Beginning!Aural! Skills! !! By!Grace!De! Blasio! · The&unit&is&a&beginning&to&Aural&Skills.&The&lessonsinthisunitareanintensivefor afewweekstogivethestud entsasolidbeginningin auralskills&development.&

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Year 10 Music

Beginning Aural

Skills

By Grace De Blasio

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EFD5165 Music Education 1A Assessment Task 2: Design a unit of work

Unit Topic: Beginning Aural Skills

Year Level: 10 Context

This music unit is planned for students in a Victorian, suburban, public school from a variety of cultural backgrounds. The school is accepting of the music program but there is not a strong push for students to participate in music past the compulsory years. The school does have some funding for the music department, such as for the computer music program Auralia, but there is a need for more instruments in the music classroom. The school is yet to see the true benefits of music as it provides “a unique way of seeing, thinking, and knowing about ourselves and the world” (Ministry of Education Victoria, 1988). Music classes runs from Year 7 – 12 with the subject being compulsory for a semester in both Year 7 and Year 8. The students can then choose the elective music program from Year 9. Students will only continue with music through the secondary years if they have a real interest in it. The students are from a variety of musical backgrounds with some playing instruments outside of school and others only having the experience from their previous years in school. Students have very little theoretical knowledge, as there is not much of a focus in the lower years of high school. They have an understanding of notation, both pitch and rhythm.

Unit Overview

The unit is a beginning to Aural Skills. The lessons in this unit are an intensive for a few weeks to give the students a solid beginning in aural skills development. The idea behind this unit is that it is a lead in to make the development of aural skills a part of every lesson in a small way. The concepts that are set out in the unit are a basic understanding and throughout the year new ideas are to be added to this, including more scales, chords, descending intervals, and melodic and rhythmic dictation. By beginning these aural skills at level 10 the students will have a better understanding for when they move into VCE.

This unit looks into ascending intervals, time signatures, rhythmic patterns, scales, and note dictation at a beginner level.

This unit also ask the students to sing regularly in their classes in order to help them internalise what they are learning. “From infant-‐hood, children imitate and experiment with sounds, making no distinction between speech and song. They improvise little vocal tunes and phrases of their own. The ability to reproduce the basic elements of singing – melodic intervals and rhythmic combinations-‐ depends, like all learning, upon considerable aural experience (immersion) and the confidence experiment (approximation)” (Leask, 1991, p.22). The students

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will benefit from small amounts of singing in their classes not only with their musical skills, but also with their confidence. The singing element is not to embarrass them and all singing tasks will be carried out as a class along with the piano.

Curriculum

Based on the AusVELS Curriculum.

The Arts Level 10

Learning Focus: “As students work towards the achievement of Level 10 standards in the Arts, they design, make and present arts works. In doing so, they develop skills in making decisions about creative ways of generating and implementing ideas. They reflect on their experiences and observations, consider what they have learned about styles and forms and explore issues and concrete and abstract concepts to generate ideas. They keep their intended aesthetic qualities in mind when they experiment with, select, vary combinations of and manipulate arts elements, principles and/or conventions to effectively realise their ideas, represent their observations and communicate their interpretations of issues and concepts. For example, In Music, in response to learning and performing songs that reflect the ‘human spirit’ students, individually or collaboratively, compose and using conventional or unconventional notation, write down, then present their musical response to an issue holding personal interest for them (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2015).” Standards: “Creating and Making: At Level 10, within and across areas of specialisation, students apply decision making skills to find the most effective way to implement ideas, design, create and make arts works devised from a range of stimuli, demonstrating development of a personal style. They evaluate, reflect on, refine and justify their work’s content, design, development and their aesthetic choices. Students realise their ideas, represent observations and communicate their interpretations by effectively combining and manipulating selected arts elements, principles and/or conventions to create the desired aesthetic qualities. Independently and collaboratively, they apply their knowledge and understanding to design, create and produce arts works influenced by the style of particular artists or cultures. They vary the content, structure and form of their arts works to suit a range of purposes, contexts, audiences and/or the conventions of a specific style, and demonstrate technical competence in the use of skills, techniques and processes. They effectively use a range of traditional and contemporary media, materials, equipment and technologies. They maintain a record of how ideas develop in the creating, making and presenting of their arts works (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2015).”

“Exploring and Responding: At Level 10, students observe, research and critically discuss a range of contemporary, traditional, stylistic, historical and cultural examples of arts works in the disciplines and forms in which they are working.

