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

Rondo Form: K-1

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

• Mix up the cards and have the class put them back in order while listening to the music.
• 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.
  1. Extension - Have the groups make up their own movement instead of assigning them a movement.

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 to sets of four or sets of 8. Example:

• Group A - Claps 4
• Group B - Hops 4
• Group A - Claps 4
• Group C - Pats 4
• Group A - Claps 4
• Group D - Snaps 4

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:

*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,

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 "so" 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. Teacher should remove bars before class. This way the kids just play and don't try to do it themselves.

• Full Complement: Xylophones, Metallophones, and Glockenspiels and Triangles Or another classroom instrument you have multiples of.
• 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. 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.

3. Have all students learn all parts. 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.

An example is given below:

Zoltán Kodály Links