Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 5

Motif and ABA Form: K-1

Objectives:

1. Students will be able to identify the ABA form of the opening of Beethoven's fifth symphony using colors and shapes. Extension uses textures and fabrics.
2. Students will be able to identify the four-note motif of Beethoven's fifth by listening and will create the motif artistically.
3. Students will create an ABA musical work using body percussion
4. Students will create word patterns with the Beethoven rhythmic motif
5. Students will be able to create their own ABA using instruments.
6. Students will recognize "Ta" and "Ti-Ti" as rhythmic notation.
7. Students will create their own motif to play on unpitched percussion instruments.
8. Students will play the simple Beethoven's Fifth rhythmic pattern on Orff Instruments.

Lesson 1 - Creating a Listening Map

National Standards for Music Education: 6, 8

Objective 1
Students will be able to identify the ABA form of the opening of Beethoven's fifth symphony using colors and shapes. Extension uses textures and fabrics.

Objective 2
Students will be able to identify the four-note motif of Beethoven's fifth by listening and will create the motif artistically.

Materials
Paper and crayons
Recording of Beethoven's fifth symphony

1. Have students listen to the opening of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.

• Discuss: What does it sound like? Is there anything that keeps happening?

2. Have the students fold their paper into thirds. (or prefold the paper) Have the students draw their representation of the first section.

• Discuss their ideas before they begin drawing.
  • How would you draw it?
  • What colors would you use?
  • What shapes or pictures would you draw?
• Have them draw in the first section of their paper

3. Listening some more -have the students find the B section.

• Discuss: How would you draw this differently from the A section?
• Have them draw in the second section of their paper.

4. Have them start at the beginning of the music and listen through the music to the end of the opening.

• Discuss: What happens at the end?
• How could you draw this?
• Is it exactly the same or slightly different?
  • Could you use green instead of blue? Or smaller shapes or larger shapes?

5. Have them check their entire work by listening through the piece again. Collect the papers for the next class time.

6. Next class - have them look at other classmates listening maps as they listen to the music again. Teacher could point out some particularly good examples.

7. Extension: You could make a Beethoven Bulletin board with the listening maps, Beethoven information, Timeline of world events, and other ideas from the class.

8. Extension - using fabrics/textures or 3-D objects in the making of a listening map.

Lesson 2 - ABA Form with Body Percussion

National Standards for Music Education: 4,5,6

Objective
Students will create an ABA musical work using body percussion

Materials
Chalk board / white board
Various colors to write the rhythmic notation

1. Have students create a basic ABA form using two body percussion groups in a specified amount of time. (8 beats) Some examples are claps, snaps, stomps, and pats, jumps. Be creative!

• Find out about ABA Form

2. Begin with 2 measures (4/4) of quarter notes.

3. Ask students for a different pattern for one or both measures

4. Have them all (both groups) learn the pattern.

5. Play this ABA form using the new pattern, i.e.: Claps Stomps Claps

6. Divide into small groups and have them create and perform their own ABA patterns.

Lesson 3 - Language Connection to Rhythms

National Standards for Music Education 4,5,8

Objective
Students will create word patterns with the Beethoven rhythmic motif.

Materials
None needed.

Have the student clap the Beethoven motif. Transfer that rhythm onto the board as:

Have the class brainstorm about words that might fit the rhythms:

You can use words from your classroom lessons and other subjects
You can later extend this lesson and combine it with Orff instruments.
You would then place the musical notes on the Orff instruments.

Lesson 4- Transferring rhythms onto found or classroom instruments

National Standards for Music Education 2 (found instruments), 4,5,6

Objective 1
Students will be able to create their own ABA using instruments.

Objective 2
Students will recognize "Ta" and "Ti-Ti" as rhythmic notation.

Materials
Found instruments around the room

1. Do the same division as in the previous lesson - but assign simple classroom instruments
Examples: woodblocks, hand drums, maracas, tambourines, triangles

If you do not have classroom instruments, use found instruments.
Examples: desktops, waste can, chalkboard, floor with sticks, etc.

