Fifth Grade

5th Grade Music - VIRTUAL LESSON Eleven & Twelve: 

EXPLORING FORM IN MUSIC!

Throughout the year, we have listened to music by many different composers, and from many different genres. While listening, we often will listen for the musical FORM of the piece. 

FORM is simply how the piece is organized into sections. Most commonly, we find AB form, or verse/refrain form. However, there are several other forms in music that composers and arrangers sometimes use.

This little video is a great tool to help us understand basic form in music. You will enjoy that the creator of this video uses music and explanations YOU will know, as samples to explain form! He also shows how form is not just used in music, but also found in art and literature! 

Check it out!

FORM (AB)

Sometimes composers use one basic theme, then make variations on that theme to make the song interesting! This is a wonderful demo of a basic theme with many creative variations!

FORM (THEME & VARIATION)

Did you know famous artists have also used the concept of theme and variation?

Check out a few variations from artist Claude Monet's famous "Haystacks" set:

Monet (1840-1926, France, Impressionist Painter)- Haystacks Paintings from larger series 1890-91

Morning Effect

Midday

End of Summer

Snow Effect, Morning

Sunset, Snow Effect

One of the most famous Theme & Variations you may have heard before, 

comes from American composer, Aaron Copland. 

This is a small section, Simple Gifts, from his larger work, Appalachian Spring. 

As you listen, consider the following:

*How many different variations can you hear after the theme is presented?

*What musical elements does he use to create the variations?

Are you bored with your regular breakfast? 

Create some Theme and Variations with your toast! :)

5th Grade Music - VIRTUAL LESSON Ten: EXPLORING LATIN JAZZ

May 5th is CINCO DE MAYO! 

Since we've been exploring JAZZ during the month of April, and May 5th is Cinco de Mayo, we're going to celebrate the importance of the Spanish and Cuban rhythmic influence on Jazz Music!

"Spanish tinge"—The Cuban influence in early jazz and Latin jazz

African American music began incorporating Afro-Cuban musical elements in the 19th century, when the Cuban habanera rhythm gained international popularity. The habanera was the first written music to be rhythmically based on an African motif. The habanera rhythm (also known as congo, tango-congo, or tango ) can be thought of as a combination of tresillo and the backbeat. Wynton Marsalis considers tresillo to be the New Orleans "clave." 

Try to clap or tap both patterns along with the sample sound clip:

Habanera Tresillo Pattern sample:

"St. Louis Blues" (1914) by W. C. Handy has a habanera-tresillo bass line. Handy also included this rhythm in his "Memphis Blues", and the chorus of "Beale Street Blues", and other compositions.

See if you can hear the habanera-tresillo rhythm 

(HINT- Pay close attention to the piano part!!)

St. Louis Blues by W.C. Handy, played by Wynton Marsalis

Here is a GREAT explanation of the roots of the Tresillo rhythm from Afro-Cuban and Latin Jazz music all the way to many pop songs YOU will recognize in this! 

You'll enjoy this one! Now that you know what a tresillo rhythm is, see how many other of your favorite pop songs have used these "old" rhythms! Cool, huh?

5th Grade Music - VIRTUAL LESSON Eleven: EXPLORING JAZZ- part 3!

EXPLORING MILES DAVIS

Another very famous Jazz musicians not mentioned in the link material above in lesson five, is Miles Davis. Miles Davis changed what people thought of jazz over time. He was an incredibly talented trumpet player and jazz composer/arranger. One of his famous pieces called "Kind of Blue" is featured in this video, as are other songs from his album Kind of Blue. 

This video gives a little view into how he changed jazz over time. Although some of the musical terms or concepts used in this video are beyond what we'd know or learn in 4th grade music, some of you may be able to follow some of what they are talking about. The second video is just the audio recording from the first song called, "So What" from Miles Davis album Kind of Blue. 

Listen for the types of instruments you hear, and see if you can hear some of the elements they bring up in the first videos we watched. Remember, Miles Davis did NOT give any of the musicians any written music for this entire album! He wanted the album to be free, spontaneous, and full of improvisation! SO COOL! Enjoy these clips. 

HOW MILES DAVIS CHANGED JAZZ

Miles Davis "So What" from the album Kind of Blue (audio only)

5th Grade music- LESSON FOUR: 

Exploring TIMBRE with STOMP and creating your OWN nontraditional instrument!

We have discussed the word TIMBRE in class in the past, but in case you have forgotten what it means, the official definition  and pronunciation is: 

5th Grade Music - VIRTUAL LESSON eight: EXPLORING JAZZ- part 1!

DID YOU KNOW THAT APRIL IS NATIONAL JAZZ APPRECIATION MONTH?!

To honor Jazz month, we will dive a bit into JAZZ music for a few online lessons this month. This year we have learned about spirituals, slave songs, code songs, field hollers, and then blues. Blues music is the basis for Jazz, so you will have a better understanding of the roots of Jazz music. Here are a few basic things to understand, and a handful of famous jazz musicians/pieces to listen to. As you listen to the songs or view the video links provided, there are musical elements listed above them for you to consider for listening and evaluating.

Are there elements in the music you have not heard in other types of music before? Enjoy!

What is jazz?

Jazz is a type of music which was invented in the United States. Jazz music combines African-American music, spirituals, blues, folk music, and some European music. Jazz was very popular in the 1920s & 30s. Some common jazz instruments include the saxophone, trumpet, piano, double bass, and drums. It is very difficult to give an exact definition for "jazz". One important part of jazz is improvisation (improv), which means the person playing is making music up as they go along. If a jazz band is playing a song, the song may have several solos where one player will improvise while the rest of the band, except for the rhythm section (such as the piano, bass, or drums), does not play. The improv solo gets passed around, typically after 12 bars or measures of music. This type of form is based off the 12-Bar Blues pattern. Jazz music does often take a new twist and goes beyond the 12-bar progression.

Types of Jazz

There have been different types of jazz over time. In the 1920s, there was New Orleans-style jazz and  Dixieland jazz. In the 1930s, swing jazz became popular, and later turned into big band jazz. In the 1940s, bebop became a common type of jazz, with fast songs and complex harmony. Large jazz bands, which are called big bands, were also popular in the 1940s. Big bands usually have 5 saxophone players, 4 or 5 trumpet players, 4 trombone players, a piano player or guitar player, an acoustic bass player, a drummer, and sometimes a singer. In the 1950s, there was hard bop jazz. In the 1960s, there was modern jazz and free jazz. In the 1970s, jazz fusion began to blend jazz music with rock music. Some jazz is still played with the same improv methods as it did at its beginning, except with modern electronic instruments.

Introduction to Jazz for Young People, Part 1- Does it Swing?

5th Grade Music - VIRTUAL LESSON Nine: EXPLORING JAZZ- part 2!

INTERACTIVE JAZZ LINK: Please click on this interactive jazz link, to read the Scholastic page for details about the different types of jazz over time, listen to some short jazz music samples, and an explanation of important jazz facts for students, by Wynton Marsalis! This is an AWESOME LINK and scholastic article for our lesson today- check it out! You will recognize one of your favorite jazz musicians that we learned about back in February! http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/history_of_jazz.htm

*After reading through and listening to the samples above, watch the next part of the Animated Jazz Series for kids here. Lots of audience participation in this video! Get ready to sing and scat along! 

Introduction to Jazz for Young People, Part 2