Lesson #1: Range

State Standard

25A Stage H 4: Explain how organizational principles are combined to

produce balance in a musical performance.

Central Focus

Students will analyze the structure and applications of ensemble balance.

Learning Target Students will develop their knowledge of the principles of balance and the
Pyramid of Sound and apply the first guideline: Range
Teacher Does

Students Do

Pre-assessment Teacher hands out pre-assessment quiz and

Students complete preinstructs students to do their best and that they may assessment.
not know all of the answers yet. The same quiz
will be given on the final day of the lessons
sequence to measure student growth.
Balance
Discussion

Teacher poses the question what is balance and

Students discuss balance
why do we need it? and facilitates a classroom
and what they already
discussion. Teacher asks what do we already
know about it.
know about balance? so we can build off students'
prior knowledge.

Guideline 1:
Range

Guide class to a discussion of how range applies to

balance. Perform an experiment and have a
trombone play their middle F and a trumpet play
their high G. Ask the woodwinds which note
sounds louder. Perform the same experiment with
bass and soprano clarinet and ask the brass which
note sounds louder. Ask the class what parameter
that we just demonstrated can have a great effect
on an ensemble's balance. Prompt them towards
the word range if needed. Once the general
guideline is established that higher notes sound
louder, the teacher will ask what we can do to
ensure that the upper voices do not dominate the
ensemble. Experiment with their suggestions
including trying a square of sound where all
instruments play the same volume and an upside
down pyramid.

Pyramid of
Sound

Students play notes on

high/low instruments,
determine which sounds
louder.

Decide on guideline 1:
Range
Students suggest ways to
ensure upper voices do
not dominate.
Students experiment with
different sound shapes.

Most students have heard of the three-tiered

Pyramid of Sound, so we will focus on why it
exists and the benefits of using a four-tiered
system. Guide discussion towards the Pyramid of
Sound concept. Students will likely not know why Suggest instruments for
there are four tiers instead of three, so start filling Pyramid of Sound
in instruments on the top and bottom. When an

instrument is suggested that has 3 parts (trumpet,

clarinet, trombone), ask that section to play a note
in three different octaves (concert F for brass,
concert D for clarinets). Ask the class which part
sounds loudest (1st part). What can we do about
this? Balance the three octaves, then guide
discussion to how each section needs a small
pyramid of sound within itself, especially because
the parts sometimes vary in range by over an
octave. This means that 1st parts for these
instruments should be in a higher group on the
ensemble Pyramid of Sound. Continue filling in
instruments. Practice the Pyramid concept by
building a chord from the lowest group to the
highest. Explain that because of the way range and
sound works, the pyramid concept makes sure that
all parts can be heard even when playing in
multiple different octaves.
Application to Apply to music: mm. 148, mm. 96, mm. 168
music

Play in three octaves

Discuss how to balance
between octaves

Build a chord from low

instruments to high
instruments

Apply range concepts to

music

Lesson #2: Melodic Function

State Standard

25A Stage H 4: Explain how organizational principles are combined to

produce balance in a musical performance.

Central Focus

Students will analyze the structure and applications of ensemble balance.

Learning Target Students will develop their knowledge of the principles of balance and apply
the second guideline: melodic function
Teacher Does
Warm-Up

Guideline 2:
Melodic
Function

Teacher starts with the regular warm up but tells

the students to pretend that the brass is the melody
and the woodwinds are background parts. Next,
teacher tells students to pretend the woodwinds are
the melody and brass are a counter melody. Ask
them what they changed based on the role they
were playing. Highlight that no instructions were
given concerning individual dynamics and that
they used their knowledge of melodic function and
their ears to make these changes.

Students Do
Play warm up with
different melodic
roles/functions
Describe how playing
changed based on
melodic function

Teacher asks the class for ideas about different

Discuss different melodic
roles that instruments can play in the ensemble.
functions and how they
Which are supporting and which should the listener effect balance
give attention to? How do we make ensure that
leading roles (melody, countermelody) are heard
more prominently by the listener?
Activity in sections/groups:
Play an excerpt from the music (mm. 128).
Teacher asks students in each section to identify
factors that determine volume each part should be
playing. Suggest that students take both range and
melodic function into account. Next students will
analyze which factors have the most influence on
their part. How does this change how they should
play? Once students in similar parts or sections are
ready, play again with those changes. Now,
analyze factors that influence other parts. Have
students evaluate how well other parts are doing
and provide constructive suggestions to other parts
of the ensemble. Which parts should we be
listening to? What should we do with this
information?

Application to Apply to music: mm. 128, mm. 96, mm. 34, mm.
music
148

Play mm. 128

Identify and analyze how
balance factors change
how they should play
their parts.
Analyze and evaluate
other parts based on
balance factors. Suggest
possible improvements to
the rest of the ensemble.
Apply range and melodic
function concepts

Lesson 3: Phrasing
State Standard

25A Stage H 4: Explain how organizational principles are combined to

produce balance in a musical performance.

Central Focus

Students will analyze the structure and applications of ensemble balance.

Learning Target Students will develop their knowledge of the principles of balance and apply
the third guideline: phrasing
Teacher Does
Warm-Up

Guideline 3:
Phrasing

Teacher starts with the regular warm up, but

instructs students to watch the conductor for
phrasing. Conduct different dynamic shapes and
make sure the ensemble follows them. Explain that
adding shape to lines makes them more musical
and expressive. How can this effect balance?
What would it sound like if some players phrased
lines and some didn't? What would it sound like if
the whole band phrased lines the same way?
This lesson will primarily use the chorale section at
mm. 16. Play through this section once to get a
sense of student understanding and how to best
improve it. Next, have the class bop the excerpt.
This will not only improve their timing and rhythm
counting, but guide them to hear other moving
parts. Instruct them to listen for other parts,
especially when holding long notes. If necessary,
give suggestions for certain groups to listen for,
such as group 1 playing long notes to listen for
group 2's moving lines. Ask the class what they
heard while bopping that they have not heard
before. Guide them to understand that the audience
needs to hear all the moving eighth note lines and
that students should play softer on long notes so
that this can occur. Next, conduct each group (1-4)
individually and show with conducting how to
phrase each line. Instruct them to pay close
attention to which notes to play louder and which
to play softer. Once students can mechanically
bring out moving notes by playing them stronger
than notes around them, guide them towards longer
phrases that do not sound as contrived. Tell them
to think of something personal that they can
express through this section of music. Explain how
this makes their playing more meaningful because

Students Do
Follow conducting and
play shapes that the
conductor shows
Suggest ways phrasing
can effect balance and
how this changes the
ensemble sound

Play and bop mm. 16

Share what they heard

while bopping

Phrase lines with the help

of the conductor's

Think of something
personal that they can
express through this
music

they are not just playing notes, there is emotion as

well. If needed, suggest examples of what students
can express through this section. Play the excerpt
one or two more times if needed. What was
different about the music when we attached
meaning to it? Explain that both listeners and
performers can tell the difference and latch on to
meaningful and expressive playing.
Application to Apply to music: mm. 16, mm. 8, mm. 148
music

Play mm. 16 with

personal expression in
mind, suggest ways that
this changes playing

Apply range, melodic

function, and range
concepts