a-bye Baby, In the tree top, When the wind blows, the cradle will rock- When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, And down will come baby, cradle and all.
(Probably sing softly throughout? Discuss and decide....give your reasons if you think some part of this should be louder.)
3. Oh when the saints, go marching in, Oh when the saints go marching in, Oh how I want...to be in that number, When the saints go marching in.
Oh when the sun begins to begins to shine, Oh when the sun begins to shine, Oh how I want to be in that number, When the sun begins to shine.
Oh when the sun is going down, oh when the sun is going down, Oh how I want to be in that number, when the sun is going down.
Oh when the saints, are tucked in bed ,Oh when the saints are tucked in bed, Oh how I DO NOT WANT to wake them, When the saints are tucked in bed.
So now it's time, to wake them up, But now it's time to wake them up, Oh how I want to get them marching, So now it's time to wake them up.
Oh when we clap our hands & sing, Oh when we clap our hands & sing, Oh how I want to be in that number, When we clap our hands & sing.
!!!DISCUSS DYNAMICS SAFETY, before any playing or singing!!!
Never sing loudly, clap, or shout in someone's ear! It hurts and could even do damage to their hearing
HELPFUL VOCABULARY used in the songs above:
"number" - is another name for a song. Sometimes musicians say this, instead of using the word "song."
Saints- people who were very special helpers hundreds of years ago in churches, and are thought of as special angels by some church members.
bough - another name for a tree branch. Can you IMAGINE someone putting a baby's cradle up in a tree branch? NO!! Bur silly words like this were sometimes "made up" by sleepy parents who were rocking their fussy, tired babies, and wanting to sing something to help them fall asleep.
RHYTHM INSTRUMENTS? - Should be added only after students have sung the dynamics to all songs.
Actually, instruments would be BETTER ADDED ON DAY 2 of a dynamics lesson, and only 3 or 4 students playing at a time, seated AWAY from the other students.
[K.S. Bradley, writer/musician for kia.org, made up the silly new verses in WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN to provide opportunities to change dynamic levels.]