Choir

Class: Grade 10-12                              Date: March 12, 2021

Topic: Theory  Subject: Choir

Lesson Plan	20 minutes warm ups, 20-30 minutes theory work
Content: Physical and vocal warm ups to prepare students for their 30 minutes of singing. Large group separated into two groups. Jana works with 3 advanced students: teach what a minor scale is, how to find a minor key, a minor key’s key signature.
Outcomes and Indicators: Develop an understanding of the fundamentals of music theory and their application to structural elements of music. Extend knowledge of scale structures and how they apply to musical repertoire encountered.
Assessment: Formative: Sit with small group of three students that already have understanding of major scales/ basic music theory. Hand out photocopied page 44, Minor Scales.
Prerequisite Learning: Understanding of major scales and basic music notation.
Lesson Preparation Equipment/Materials 3 photocopies of pages 41, 44 from The Complete Elementary Music Rudiments. Advanced Preparation Photocopies
Presentation Set: (5-8 min) Have you ever heard the word ‘minor’ in reference to music before? Explain that minor is often associated with a “sad” sound. Development: (45 min) Technically, minor means that the 3rd, 6th, & 7th notes in a scale are altered. The 3rd note is (usually) always lowered a half semi-tone.   The 7th note of the natural minor scale (third is still lowered a semi tone from the major scale) will be raised a half semi tone and this is called a harmonic minor scale. 7th note is raised for both the ascending and descending scale. Then there is a melodic minor scale in which both the 6th and 7th notes of the natural melodic scale are raised one half semi tone ascending but descending both 6th & 7th are lowered. How do we know what the key signature will be for a minor scale? Every major scale has a relative minor scale. The major scale along with its relative minor have the same key signature. The relative minor is three semitones lower than the tonic major. Closure: (20-25 min)	Classroom Management Strategies Allow students time to give their ideas and suggestions about minor sounds. Allow for a lot of practice time finding relative minors: I find it easiest to use a keyboard.

Extensions:

May introduce more relative minors (there are 15 major scales and 45 minor scales) so lots of room for practice. See page 40, The Complete Elementary Music Rudiments

Adaptive Dimension:

If the concept is difficult, just focus on C M (Am)= no sharps/ flats.
F M, (Dm)= B^b