Zoltán Kodály: "Viennese Musical Clock" from Háry János Suite

Rondo Form: Grades 2-3

Primary Objectives:

1. Students will be able to identify the rondo form through listening.
2. Students will be able to follow a listening map for "Viennese Musical Clock"
3. Students will be able to create their own rondo form using body rhythms
4. Students will be able to create their own rondo using instruments.

Secondary Objectives:

1. Students will be able to create a rondo using the Kodály approach to rhythms.
2. Students will recognize quarter note and eighth note combinations using rhythmic syllables.
3. Students will connect Sol and Mi to the pitches G and E.
4. Students will be able to use the Kodály hand signs for Sol and Mi.
5. Students will be able to create a rondo using Orff instruments.

Special Note: There is a special emphasis on integrating several Kodály approaches to the lesson because Zoltán Kodály, the composer of "Viennese Musical Clock", also developed a system for teaching music education in Hungary. His approach is now worldwide and is used in combination with other methods of teaching in our school systems in America.

Lesson 1 - "Viennese Musical Clock" Listening lesson

National Standards for Music Education: 6,7

Objective
Students will be able to identify the rondo form through listening.

Materials
Recording of "Viennese Musical Clock"
Large Flash Cards 4 - "A", 1 of each B,C,D

1. Have students listen to the music.

• Did they hear anything that repeated?
• Yes - let's call that "A"

2. Listen again - stand up when they hear "A" - sit on different melody

• How many times did we stand up? - 4
• Put the four "A" cards up on the wall with space between them

3. Listen for the in-between music.

• Is it the same or different?
• Place the B,C, and D cards

4. This is called Rondo Form

• It is a way of writing music that has one part that keeps coming back the same.
• Your pattern should look like: A B A C A D A

Fun with the Rondo - extensions - use some or all

• Have four different sets of flashcards. Put the students in four teams and have them put the rondo together while listening to the music.
• Have the students (as a class) incorporate different body movements with each section
  1. Clapping
  2. Patting
  3. Snapping
  4. Stepping
• Have the four different teams assigned movement during their section. Everyone is frozen until his or her part is played.

Lesson 2 - Listening Map for "Viennese Musical Clock"

National Standards for Music Education: 6,7

Objective
Students will be able to follow a listening map for "Viennese Musical Clock"

Materials
Listening Map for "Viennese Musical Clock" (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Recording of "Viennese Musical Clock"

1. Have the listening map in front of the class (big) or on separate sheets for small groups of students. Explain that you will follow this map as you listen to the music.

2. Direct the listening the first time through the music.

3. Play the game "Where are we?" as you listen again. Stop the music every so often and see who can tell you which picture you all should be on.

Lesson 2 Evaluation - Listening Map

This should take place the next music class.

Objective
Students will be able to follow a listening map for "Viennese Musical Clock"

Materials
Four sets of Flash Cards
Recording of Viennese Musical Clock

1. Divide the class in four groups - different than before.

• Give each group a set of flash cards
• Have each group face a corner of the room
• Listen to the music and put cards in Rondo order.

Lesson 3 - Creation and Understanding the Rondo Form

National Standards for Music Education: 2 (body percussion), 4,6

Objective
Students will be able to create their own rondo form using body rhythms.

Materials
None Needed

1.Class is still in four groups. Assign each group a body movement

• Hop
• Pat
• Clap
• Snap

2. Put together your own Rondo using the body movements instead of the music. Limit the movements in sets of 8 or 16.All the groups must have the same amount of beats. Open their creativity to use a rhythm that they know or a combination of rhythms they are familiar with.

Examples of possible rhythms for body movement - assuming they know these rhythms.

Lesson 4 - Transfering Rhythms onto Found Instruments in Rondo Form

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

Objective
Students will be able to create their own rondo using instruments. 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:

Level 1 Rhythms - basic quarter and eighth note rhythms

Level 2 Rhythms - introduces the quarter note rest

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

Extensions

Lesson 5 - Kodály approach extension: Language connection

National Standards for Music Education: 1,4,5,6,7

Learn more about the Kodály Method of teaching

Using the Kodály rhythms, assign each rhythm - Ta or Ti-Ti - a specific word. An example would be:

You can use words from your classroom lessons and other subjects. You could even put these into a rondo form for the class to "chant" or "sing" together.

