Basic Information
Apprentice Teacher: Grace Arndt
VTPT Lesson Plans
Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills for this rehearsal
Ability to match pitch
Ability to keep a beat
Understanding of the concept of “echo-translating”
Ability to sing a major scale on solfege
Knowledge of and ability to sing “marcato” and “legato”
Ability to hold a melody when surrounded by others singing a different part
Behavioral Objectives
At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:
Accurately echo and echo-translate Level 1 rhythm patterns (simple and compound)
(INAS 4)
Accurately echo and echo-translate Level 1 tonal patterns (major and minor) (INAS4)
Accurately breath with proper technique and posture (INAS7)
Accurately demonstrate the ability to switch between vocal registers (INAS7)
Accurately demonstrate consistent quality production of the vowels [u], [o], [a] (INAS7)
Accurately demonstrate consistent quality production of the consonants [t], [m], [k], [g],
[f], [n], [b] (INAS7)
Accurately demonstrate the ability to sing an exercise in legato or marcato styles
(INAS7)
Accurately sing a solfege exercise in a round while maintaining independence in own
part (INAS7)
Dependently listen and adjust balance and blend while singing an exercise (INAS7)
Materials
Piano or other instrument to get starting pitches
Procedures
Rhythm Echoing
Prompt students: “Beat, beat, echo me.”
o Model keeping a beat on the body.
Students begin keeping the beat on their body
Speak the level one rhythmic syllables, allowing the students to echo after each pattern
o Ta ta, ta-di ta, ta ta-di, ta-di ta-di, ta ta, ta-ki-da ta, ta ta-ki-da, ta-ki-da ta-ki-da, ta
ta
In rhythm, instruct students to echo-translate as you speak the same rhythm patterns on
“pa”
o Give feedback on student responses, repeat some patterns if necessary
Level One (Simple Meter):
Level One (Compound Meter):
Tonal Echoing
Major
o Establish key: “DMSMD: This is home.”
Choose comfortable key
o Sing level 1 major patterns on solfege, allowing students to echo back.
DMS, DSM, MSD, MDS, SDM, SMD
Demonstrate when it is the instructor’s time to sing vs. the student’s time.
o Instruct students to echo-translate the patterns the teacher sings on “pa”
Show feedback by repeating any patterns that are weaker or hesitant
Minor
o Establish key: “LDMDL: This is home.”
Choose comfortable key
o Sing level 1 minor patterns on solfege, allowing students to echo back.
LDM, LMD, DLM, DML, MLD, MDL
Demonstrate when it is the instructor’s time to sing vs. the student’s time.
o Instruct students to echo-translate the patterns the teacher sings on “pa”
Show feedback by repeating any patterns that are weaker or hesitant
Respiration
Have students stand.
Model breathing exercise (in 4, out 4) with arm movements following a paper airplane.
Students echo
Repeat, increasing length of time breathing in and out (4, 8, 12, 16, 20) and providing
specific feedback on their breathing technique
o Go no higher than 20, then reverse back down to end on 4
Phonation
Establish starting Key of C Major
Model D~D’ DMSD’SMD (~ = glide) on [u]
Prompt students to echo, modulate down by half steps until the key of Ab, then back up
until the key of G
o Assess the students’ ability to change registers
o Provide feedback to improve/reinforce
Resonant Tone Production
Establish starting key of E major.
Model DRT DRT DRT on [u], [o], [a]
Students echo
Repeat, moving up by half-steps
o Provide specific feedback on how to improve/reinforce
o Go no higher than C major.
Diction
Establish starting key (C major).
Model S S S S SFMRD on using vowels [i], [ɛ], [ɑ] [u] starting on consonant [b].
Students echo
Repeat, moving up by half-steps and providing specific feedback
o Change consonants: [t], [m], [k], [g], [f], [n] and provide feedback to
improve/reinforce
Expression
Establish starting key of C major
Model DMSMD on [du]
Students echo
Repeat, moving up by half-steps
o Every 2nd or 3rd modulation, call out a different articulation style for the students
to emulate (legato, marcato)
o Provide specific feedback to improve/reinforce their knowledge and application
of the articulations
Part-singing
Establish starting key of D major.
Prompt class to sing scale on solfege: D DRD DRMRD, etc. and back down: D DTD
DTLTD, etc.
o Students sing through whole exercise
Split class in half down the middle
o Designate side 1 (left) and side 2 (right)
Have side 1 start first, then cue side 2 to start when side 1 sings their second D.
Provide feedback to improve/reinforce
If there is time, switch the assignments of the sides, with side 2 starting first.
Balance/Blend
Establish starting key of C major
Prompt class to sing DMSMD on solfege at mezzo forte level
Have students sing the exercise again but have half the class sing forte and the other half
piano.
Ask “was that balanced?”
Have students sing the exercise again at the same dynamic level of mezzo forte.
Continue exercise, going up by half steps each time.
o Provide specific feedback about their balance and blend.