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They analyse, interpret, compare and evaluate the stylistic, technical, expressive and aesthetic features of arts works created by a range of artists and made in particular times and cultural contexts. They describe and discuss ways that their own and others’ arts works communicate and challenge ideas and meaning. They use appropriate arts language and, in the arts works they are exploring and responding to, refer to specific examples. They comment on the impact of arts works, forms and practices on other arts works and society in general (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2015).”

This Unit of work does not specifically relate to any one of these standards. That being said it relates to all of them. Having a strong basis of aural skills with assist with all these standards. In preparing the students for VCE they need to have good aural skills in order to do well. By starting the students at level 10 they have a much better chance at performing well through VCE.

The skills learnt through this unit of work will assist the students in the ‘Creating and Making’ standards by helping them with evaluating and refining their work, creating works influenced by different culture, demonstrating technical competence in skills, techniques and processes, and forming art work in a range or convention and styles.

The skills learnt in this unit of work will assist the students in the ‘Exploring and Responding’ standard by helping them observe and critically discuss music in a range of areas, analyse, interpret, compare and evaluate a range of art works from artists and many contexts, and the ability to discuss and evaluate their own works.

Unit Objectives

Student Objectives:

• To have a consolidated understanding of the basic aural skills including major intervals, scales, and beginning note and rhythmic dictation

• To continue to develop the theory skills in notation with both pitch and rhythms

• To develop confidence with simple singing tasks • To have an understanding of the Auralia program and it uses • To have an understanding of the importance of good aural skills in

developing music skills • To work well in class discussions and participate in class activities • To have a positive attitude to trying new things • To work well in groups when required • To work well independently on set tasks

Teacher Objectives:

• To explain concepts to the students accurately and clearly • To create an environment where the students are excited to join in and

learn

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• To be encouraging to the students, particularly with the singing tasks

Lesson Plan: 1 Topic: Aural Skills: Introduction and Intervals (Ascending) Class: 10

Subject: Music

Lesson Duration: 50 minutes

Curriculum Level and Standards: AusVELS Level 10

Objectives:

Student

• To participate in class discussions effectively • To have an understanding of what aural skills are and the importance of

them • To begin to recognise the various intervals through the use of popular

songs • To have a go a singing the various intervals

Teacher

• To treat the students as musicians to create an understanding of the importance of aural skills

• To explain concepts of intervals clearly • To help create an environment where the students are excited to develop

their musical skills. • To encourage students with the simple singing tasks

Preparation and Materials:

• White board and markers • Keyboard • Intervals handout • Recognition songs teacher resource

Procedure and Content:

Activity Procedure Materials Time Greet Class, Take roll Roll 5 minutes Introduction to new topic (Aural Skills) and initial discussion

-‐ Explain what aural skill are -‐ Ask the students why they think these skills

15 minutes

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could be important as musicians

What are intervals? -‐ Explain the space between notes is an interval. -‐ Explain how we work out what the interval is by the space. -‐ Write up the intervals (ascending) -‐ Have the student notate the intervals on the handout.

White board (with music manuscript lines) Markers Handout

15 minutes

Interval Recognition Songs

-‐Play though each of the intervals and have the students sing a long with each. -‐ Sing songs that will give the students a way to recognise the various intervals. -‐ Students are to write down the song that they will remember and use

Keyboard List of the interval songs Handout

15 minutes

Homework

• Practice the intervals using a piano or guitar or an application of their phones

Strategies for evaluating learning:

• Have the students sing the intervals back to the teacher. By vocalising the interval it help to internalise them and therefore remember.

• Make sure the students are all writing down the elements on their handouts.

Self Evaluation:

Student Achievement

Teacher Achievement

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Name______________________________________

Intervals Worksheet Type of Interval Notation Recognition Song Unison

Minor 2nd

Major 2nd

Minor 3rd

Major 3rd

Perfect 4th

Tritone

Perfect 5th

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Minor 6th

Major 6th

Minor 7th

Major 7th

Octave

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Teacher Resource: Interval Recognition Songs Interval Song/s Unison Sounds the same Minor 2nd Jaws Theme Major 2nd Happy Birthday

Rodolf the Red-‐Nose Reindeer Minor 3rd Greensleeves

Smoke of the Water – Deep Purple Hunger Games Whistle

Major 3rd O When the Saints Kumbaya

Perfect 4th Adavance Ausralia Fair Mexican Hat Dance Amazing Grace

Tritone The Simpsons Maria – Westside Story (Musical)