2. Extend by giving the students a simple rhythm other than Ta, ta, ta, ta. Examples:

*You may want to use the rhythms on Rhythm Chart 1 below.

*See the Rhythm Names chart to learn what Ta and Ti-Ti mean.

Extension 1

1. Divide the classroom instruments into categories. Ie: Woods-desks, Shakers - rice in pop cans (taped ends), Metals -waste can and/or silverware, Skins - body percussion that could include clapping, patting, stomping, or snapping. You'll want enough "instruments" so that all students are involved in the activity.

2. Begin with 2 measures (4/4) of quarter notes.

3. Ask students for a different pattern one or both measures

4. Have them all (both groups) learn the pattern.

5. Play this ABA form using the new pattern, i.e., Woods Shakers Woods

6. Divide into small groups and have them create and then present their own ABA patterns to the class.

Extension 2
Have the students create an entirely different A B A form on the instruments. This will only take a few minutes to set up because the kids will remember the previous lesson. Now you can have kids switch parts, switch instruments, and even create small groups to create their own A B A creations to present to the class. Try assigning a conductor for each group - or a conductor for the class. (Conducting 101 link)

Lesson 5 - Orff Lesson for ABA adding a motif
Unpitched percussion (extension from the previous lesson)

National Standards for Music Education 2,4,5,6,7

Objective
Students will create their own motif to play on their unpitched percussion instruments.

Materials
Unpitched percussion instruments

Students now understand the A B A concept. Have them identify the Beethoven's Fifth rhythmic pattern on their instrument. This can be done by echoing your pattern - or by asking them to come up with it.

1.Students practice the Beethoven's fifth pattern on their instrument

2. Add this motif to the A section of an A B A form - students create this.

3. Students play the A B A form with the Beethoven's fifth pattern.

4. Basics - what is a MOTIF? A small pattern of notes that the composer uses over and over again to string together parts of his music.

5. Students create their own motif to add to their compositions.(as a class)

6. If possible, divide the class in half to allow a performance group and an audience group. Have the two groups perform their composition for their audience. Evaluate -- positively and constructively at the end of each performance.

• Positives are always easier to hear. Try to help the students hear both the positives and constructive criticisms by asking for the positive evaluations first. (five positives) and then the "Constructive criticisms" second (three). Always ask for more positives than negatives.
• Constructive criticisms" can be identified by asking the question, "How could they have made this a better performance?" It should also be asked to the audience, "How could the audience help the performers do their best?"

Lesson 6 - Orff Lesson for ABA with Pitched Orff Instruments
(Xylophones, Metalophones, glockenspiels)

National Standards for Music Education 2,4,5,6,7

Objective
Students will play the simple Beethoven's Fifth rhythmic pattern on Orff Instruments.

Materials
Various Orff instruments

1. Set up Orff instruments according to what you have. Teacher should remove bars that are not needed before class. This way the kids just play and don't try to do it themselves.

• Full Complement: Xylophones, Metallophones, and Glockenspiels
• Pieces and Parts: Set up four instruments or put what you have in four groups.

2. Have two students play at each instrument.

• One student plays the lower drone and one plays the upper drone.
• a drone is a repeated basic rhythm

3. Teach each part to the entire class. (By rote - not by sight) When the students feel comfortable with the parts, divide the class into two sections.

1. Have students play the parts in an A B A form
2. Have them switch parts and again play in A B A form

4. If possible, divide the class in half to allow a performance group and an audience group. Have the two groups perform their composition for their audience. Evaluate -positively and constructively at the end of each performance.

• Positives are always easier to hear. Try to help the students hear both the positives and constructive criticisms by asking for the positive evaluations first. (five positives) and then the "Constructive criticisms" second (three). Always ask for more positives than negatives.
• Constructive criticisms" can be identified by asking the question, "How could they have made this a better performance?" It should also be asked to the audience, "How could the audience help the performers do their best?"

Extension: Have the students decide on another part that could be added to the music. Then, have them play parts A and B at the same time - then their new music - and then back to the original music. They will create their own A B A form using the Beethoven rhythmic pattern.

Ludwig van Beethoven Links