Karen Mari Lesson Plan - The Trouble With Triads Intermediate Ensemble Setting

National Standards 2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. 5. Reading and notating music. 6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.

Behavioral Objectives 1. When verbally prompted by the teacher, the student will verbally identify the differences between augmented, major, minor, and diminished triads 2. The student will play each type of triad in an ensemble setting 3. The student will participate in the sliding triad exercise

Prior Learning The student should have basic knowledge of intervals, should be basically proficient on their respective instruments, and should be able to read standard notation.

Materials 1. Teachers instrument 2. Students instruments 3. Chalkboard or whiteboard with appropriate writing implement 4. Piano

Procedure 1. Opening a. The students will warm up by playing a C major concert scale 2. Introduction a. The teacher will begin by displaying a C major triad on the board, then asking students to identify what was written. b. The teacher will explain that a triad is made up of three notes, and a major triad specifically made up of a major third and a minor third. c. The teacher will ask students to identify the root, third, and fifth of the triad. d. The students will play the C major triad on their instruments individually e. The students will play the C major triad as a group. (Low voices C. middle voices E, High voices G) f. The teacher will repeat steps a-c with a minor triad (mM), a diminished triad (mm), and an augmented triad (MM) g. The teacher will demonstrate each type of triad without naming it, and ask the class to use their ears to identify what was played. 3. Performance a. The teacher will explain that the class will be playing a warm up entitled Sliding Triads b. The teacher will explain how the warm up will work, demonstrate the warm up on the piano, divide the group into four sections, assign each section a member of the triad, then conduct the following: i. Four groups will each be assigned one note of the C major triad, with the C doubled

ii. All four groups will play hold notes at once iii. The players who are holding the third of the chord (E) will move down one half step (Eb/D#), producing a C minor triad iv. The players who are holding the fifth of the chord (G) will move down one half step (Gb/F#), producing a C diminished triad v. The players who are holding the root of the chord (C) will move down one half step (Cb/B), producing a Cb Major or B Major triad vi. The students will repeat this pattern until they reach a G major triad. 4. Closing a. The teacher will ask the students what types of triads they created, and what type they did not create in the warm up.

Assessment 1. The teacher will listen as the students play triads 2. The teacher will ask questions throughout the lesson

Evaluation 1. What parts of the lesson went well? a. The class was able to identify triads by sight and by ear, and was able to successfully perform the sliding triads warm up at the end of the lesson. 2. What parts of the lesson did not go as planned? a. There was a fair bit of confusion in regards to cueing and groups the teacher would do well to clearly identify who is

playing what parts and when the parts move. 3. What parts of the lesson could be changed for the better? a. A better representation of the warm up, i.e. a more detailed map of the notes, would have greatly benefited the clarity of instruction.