Perfect 5th Star Wars Theme Baa Baa Black Sheep Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Minor 6th The Entertainer We are Young – Fun (Set the world on fire)

Major 6th My Bonnie Minor 7th Nothing Compares to You – Sinead O’Conner

Major 7th Take on Me – A-‐ha

Immigrant Song – Led Zeplin (Opening whail) Octave Somewhere Over the Rainbow – The Wizard of Oz

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Lesson Plan: 2 Topic: Aural Skills: Intervals and Scales Introduction Class: 10

Subject: Music



Objectives:

Student

• To consolidate the relationship between the intervals and the recognition songs

• To have a basic understanding of the use of Solfege in relation to scales • To work on pitch dictation skills based around the major scale

Teacher

• To clearly explain the major and natural minor scales and how they are made up

• To keep the students focused on the content by breaking up the sections of the class

• To continue to encourage the students with the simple singing tasks


• Keyboard • White board and markers • Scales handout • Dictation handout • Sound of Music’s ‘Do – Re-‐ Mi’ song ready to play

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps52qEFiLbg


Activity Procedure Materials Time Greet Class, Take roll Roll 5 minutes Recap previous lessons work on intervals

-‐ Have the students sing through the intervals along with the keyboard and ask what songs they use for recognition -‐ Play the intervals and have the students call out which interval it is.

Keyboard Handout from last class

15 minutes

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Scale introduction Major Scale Natural Minor Scale

- Show a video of the Sound of Music song ‘Do – Re – Mi’ as an introduction to scales and solfege -‐Write out the scales on the board and explain the difference between them with the intervals (build on their knowledge) -‐ Explain the use of solfege as an option for singing and remembering scales. -‐ Have the students write up the scales on their handout and fill in the solfege underneath. -‐ Play through the scales to the students can hear them

Projector Computer YouTube White board with manuscript lines Markers Handout Keyboard

15 minutes

Aural -‐ Footy Game -‐ Split the class into teams of 5 and have two teams play each other at a time. Can have two games running at the same time. Winner play each other

Keyboard 25 minutes

Pitch Dictation -‐ Building on their knowledge of intervals and scales explain what dictation is -‐ Show the students how to approach dictation. See which techniques they would use to go about dictating pitch -‐ Play simple 3-‐4 note phrases and have the students notate then discuss the answers together. Play the incorrect notation so the students can hear the difference

Handout White board Markers Keyboard

40 minutes

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Homework:

• Continue practice intervals and include the scales using a piano or a guitar or an application


• Using the aural footy game the teacher can test the student’s knowledge of the various intervals and see which may need more of a focus on without the pressure of the formal test.

• With the pitch dictation sharing the students answers again gives an idea of the knowledge levels of the students without the pressure of a formal test.

Self Evaluation:

Student Achievement

Teacher Achievement

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Name______________________________________

Scales Worksheet Major Scale:

Solfege:

Minor Scale:

Solfege:

Major Pentatonic Scale:

Solfege:

Minor Pentatoic Scale:

Solfege:

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Name______________________________________

Pitch Dictation Worksheet 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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Aural Footy Game Students are in teams of 5

Two teams stand face to face and each team has a goal

The ‘ball’ starts with the middle players

The teacher plays an interval or scale and the first of the middle two players to guess correctly, wins.

The ‘ball’ then moves a step closer to that teams goal.

This continues until one team gets the ‘ball’ to the goal.

You can choose the number of goals the the winning team needs to achieve.

Two games can be played at once.

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Lesson Plan: 3 Topic: Aural Skills: Rhythm and Auralia Class: 10

Subject: Music



Objectives:

Student

• To consolidate understanding of note types and common time signatures • To develop rhythmic sight reading skills • To participate in clapping activities • To have a beginning understanding of the features of Auralia

Teacher

• To clearly explain the concepts of rhythm and time signatures • To keep the class engaged and focused on the topic by keeping them

participating • To clearly explain the use of Auralia and the features of it


• Rhythms activity handout • White Board and Markers • Computer Lab • Auralia (Students need headphones)


Activity Procedure Materials Time Greet Class with clapping pattern for them to follow, Take roll

-‐ Clap a couple of patterns and have the students copy it back

Roll 5 minutes

Introduction to rhythmic elements

-‐ Explain notes values showing what each note looks like and how many beats each note has -‐ Look through common time signatures including 2/4, 4/4, 3/4, 6/8. Explain the features of

White board Markers

20 minutes

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each time signature and how the bars are filled -‐ Write some rhythmic notation on the board and have the students clap it back -‐ Have the students take notes

Rhythms activity -‐ Have each student write out some rhythmic notation based around the time signatures looked and the features discussed -‐ In pairs have the students swap sheets and practice clapping the rhythms -‐ Have a few of the students write up one of their rhythms on the board and the class clap it back.

