Harmonyunit
Harmonyunit
Objectives:
By the end of this Prepare lesson, students will be exposed and experience music that can be
identified as harmonic or nonharmonic.
By the end of this Prepare lesson, students will identify excerpts of music as harmonic or
nonharmonic without using the musical vocabulary.
Pr.2.5.a Demonstrate understanding of the structure and the elements of music (such as
rhythm, pitch, form, and harmony) in music selected for performance.
Materials of Instruction:
- Projector/Promethean Board
- Youtube
- Personal iPad
- Ukuleles
- Open space
- Students will refine their strumming skills using chords C and Am.
- Ta ta titi titi
Activity #1: Prepare lesson - Students are solely exposed to the two categories of
music: harmonic and nonharmonic.
1. Who has a school appropriate song they’d like us to learn on the ukulele?
2. Start song and encourage kids to choose the chords they play.
3. Did that song we played sound good? No!
Elementary School Class Session Template
Objectives:
By the end of this present lesson, students will categorize excerpts of a vocal or instrumental
pieces as containing or not containing harmony.
By the end of this present lesson, students will identify and define the word “harmony.”
Pr.2.5.a Demonstrate understanding of the structure and the elements of music (such as
rhythm, pitch, form, and harmony) in music selected for performance.
Materials of Instruction:
- Projector/Promethean Board
- Youtube
- Personal iPad
- Ukuleles
- Open space
- Students will refine their strumming skills using chords C and Am.
- Ta ta titi titi
Transition: Today, we are going to listen to the same songs we did last time and
put them into categories.
Activity #2: This or That
1. I’m going to play a song and I would like you to move to the side of the
room that you think the song belongs to. We’ll call the door side
“Harmonic” and the piano side nonharmonic.
2. For each excerpt, remind students if they can hear the notes getting along
or not.
3. Between each excerpt ask a different student why they chose the side
they did. Note the students who were undecided or chose the opposite
side.
4. After each excerpt, have a student categorize the name of the excerpt on
the board of harmonic or not.
1. Who has a school appropriate song they’d like us to learn on the ukulele.
2. Start song and encourage kids to choose the chords they play.
3. Did those chords play along? Which side of the room would we put how
our class sounded? Nonharmonic.
1. What is the name of the side we gave to songs that had notes that played
along? Harmony
2. How did you know if the notes played along? What did it sound like? Nice,
easy to listen to, happy, etc.
3. What do we call those notes that play along? Harmony
4. Did the songs on the piano side of the room have notes that made a
harmony? Not really.
5. So, if we hear instruments or voices singing multiple notes, will it always
be pretty? No.
6. What would we call it if they sang or played different notes and they
sounded like they fit together? Harmony
7. Is it okay if they play notes that don’t always play along? Yes
8. Is it still music? Yes.
9. In music, there isn’t a right and wrong answer for everything. When we
talk about harmony, which is what? Notes that play along. Sometimes it’ll
sound different to everyone. Some people may think this song is for a
celebration, and some may think it is sad. It is about interpretation. BUT,
there are harmonies in songs that have more than one note playing at the
same time.
Objectives:
By the end of this Practice lesson, students will compose a short piece of music that they
identify as containing harmony.
By the end of this Practice lesson, students will compose a short piece of music that they
identify as not containing harmony.
By the end of this Practice lesson, students will compose music as a small group using
classroom instruments.
Pr.2.5.a Demonstrate understanding of the structure and the elements of music (such as
rhythm, pitch, form, and harmony) in music selected for performance.
Materials of Instruction:
- Projector/Promethean Board
- Piano
- GLockenspiel
- Ukuleles
- Boomwhackers
- Xylophones
- Students will refine their strumming skills using chords C and Am.
- Ta ta titi titi
1. What did we do last time in music? Listen to a bunch of songs and move
to the place in the room where they belong.
2. What two types of songs did we listen to? Songs that had harmony and
songs that had no harmony
3. Sometimes notes get along and sound like they fit together, and
sometimes they don’t. What do I mean by that? They way the notes go up
and down or sound at the same time, not speed or volume.
Transition: Today, we are going to compose music with harmony.
1. Everyone will be split into a group of three and given the choice of any
Pitched classroom instrument. Everyone in the group must play the same
family of instrument, but can be on different pitches.
2. Each group will compose a short song with harmony and a short song
without harmony.
3. Teacher will set a 20 minute timer for each group to have time to compose
and practice. Students do not need to notate or write down their
compositions.
4. After time is up, each group will perform their two short songs to the class.
5. What are some ways we can be good audience members? Not talking,
watching the performers, clapping at the end, using kind words to
encourage them, etc.
6. Everyone will work as a group together to create music, so be kind when
talking with your group members.