Franz Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 94, "Surprise," Second Movement

Rhythm, Dynamics: K-1

Objectives:

1. Students will be able to follow the rhythm listening map for the opening of Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony
2. Students will create individual listening maps designed to express the rhythm of the opening of Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony.
3. Students will recognize Ta and Ti-ti and play an ear training and composition game.
4. Students will learn the definitions of piano and forte through movement and listening activities.
5. Student/teachers will use dynamic flash cards to indicate the music dynamic when listening to the entire second movement of Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony. They will then introduce movement to the rhythm and dynamics of the music.
6. Students will create their own rhythms to play on unpitched percussion instruments.
7. Students will play simple do, mi, and sol melodies on Orff Instruments.

Lesson 1 - Following the listening map

Meets National Standards: 6,7,9

Objective
Students will be able to follow the rhythm listening map for the opening of Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony

Materials
Haydn Listening Map
Haydn "Booklet"
Recording of Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony, Second Movement

1. Have the students listen to the beginning of the second movement from Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony.

1. Can they find the "Surprise?"
2. Why did he write this funny surprise? Read the Haydn biography "Booklet".

2. Introduce the listening map

1. Follow the map as you listen to the music
2. Act out the map with your fingers walking or have the students walk around the room.
3. How did Haydn surprise his listeners? What could you do with movement that could reflect this increase in sound?

3. Divide the class into sections, give each section a part of the listening map for which to move. As groups, let them decide how to move to reflect the music.

4. Perform the entire work for the group.

Lesson 2 - Create a listening map

Meets National Standards: 5,6,7,8

Objective
Students will create individual listening maps designed to express the rhythm of the opening of Hayden's "Surprise" Symphony. For younger students, the class can also create a listening map together.

Materials
Various art supplies and paper
Haydn listening map with notes
Recording of Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony, Second Movement

1. Listen to "Surprise" without visual cues. Have the students count how many sounds they hear in each section.

• 6 short soft beats, 1 longer soft beat for the first three phrases
• 4 short soft beats and 2 longer soft beats for the fourth phrase
• 6 short soft beats, 1 longer soft beat for the 5-7th phrases
• 4 short soft beats, one longer soft beat and Loud for one longer beat

2. Discuss:

1. What shapes could be used to show the short and longer rhythms?
2. What change could be made for the difference between soft and loud?
3. Could you draw pictures?
4. Could you glue objects to the paper?
1. Cotton balls? (soft and little)
2. Sticks

3. Create listening maps and share them with the class.

Extension: Next class - have students look at other classmates' listening maps as they listen to the music again. The teacher can point out some particularly good examples.

Extension: Create a bulletin board of the listening maps. Place a tape recorder with a tape of "Surprise" and a connected set of headphones near the display. *Particularly good at parent nights.

Lesson 3 - Ta and Ti-Ti

Meets National Standards 4,5,6

Objective
Students will recognize Ta and Ti-ti and play an ear training and composition game.

Materials
Listening map with notes
Listening map with rhythms
12 popsicle sticks per child
Recording of Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony, Second Movement

1. Listen to the music using the listening map with notes as your guide. Ask the students to find the difference between this map and the map used in the previous lesson. (This map has rhythms.)

2. Give each child the bundle of Popsicle sticks. This is best done by putting the sticks in small baggies. (Snack size Ziplocs are great for this.)

3. Write the first rhythm on the board - using ta's and ti-ti's.

4. Ask the students to identify the difference between the two rhythms.

1. The ones on the listening map have "feet" and the Ta and Ti-ti's do not.
2. This is rhythm writing - or rhythmic notation.

5. Have the students imitate the rhythm pattern using their Popsicle sticks.

6. Now focus on the second rhythm on the listening map.

7. Game time: Have the students find their own "space" in the classroom. This could be at their desks or on the floor. The teacher then says and claps various simple rhythm patterns for the students to make in their space using the sticks. (They should do this silently.) When they are finished they put their hands on their heads. The teacher can easily evaluate correct answers by walking and looking around. Some examples below:

1. Ta Ta Ti-ti Ta
2. Ta Ta Ta Ta
3. Ti-Ti Ta Ta Ta
4. Ti-ti Ta Ti-ti Ta

8. Listen to Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony again. Pause the recording after each phrase to allow the students to check or change their rhythm. Decide on a creative way to indicate the loud rhythm stick.