Handout 15 minutes

Time Signatures -‐ Play some popular songs and have the students determine what the time signature is. -‐ Students are to write down the answers they think

YouTube songs 10 minutes

Auralia -‐ In the computer lab -‐ Show the students what the Auralia program is and take them through setting up an account -‐ Show the major features -‐Students spend the rest of the time working their way around the program and working through activities -‐ Teacher walking around assisting with any issues and

Computers Headphones Auralia Software

50 minutes

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providing guidance

Homework:

• Continue practicing intervals and scales • Clap through the rhythms of some sheet music that you already own


• By having the students share their rhythmic patterns they can correct each others work which is a form of peer assessment

• Having the students clap out their rhythmic patterns consolidates their knowledge. It also shows them where mistakes may be which they may not have heard otherwise.

Self Evaluation:

Student Achievement

Teacher Achievement

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Songs Used For Time Signature Recognition

1. 4/4 Crazy In Love - Beyonce

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViwtNLUqkMY 2. 6/8 Somebody to Love – Queen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kijpcUv-b8M 3. 6/8 Fallin’ – Alicia Keys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urdlvw0SSEc&list=PL579167E2AA516F82&index=2

4. 3/4 Runaway – The Corrs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_lfpr9bT7k&index=14&list=PL579167E2AA516F82

5. 4/4 Addicted to You – Avicii https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc9c12q3mrc

6. 2/4 Mega Polka Mix – ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRd_pUwRX6Q

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Name_________________________________________

Rhythms Worksheet Fill in the bars with correctly notated rhythms. Pay careful attention to the time signatures.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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Lesson Plan: 4 Topic: Aural Skills: Intervals, Scales and Rhythms Revision Class: 10

Subject: Music



Objectives:

Student

• To check their own level of understanding • To prepare for the aural test • To participate in singing and clapping exercises

Teacher

• To make sure students have a solid understanding of the various aural skills learnt over the unit

• To clearly explain parameters of the test


• Students will need all previous handout and notes from the unit • Scales handout • White board and markers • Test guidelines handout


Activity Procedure Materials Time Greet Class, Take roll Roll 5 minutes Revision

-‐ Intervals -‐ Scales -‐ Rhythmic

Elements

-‐ Go through intervals testing the students knowledge of intervals played have them again share the songs they are using. -‐ Have students sing through some intervals to help solidify information -‐ Play through scales and see if they can determine the difference -‐ Have the students

White board Markers Keyboard

30 minutes

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sing through the scales on either a do-‐ do-‐ do or solfege if they prefer -‐ Review time signatures and note values -‐ Review how notes are placed in bars

Additional Scales - Show the students two more scales, Major Pentatonic and Minor Pentatonic -‐Play through the scales so the students can hear what they sound like in comparison to each other and the other scales previously learnt -‐ Have the students copy down the scale and write the solfege underneath it -‐ Have the students sing through the scales

White board Makers Keyboard

10 minutes

Test Preparation -Talk through what exactly will be tested. Giving students are clear idea of what to prepare for -‐ Give out a handout with the test guidelines -‐ Have the students repeat back the guidelines to make sure they understand

Test handout 10 minutes

Homework:

• Prepare to the test • Prepare cheat sheet if you wish to bring one into the test

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• Checking the students knowledge of the intervals and scales in an informal setting

• Having the students repeat back information to ensure they have listened and understand. This works with the scales and with the test information

Self Evaluation:

Student Achievement

Teacher Achievement

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Aural Skills Test You will be taking a short Aural test in your next double period. You will have the first period to prepare using Auralia but please make sure you practice at home as well.

