Music Lesson Plan

Name​: JD&HB

Grade/Level​: 9th Grade Duration​: 20 Topic​: Blues Scales

Materials Needed for This Lesson:

● Instruments: Both wind, and metallic bar percussion
● Piano
● White Board and markers

Lesson Objectives:
● Students will construct a blues scale under direction in concert Bb
● Students will understand the construction process of blues scales
● Students will play a blues scale in concert Bb
● Students will have a call and response over Bb changes with the Bb blues scale

CA State Standards Addressed:

● Strand Nov., Concept MU:E., PO Cr1: Compose and improvise melodic and rhythmic
ideas or motives that reflect characteristic(s) of music or text(s) studied in rehearsal.
● Nov.MU:E.Cr2: Select and develop draft melodic and rhythmic ideas or motives that
demonstrate understanding of characteristic(s) of music or text(s) studied in rehearsal.

National Music Standard(s) Achieved:

Creating
  X Imagine: Generate musical ideas for various purposes and contexts
X Plan and Make: Select and develop musical ideas for defined purposes and contexts
☐ Evaluate and Refine: Evaluate and refine selected musical ideas to create musical work
that meets appropriate criteria
X Present: Share creative musical work that conveys intent, demonstrates craftsmanship,
and exhibits originality
Performing
☐ Select: Select varied musical works to present based on interest, knowledge, technical
skill, and context
☐ Analyze: Analyze the structure and context of varied musical works and their
implications for performance
☐ Interpret: Develop personal interpretations that consider creators’ intent
X Rehearse, Evaluate, and Refine: Evaluate and refine personal and ensemble
performances, individuality or in collaboration with others
☐ Present: Perform expressively, with appropriate interpretation and technical accuracy,
and in a manner appropriate to the audience and context
Responding
 X Select: Choose music appropriate for a specific purpose or context
X Analyze: Analyze how the structure and context of varied musical works inform the
response
☐ Interpret: Support interpretations of musical works that reflect creators’/performers’
expressive intent
☐ Evaluate: Support evaluations of musical works and performances based on analysis,
interpretation, and established criteria
Connecting
☐ Connect: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make music
☐ Connect: Relate musical ideas and works to varied contexts and daily life to deepen
understanding

LESSON ACTIVITIES

Introductory Activity:
● Students will listen to a few minutes of Freddie Freeloader, and share their thoughts
o Time allotted: 4 min
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPfFhfSuUZ4

Body of the Lesson

● Students will learn to construct a blues scale in Bb
o Instructor at the board, write out Bb blues for both concert pitch instruments and
Bb instruments
o Formative Assessment: The students will construct a blues scale in F together,
without input from the instructor
o Instructional Strategy: lecture and collaboration
o Time allotted:10 min

● Students will play the Bb blues scale

o Plan for 100% engagement: Students with a wind instrument will use instruments,
those without will use either voice or metallic percussion instruments
o The students will play up and down the scale in quarter notes at 80 bpm
o The students will also review their swing by playing the same scale in 8th notes at
80 bmp swung
o Formative Assessment: The ensemble should be playing the same notes
o Instructional Strategy: performance
o Time allotted: 2 min

● Students will play the scale over 3 minutes of the blues changes; choosing for themselves
to use either quarter or 8th notes, or alternate between the two
o Plan for 100% engagement: all students should be playing together
o Modifications/Accommodations: voice and instruments together
o Formative Assessment: students should be playing the same notes
o Instructional Strategy: performance or demonstration
 o Time allotted: 3 min

Concluding Activity ​(final activity of the lesson that that pulls together all of the concepts from
the lesson in a musical success experience)
● Students will do a call and response with the instructor using the blues scale
o Plan for 100% engagement: use both voice and instruments
o Formative Assessment: call should sound like the response
o Instructional Strategy: demonstration
o Time allotted: 3 min

Extensions:
● If time allows, students will listen to Freddie Freeloader one more time, listening for the
blues scale

Summative Assessments:
● Assessment Activity/Assignment/Method:
o Students will have a playing test at the end of the unit in which they improvise
over Eb blues changes at home, record it, and send it in. This allows the students
to not only practice the material, but must also construct their own blues scale.

● Rubric​:
Criteria 4-Excelling; 3-Meets the 2-Approaching 1-Falls far below
Exceeds the Standard
Standard
Scale Student can With some time The student The student
construction easily and and guidance, incorrectly cannot construct
quickly construct the student can constructs a a blues scale in
a blues scale in construct a blues blues scale, but any key
any key scale in any key can correct it
when the
mistake is
pointed out
Use of scale The student uses The student uses the student uses The student
notes from the mostly notes some notes from plays without
scale from the scale the scale any evidence of
knowledge of
the scale
Style The student The student The student The student does
plays in the plays in the plays no swung not play the
appropriate style appropriate style notes at all, and correct style or
with the correct with the correct may or may not the correct scale
scale with a scale using more use the correct
variety of than 1 rhythm scale
rhythms using
swing