Music App w/Guitar

This section details a path for setting up your Google Classroom to accomplish the Song Parody project, including lesson resources and student examples.

Beginner assessments on Form, Rhythm, Melody & Harmony.

Instructor Note:

These summative assessments are administered through Berklee PULSE, a free platform for music educators including self grading quizzes, online games and more!

This assessment is for the 4 Chords of Pop on Guitar in the Keys of G, D, C, A, E.

• Teacher Modeling of Guitar Chord Assessment

• Chord Diagram - 4 Chords of Pop in 5 Keys

• Chord Rubric

Student Work:

• Student Example (G Major)

• Student Example of Peer Graded Rubric

Pre-Requisites - In order to help build muscle memory for these chords, I recommend an app like FourChords for iOS or Android, which will make the process of learning the chords fun and engaging for your students. I begin by teaching open chords like C, G, D, E, A, F, E minor, A minor and D minor. Next, I teach a few simple strum patterns beginning with 8th notes switching back and forth between two or more of these chords. As soon students are able to switch between the chords and strum, I jump right into FourChords to get my students playing songs.

Working in your assigned pairs, play each of the following scales ascending and descending in quarter notes at a tempo of 75 bpm. Use alternating pick style in the right hand and play the top note of each scale twice. (Alternate picking is a guitar playing technique that employs alternating downward and upward strokes in a continuous fashion. Please watch the linked video on alternate pick style.) Using the attached rubric grade your partner and use their smartphone to make a video of their final performance. (Note: You may record 4 separate videos of the scales if that is easier for you, but use a single rubric for grading.) Finally, upload a picture of the rubric your partner has used to grade you and the video of your performance back into this assignment thread.

• Teacher Modeling of Pentatonic & Blues Scales

• Modeling of Alternate Picking Style

• Scale Diagram - Minor & Major Pentatonic & Blues Scales

• Rubric - Minor & Major Pentatonic & Blues Scales, Ascending & Descending

Student Work:

• Student Example (A Minor Blues)

• Student Example of Peer Graded Rubric

This is a chord chart video provided as a scaffold with backing music for students to practice their live performance debut at a Songwriters Hall of Fame Master Session. I created the video using Little Kids Rock Powerpoint Chord Charts synchronized to the backing music using iMovie. The performance was a tribute to our guest panelists featuring their music.

• Guitar Song Medley - Practice Video

Student Work:

• Guitar Tribute - Songwriters Hall of Fame Master Session at Stuyvesant High School

Students performed their final projects live, in class. Students were not allowed to make smartphone videos and I did not make a video recording of these performances. I used the attached rubric to grade the song parodies live, while displaying the group's lyrics on the projector. As an alternative project, I encouraged students to write and perform their own original song using the 4 chords of pop as a basis.

Prompt:

DUE TODAY: One person from each group must upload a copy of the parody lyrics to be displayed during the performance. (Note: Your lyrics should be formatted in the style of the parody work sheet with the original lyrics on the left and the parody lyrics on the right.)

• Song Parody Rubric

Student Work:

• Imagine Dragons "Demons" Song Parody

• Little Kids Rock "Demons" Chord Chart

• Imagine Dragons "Demons" - Official Video