7th Grade Orchestra Rehearsal

March 11, 2020

Rehearsal Objectives:
• Students will be able to play measures 2-3 of Star Wars with accurate rhythms at below concert speed
(about 70 bpm)
• Students will have accurate entrances and dynamics in Burst! From measures 47 - end.

Bell Work:
Students will enter class, unpack and begin looking at measures 2-3 of star wars focusing on notes, not
rhythm.

Good News & Attendance:

Students will share good news following the Capturing Kid’s Hearts Guidelines.

Tune
Students will hum/sing and then play open string making their own adjustments. Mr. Mohr will facilitate
this and roam the room, helping students as needed.

Warm Up:
• Students will play a G major scale using rhythm pattern 1, which is provided on the whiteboard. Focus
will be on correct quarter note length and articulate triplets.
• Students will play a G major scale using rhythm pattern 2 focusing on the same principles.
• Finally, students will play a G major scale with Basses, Cellos, and Second Violins playing Rhythm
pattern 1 and violas and first violins playing rhythm pattern 2.
• This warm up serves to teach students the basic rhythmic interplay that happens in measures 2-3 of Star
Wars.

Rehearsal
I. Star Wars
A. Examine the image of the score from Star Wars. Point out to students how the rhythm works
similarly to what they just played in warm ups. Play video of Star Wars for the students at .75
speed via YouTube a few times to illustrate this.
B. Breaking it down and building it up.
1. Begin by having Cello/Bass play measures 2 and 3 with everything as triplets! Once they can
do this, go through the same process with Violas, then combine.
2. Repeat this process until all players are playing.
3. While working with sections, other players should be shadow bowing and fingering their
parts from measures 1-7.
4. Now, return rhythms to how they were printed in the score. Begin with violins this time and
go down the sections adding players.
5. It may be necessary to pair instruments again during the building up part— firsts and violas,
seconds, cellos, and basses.
C. Measures 4-10.
 1. Have all parts but first count through their measures. Then add firsts back into the mix.
Explain that this section is an us vs. them. The violins have the melody and the other parts are
the accompaniment and have very similar rhythms.
2. Students will have 3 minutes to practice their parts and notes from 4-10.
3. Bring students back together and build this part up.

II. Burst!
A. Play measures 1-17 of Burst. Compare Burst to Impulse from the last Concert. Have the students
raise their hand and talk about what is similar and what is different.
1. Similarities include: style, key of E dorian (D major is acceptable), similar ending and
dynamics contrast. Similar teams of instruments, etc.
B. Transition from that to working on the ending: the last three measures should feel very similar to
impulse.
1. Start with the last 2 measures making sure the articulation is correct- off the string, short and
snappy!
2. Expand back to 4 from the end (m. 49)
3. Finally begin at measure 47. Eighth notes here must be off the string — the must have a
bounce to them. Make sure the students know when the other parts enter— have them raise
their hand and mark in their score when the other players come in.
4. Finally, work on the same section adding dynamics.
C. Close the lesson by running a section from Burst.