You can later extend this lesson and combine it with Orff instruments. You would then place the musical notes on the Orff instruments. You can learn more about Orff instruments in the Orff Instrument Extension.

Lesson 6 - Kodály Based Singing Extension for Rondo

National Standards for Music Education: 1,4,5,6

Objective
Students will connect Sol and Mi to the pitches G and E

Materials
Notation charts or given example written on the chalkboard.

The Kodály method of teaching gives attention to in-tune singing, tone matching Sol-Mi and Sol-Mi-La patterns. It is also very important the children "feel" the beat.

1. Having learned the rhythms in the previous lesson, the children now are ready to transfer the rhythms onto simple patterns. The use of body movements in the previous lesson helped them to feel the beat internally.

2. Kodály emphases singing games. Simple "sol" and "mi" are the basics. They are the same pitches as "You-hoo". Musically, they would be the third and fifth of a chord. Using this method of singing, you can transfer the previous rhythms onto pitches.

3. You can now use hand signs for "so" and "mi" to help the students get a physical connection to the pitches. This is one of the basics of the Kodály approach.

To use Sol and Mi - you would have the so be placed at neck level and mi would be chest level. This way the kids, by looking at your hands, can see if the pitch is going up or down. They also enjoy learning how to make the hand signs themselves. This especially helps the kinesthetic learner understand the concept of pitch.

4. Create a simple set of patterns which can be put into the ABACADA form - the same as the "Viennese Clock" rondo. The students could also put together a simple rondo form using ABACA as the form. Have them sing the tones using the "Sol" and "Mi" Hand signs.

Learn more about Kodály Solfege Hand Signs.

Lesson 7 - Orff Instruments in the Rondo form

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

Learn more about Orff instruments

Objective
Students will be able to create a rondo using Orff instruments.

Materials
Orff instruments - full compliment or a mixed grouping.

Your Orff instruments may include all or some of the following:
Glockenspiels
Metallophones
Xylophones
Bass bars or contra bass bars

1. Set up Orff instruments according to what you have. For the best use of time, you should remove bars before class. This way the kids just have the experience. You should know which instruments you have available to use:

• A Full Complement of Orff instruments would include xylophones, metallophones, and glockenspiels and contra bass bars. Many classrooms do not have all of these and may want to substitute at classroom percussion instrument for one of the 4 sets in a ABACADA rondo. You could use a triangle group, a hand drum group, or another classroom instrument you have multiples of.
• Pieces and Parts: You may have a couple of instruments but not all of them. You may have 1 xylophone, 4 glockenspiels, and no metallophones. Use whatever you have. Just set them up in four groups instead of four instrument sets.

Note: You may have an instrument that does not vibrate when you use the mallets correctly. Remove the bar and check that the rubber tubing is still intact. There should be black or gray rubber tubing that cushions the bar from contact with the wooden soundbox. If it is gone, you'll need to either replace it or use a quick fix of rubber bands between the pegs. If the rubber tubing is flat or sticky, you'll need to remove it and fix it so it will vibrate.

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. In this exercise it will be a drone for each part to keep it simple for this grade level. You will then alternate parts in the ABACADA form by designating each group A,B,C,or D.
• It is easiest for students at this age to move mallets at the same time. It is important that each student has two mallets so that they get used to the coordination for later playing with individual hands.

Level 1 Drone Rhythms for Orff Instruments:
These are basic drones that have the student using the mallets together.

Level 2 Rhythms for Orff instruments:
These are still basic, but students will practice individual mallet movement. You will need to introduce the repeat sign. This is the sign at the end of the measure and indicates that the player should repeat the measure. This way you only need to write the measure one time instead of two.

3. Have all students learn all parts. (Level one or two) This may take more than one class. You want each child to feel successful - so make a big deal when they play. You should also play with them so they can mimic your movements correctly.

Make your own Rondo form.

• basic rondo is A B A
• Other rondo forms can be: A B A C A
  A B A C A D A (i.e.: "The Viennese Musical Clock")

Students are in as many groups as you need for your rondo. You can have them play the rondo one of three ways:

1. The groups are the division and they all play the same drone.
2. The groups are the division and they all play a different drone.
3. The parts are the division and they all play the whole rondo.

One example for how to divide the instruments is given below: (or linked to) Remember, these are only guidelines. Use your own creativity in your lessons.

Zoltán Kodály Links