Content and Achievement Standards

Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments

B. Improvise simple rhythmic and melodic ostinato accompaniments

Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.

a. Describe specific musical events in a given example using appropriate
terminology
b. Demonstrate knowledge of rhythm and syncopation in the analysis of
music.

Class Goals and Objectives

Reinforce students knowledge of meter

Enable students to aurally identify rhythmic ostinatos.
If there is time, students will be able to hear tonal ostinato.

Materials

A recording of the song Chameleon

Perception charts
Copy of Lesson Plan

Procedures
1. Students and instructor will discuss the genres of music.
QUESTION: Who here knows some different genres of music? What are some
sub-genres within large genres (such as bebop, latin jazz and funk in jazz,
classical has renaissance, baroque, etc)?
PROMPT:
Today we are going to listen to a song and I want you to listen
the instruments being used.
2. Students will listen to the recording of Chameleon. (Up to 2:15)
QUESTION: What instruments were being used in what we listened? Did this
music sound fast or slow to you?
PROMPT:
Before we listen to the song again, here is a perception chart
that I want you to
follow and figure out as the music
plays.
3. Students will listen to the recording of Chameleon again. (Same length of
time).
QUESTION: Ask questions regarding the answers to the perception chart.
What do we call a repeated pattern in music that you learned with Mrs.
Rodriguez and Dr. Gerrity on Tuesday?
PROMPT:
We learned what an ostinato was on Tuesday. As we listen this
next time, I will sing two pitches that go along with this song. I will cue you
guys in when to sing with me.

4. The instructor sing the two root pitches associated with the bassline. The
instructor will also write the names of the solfege on the board.
QUESTION: How many different pitches did we sing? What syllables did we
use to sing the pitches?
PROMPT:
music.

Now I use to come up with our own rhythm that fits with the

5. Students will create their own rhythm using half notes, quarter notes and
quarter rests. (8 beats)
QUESTION: Who would like to volunteer their little composition for us to
learn? (If no one responds, call on students)
PROMPT:
Write the rhythm on the chalk board. Lets clap through this and
say the rhythm together on bahhhh.
6. Students and instructor will clap and say the rhythm.
QUESTION: This is a rhythmic ostinato. Who can give me another rhythmic
ostinato? Nobody? Ill have to call on one of you then.
PROMPT: Students will come up with at least 1 more rhythmic ostinato
(preferably that the class will do together.
7. Students and the instructor will clap the different rhythms that students have
created together as a class.
PROMPT:
pitches to.

Now I am going to choose which one we are going to add

8. The instructor have 3 notes per measure for students to choose from (Bb, Db,
and Ab for the 1st measure and Eb, Gb, and Db for the 2nd measure).
PROMPT: Now that we have added pitches to this ostinato, it is called a tonal
ostinato. A tonal ostinato is when we have repeated pitches that are played in
a pattern, just like a repeated rhythmic ostinato. Now lets listen to the song
again and Ill play the rhythmic and tonal ostinato we created. I want you to
clap the rhythm as the music begins.
9. The students clap the rhythm of the ostinato and the instructor will play the
tonal ostinato.
QUESTION: What is an ostinato? What is a rhythmic ostinato? What is the
difference between a rhythmic and tonal ostinato? What meter were we in?
PROMPT: Now it is time to transition to Mrs. Lafferty and what she is going
to teach you.
Assessment of Goals and Objectives
Assessment will be formative and conducted through question and answer events.
Students will also participate to create their own rhythmic and tonal ostinato. Tonal

ostinato was briefly touched and students will write on the back of their sheet what
an ostinato (both rhythmic and tonal) are.
Follow up Lessons
Future lessons will have a group of us teaching the students what popular song form
is. We will review meter, the types of ostinato, and what the 12-bar blues
progression is in the coming lessons.