Extension: This game can be used throughout the year as a "filler" activity. Rests can be added by drawing a quarter note rest on a 3x5 index card and placed in the rhythm when needed.

Lesson 4 - Haydn's Surprise! Dynamics in music: forte and piano

Meets National Standards 6,7

Objective
Students will learn the definitions of piano and forte through movement and listening activities.

Materials
Listening map with dynamics
Dynamics flash cards
Recording of Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony, Second Movement

1. Listen to the music while using the dynamics listening map. Ask the students to identify the difference in this listening map. (The dynamic markings.)

2. What are dynamics?

1. The degree of loudness or softness in music
2. Sing a familiar song softly. Sing it loudly. What is the difference?
3. How does Haydn use dynamics? Remember the story of the surprise?

3. Piano and Forte. Soft and Loud.

1. These are Italian words. The Italians were the first to publish music with indicators for dynamics.
2. Their word for loud is forte (four-teh) and soft is piano (pee-ah-no).
3. Practice the difference of forte and piano by singing songs or playing rhythms forte or piano. Use the visuals to indicate the dynamic level.

4. Play the game "Hot and Cold" using "Forte and Piano"

1. Hide an object in the room while one student is out of the room or blindfolded.
2. Teacher led, have the students use clapping to help guide the student to the object. Get louder when they get closer to the object. Get softer when they move away from the object.

Lesson 5 - Music Detective: Using flash cards for dynamic awareness

Meets National Standards 6,7,8

Objective
Student/teachers will use dynamic flash cards to indicate the music dynamic when listening to the entire second movement of Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony. They will then introduce movement to the rhythm and dynamics of the music.

Materials
Designated areas in the room for Loud and soft, piano and forte
Dynamics flash cards
Recording of Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony, Second Movement

1. The teacher will designate 2 different corners of the classroom to be forte and piano. Have the class move as a group to the forte and piano (Loud and Soft) areas as you control the volume in a familiar song

2. Explain that a composer does not need a "Volume "control knob or button to make the orchestra louder or softer.

3. Listen to the beginning of the second movement of Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony.

4. Have the students move to the designated corners when the music shifts dynamics.

5. Game: Music Detective

1. Play the entire movement from the "Surprise" Symphony. Students should listen to find Haydn's musical clues - his dynamics.
2. Have the students point to the designated areas during the different sections.
3. Discuss: Do we need another section or two in the middle? This is called "Mezzo Forte" - medium loud, or "Mezzo piano" - medium soft.
4. Have the class move as a group to the designated areas while listening to the music.

6. Extension: have the students incorporate dance into their movements.

7. Have the students work in small groups to create movements for the beginning section of the music. (First 16 measures)

Lesson 6 - Orff Lesson for Rhythm and Dynamics, Unpitched percussion

Meets National Standards 2,4,5,6

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

Materials
Unpitched percussion instruments

Students now understand the concept of ta, ti-ti, piano and forte.

1. The teacher writes the first four phrases of the rhythm pattern on a visual for the class.

2. The group practices playing this rhythm on their instruments.

3. Compose a different rhythm to play. Add dynamics to your composition.

1. Discuss: Are there some instruments which are better at longer or shorter sounds? Should the rhythms be divided so that only short sounding instruments play the ti-tis and the longer sounds the ta?
2. Why are these percussion instruments identified as "Unpitched" percussion?
3. What would a "Pitched" percussion instrument be?

Lesson 7 - Orff Lesson for Rhythm and Dynamics with Pitched Orff Instruments (Xylophones, Metalophones, Glockenspiels)

Meets National Standards 2,4,5,6

Objective
Students will play simple do, mi, and sol melodies on Orff Instruments.

Materials
Various Orff instruments
Haydn listening map with notes

1. Set up Orff instruments according to what you have. Teacher should remove bars that are not needed before class. You will need C, E, and G.

• 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. The object of this lesson is to teach basic rhythms and dynamics.

3. Using the rhythm composition from the previous lesson; have the students practice the rhythms on any of the given notes. (The instruments are set up in a C pentatonic scale.)

1. Incorporate a "surprise" into your composition.
2. How can dynamics shape the composition?
3. Practice Forte, Mezzo Forte, Mezzo Piano, and piano on the instruments.
4. Write these dynamics into your composition

Extension: Have the students divide into smaller groups and create their own melodies and accompaniment drones to perform for the class. Give them the melody staff and colored notes. You may want to draw in the rhythms in the colors if they are at that stage in your music lessons.

Franz Joseph Haydn Links