You will be tested on:

• Intervals – Know all of them and have songs in mind to help with recognition. You will need to write down the name of the interval (Played 3 times)

• Pitch Dictation – You will be given the first note and you will have to give the next 3 or 4 notes that follow (Played 5 times)

• Scale Recognition – You will need to recognise the scale played and write down the name of that scale. You may also need to write out the scale, so make sure you know how to write them (Played Twice)

• Guess the time signature – Excepts from some popular songs will be played and you need to identify the time signature of those songs (Played 3 times)

• Rhythmic Notation – You will need to correctly write out a rhythmic pattern based around a certain time signature

GOOD LUCK!

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Lesson Plan: 5 Topic: Aural Skills: Auralia Skill Development and Aural Test Class: 10

Subject: Music



Objectives:

Student

• To follow test conditions while undertaking the aural test • To have an understanding of their own skill level and know where they

need improvement • To continue to develop skills through the use of the computer program

Auralia

Teacher

• To present the test questions clearly for the students to achieve the best results possible

• To clearly explain the parameters of the test and the test conditions • To encourage students with their knowledge and understanding of a

difficult topic • To assist students with the exercises they are struggling with on Auralia


• White board and markers • Keyboard • Computers • Auralia • Test paper • Answer Sheet


Activity Procedure Materials Time Greet Class, Take roll Roll 5 minutes Auralia Revision - In the computer lab

-‐ Students independently prepare for the test using exercises on Auralia -‐ Teacher assisting students with any

Computer Headphones Auralia

45 minutes

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queries they may have Aural Skills - Teacher plays

questions of the keyboard and students write their answers. -‐ Each question will have a set number of plays before moving on -‐ Students will have time to complete written questions

Test Paper Keyboard

35 minutes

Class Marking - Students swap tests and the class goes through the answers together. -‐ Teacher collects the tests to make the written section -‐ Make sure students know this is a preliminary test as these skills have only just begin being developed and that the class will continue to develop the skills.

Test papers 15 minutes


• Formal testing taking place to see the students level of understanding

Self Evaluation:

Student Achievement

Teacher Achievement

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Name______________________________________________ Date__________________

Aural Skills Test Question 1: Name the interval

a.

b. c. d.

e.

f. g. h.

Question 2: Name the scale

a.

b. c.

d.

e. f.

Question 3: Pitch Dictation

a. b. c.

Question 4: Name the Time Signature

a.

b. c.

e.

f. g.

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Question 5: Notate the Scale

Natural Minor Scale

Major Pentatonic

Question 5: Notate rhythms in the time signatures given

a.

b.

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Name______________________________________________ Date__________________

Aural Skills Test (ANSWER SHEET) Question 1: Name the interval

a. Perfect 4th

b. Minor 2nd

c. Major 6th

d. Octave

e. Minor 3rd

f. Tritone

g. Perfect 5th

h. Minor 7th

Question 2: Name the scale

a. Major Scale

b. Natural Minor

c. Minor Pentatonic

d. Major Scale

e. Major Pentatonic

f. Natural Minor

Question 3: Pitch Dictation

a. b. c.

Question 4: Name the Time Signature

a. 6/8 We are the Champions-‐ Queen

b. 3/4 Kiss From a Rose-‐ Seal

c. 4/4 Umbrella Rhianna

e. 2/4 Polka Song

f. 6/8 Breakaway – Kelly Clarkson

g. 4/4 Happy – Pharrall Williams

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Question 5: Notate the Scale

Natural Minor Scale

Major Pentatonic

Question 5: Notate rhythms in the time signatures given

( Dependant on the student)

a.

b.

Links for songs used in the test

a. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04854XqcfCY b. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ateQQc-‐AgEM c. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvBfHwUxHIk d. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9bA7e0hoVo&index=2&list=PLyy1

stIevthjqrkM3S1hjwvaLX5VYjjO2 e. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-‐3vPxKdj6o f. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Sxv-‐sUYtM

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References

Auralia Version 4 by Sibelius Leask, J. (1991). Music in the Classroom. Sydney, Australia: Ashton Scholastic The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, (2015). AusVELS: The Arts curriculum. Retrieved from http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/The Arts/Curriculum#level=10

Victorian Schools Division Curriculum Branch. (1988). The arts framework, P-10: For total growth. Victoria, Australian: Ministry of Education, Victoria

Documents

Beginning!Aural! Skills! !! By!Grace!De! Blasio! · The&unit&is&a&beginning&to&Aural&Skills.&The&lessonsinthisunitareanintensivefor afewweekstogivethestud entsasolidbeginningin auralskills&development.&