Mix and match activities to create a fun lesson on learning the basics of melodic improvisation. Integrate solfeg.io in teaching your students the history of melodic improvisation and creating their own improvisation along a popular song.
🎲 What’s included in the activities:
💻 Materials:
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
What are your associations when you hear the word 'improvisation'?
Can you explain what improvisation is?
Do you know any examples of improvised music?
When was the last time you improvised?
What did you do?
🕐 Time: 15 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
-Tell the class about the history of improvisation. Depending on your students' knowledge of music history, choose topics from this list to talk in more depth or do an overview of improvisation throughout different eras.
People improvised counterpoint over a cantus firmus.
People improvised melodies over ostinato chord patterns.
People improvised ornamentation and embellishments in instrumental and vocal music.
There were improvised, freely formed musical forms, for example, fantasias.
Basso continuo - improvised accompaniment that includes chords and also counterpoints suitable to the melody over a given bass.
Johann Sebastian Bach and other composers were also skilled organ improvisers who played in church services and performed at concerts.
Cadenzas (a virtuoso passage inserted near the end of a concerto movement or aria) could be written-out or improvised.
Composers, for example, Mozart and Beethoven were also known as instrumental improvisers.
Instrument players competed in improvisation battles.
Had titles of musical pieces, suggesting their improvised character, for example, 'impromptu' or 'moment musicale'.
Famous composers and virtuoso instrument players, for example, Niccolo Paganini, Franz Liszt were also known as great improvisers. At concerts, introductions to existing pieces, as well as interludes were improvised.
In opera, parts were improvised, for example, recitatives.
In aleatoric music, performers freely arrange pre-defined musical elements.
There was improvisation on standards, following a fixed harmony;
Free improvisation seems to be breaking rules and focusing on spontaneous interaction between musicians. Almost anything goes, if you listen carefully!
You can also talk about improvisation in Non-Western music, for example, Indian ragas - modes that are used in improvisations.
🕐 Time: 25 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎶 Recommended Songs:
🎲 Activity:
Bonus: you can also ask students to sing along the Chorus!
You can ask students to create a new vocal line with the existing lyrics (easier) or ask them to come up with their own new lyrics (harder).
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
How did you feel while improvising?
Do you think music you like to listen to is improvised? (Instrumental solos can be improvised, and composers and performers certainly improvise a lot before they come up with the final version of the song.)
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by...
In this lesson, students will discover how musical improvisation evolved throughout different eras. They will explore the concept of melodic contour and draw their own graphic scores of an excerpt of a popular song. Students will do vocal and/or instrumental improvisations, following their drawings and try improvising on a given harmony.
The timing and pacing of the exercises in this lesson plan example are approximate and will differ depending on your students' skill level. If the pace of this lesson plan is too fast for you, divide it into several lessons. If the pace of this lesson plan is too slow for you, explore the 'Beyond the lesson' chapter at the end of this lesson plan for additional activities.
⏰ Time: 50 min
🎓 Grades: 5-12
🎯 Objective(s): As a result of this lesson students will know and/or be able to...
💡 Required Prior Knowledge and Skills:
💻 Materials:
🕐 5 min - Everyday improvisation
What are your associations when you hear the word 'improvisation'?
Can you explain what improvisation is?
Do you know any examples of improvised music?
When was the last time you improvised?
What did you do?
🕐 15 min - History of improvisation
-Tell the class about the history of improvisation. Depending on your students' knowledge of music history, choose topics from this list to talk in more depth or do an overview of improvisation throughout different eras.
People improvised counterpoint over a cantus firmus.
People improvised melodies over ostinato chord patterns.
People improvised ornamentation and embellishments in instrumental and vocal music.
There were improvised, freely formed musical forms, for example, fantasias.
Basso continuo - improvised accompaniment that includes chords and also counterpoints suitable to the melody over a given bass.
Johann Sebastian Bach and other composers were also skilled organ improvisers who played in church services and performed at concerts.
Cadenzas (a virtuoso passage inserted near the end of a concerto movement or aria) could be written-out or improvised.
Composers, for example, Mozart and Beethoven were also known as instrumental improvisers.
Instrument players competed in improvisation battles.
Had titles of musical pieces, suggesting their improvised character, for example, 'impromptu' or 'moment musicale'.
Famous composers and virtuoso instrument players, for example, Niccolo Paganini, Franz Liszt were also known as great improvisers. At concerts, introductions to existing pieces, as well as interludes were improvised.
In opera, parts were improvised, for example, recitatives.
In aleatoric music, performers freely arrange pre-defined musical elements.
There was improvisation on standards, following a fixed harmony;
Free improvisation seems to be breaking rules and focusing on spontaneous interaction between musicians. Almost anything goes, if you listen carefully!
You can also talk about improvisation in Non-Western music, for example, Indian ragas - modes that are used in improvisations.
🕐 25 min - Improvise!
Bonus: you can also ask students to sing along the Chorus!
You can ask students to create a new vocal line with the existing lyrics (easier) or ask them to come up with their own new lyrics (harder).
🕐 5 min - Discussion
How did you feel while improvising?
Do you think music you like to listen to is improvised? (Instrumental solos can be improvised, and composers and performers certainly improvise a lot before they come up with the final version of the song.)
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by...