Learning Activity

Composing With Dice: Expression

Subject Area

Arts Education

Grade(s)

6

Overview

Rhythm and melody are not the only elements in a successful music composition. The elements of tempo and dynamics contribute to the expressiveness of the work. In this activity, students will use dice to randomly select tempos and dynamic levels for melodies.  These melodies can be student-composed or pre-existing. First, tempo speeds and dynamic levels will be assigned to the six numbers on a typical six-side die. Next, the students will roll the die and practice their melody using the selected tempo and dynamic level. They will repeat this process several times and determine which tempo and dynamic level capture the expressive nature of their melody. Students will keep a written log of their attempts and produce musical performances.

This activity was created as a result of the Arts COS Resource Development Summit.

Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 6 - Music

AE17.MU.6.8

Explain how the structure and the elements of music are used in music selected for performance.

Unpacked Content

UP:AE17.MU.6.8

Vocabulary

Rhythm
Melody
  • Pitch set: La- centered diatonic (minor)
  • Clef reading (diatonic)
  • Octave
  • Unison/ harmony
Harmony
  • Polyphonic
  • 2-part songs
  • 3-part songs
  • Descant
  • Bass clef
  • Accompaniment
Form
  • AB form
  • ABA form
  • Form
  • Canon
  • Composer
  • Composite forms
Expression
  • Tone Quality
  • Articulation
Other
  • Age-appropriate audience and performer etiquette
  • Age-appropriate pitch matching (G3-G5)
  • Historical periods

Essential Questions

EU: Analyzing creators' context and how they manipulate elements of music provides insight into their intent and informs performance.
EQ: How does understanding the structure and context of musical works inform performance?

Skills Examples

Performing
  • Play melodies on the recorder within an octave range, using a pleasing tone quality, both independently and collaboratively.
  • Demonstrate proper posture, hand position and embouchure for playing the recorder.
  • Demonstrate proper pitch control of notes in the lower register of the soprano recorder.
  • Play two-part and three-part recorder arrangements.
  • Perform a varied repertoire of music representing diverse cultures with appropriate dynamics and tempo.
  • Play a variety of classroom instruments, independently or collaboratively, with increasingly complex rhythms and melodic phrases.
  • Demonstrate a characteristic sound while singing unison or two-part songs.
  • Sing descants to produce harmony.
Creating
  • Demonstrate rhythmic augmentation and diminution in a familiar tune.
  • Improvise, compose and arrange music.
Reading/ Writing
  • Read, write, perform, and compose rhythm patterns and simple melodies in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and 6/8.
Responding/ Evaluating
  • Identify members of the recorder family, including soprano, alto, tenor, and bass.
  • Identify the difference between duple and simple meter.
  • Identify irregular meters such as, 7/8 and 5/4.
  • Respond appropriately to the cues of a conductor.
  • Attend live performances and demonstrate appropriate audience etiquette.
  • Describe the characteristics used by the composer in a selected musical example to create a mood or effect.
  • Recognize I, IV, and V chords in the context of a piece of music.
  • Identify composite forms, such as, opera, oratorio, and musical theatre.
  • Identify polyphonic texture.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 4: Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 6 - Music

AE17.MU.6.11

Perform a selected piece of music demonstrating how their interpretations of the elements of music and the expressive qualities convey intent.

Unpacked Content

UP:AE17.MU.6.11

Vocabulary

Rhythm
Melody
  • Pitch set: La- centered diatonic (minor)
  • Clef reading (diatonic)
  • Octave
  • Unison/ harmony
Harmony
  • Polyphonic
  • 2-part songs
  • 3-part songs
  • Descant
  • Bass clef
  • Accompaniment
Form
  • AB form
  • ABA form
  • Form
  • Canon
  • Composer
  • Composite forms
Expression
  • Tone Quality
  • Articulation
Other
  • Age-appropriate audience and performer etiquette
  • Age-appropriate pitch matching (G3-G5)
  • Historical periods

Essential Questions

EU: Performers make interpretive decisions based on their understanding of context and expressive intent
EQ: How do performers interpret musical works?

Skills Examples

Performing
  • Play melodies on the recorder within an octave range, using a pleasing tone quality, both independently and collaboratively.
  • Demonstrate proper posture, hand position and embouchure for playing the recorder.
  • Demonstrate proper pitch control of notes in the lower register of the soprano recorder.
  • Play two-part and three-part recorder arrangements.
  • Perform a varied repertoire of music representing diverse cultures with appropriate dynamics and tempo.
  • Play a variety of classroom instruments, independently or collaboratively, with increasingly complex rhythms and melodic phrases.
  • Demonstrate a characteristic sound while singing unison or two-part songs.
  • Sing descants to produce harmony.
Creating
  • Demonstrate rhythmic augmentation and diminution in a familiar tune.
  • Improvise, compose and arrange music.
Reading/ Writing
  • Read, write, perform, and compose rhythm patterns and simple melodies in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and 6/8.
Responding/ Evaluating
  • Identify members of the recorder family, including soprano, alto, tenor, and bass.
  • Identify the difference between duple and simple meter.
  • Identify irregular meters such as, 7/8 and 5/4.
  • Respond appropriately to the cues of a conductor.
  • Attend live performances and demonstrate appropriate audience etiquette.
  • Describe the characteristics used by the composer in a selected musical example to create a mood or effect.
  • Recognize I, IV, and V chords in the context of a piece of music.
  • Identify composite forms, such as, opera, oratorio, and musical theatre.
  • Identify polyphonic texture.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 4: Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 6 - Music

AE17.MU.6.16

Describe how the elements of music and expressive qualities relate to the structure of musical pieces.

Unpacked Content

UP:AE17.MU.6.16

Vocabulary

Rhythm
Melody
  • Pitch set: La- centered diatonic (minor)
  • Clef reading (diatonic)
  • Octave
  • Unison/ harmony
Harmony
  • Polyphonic
  • 2-part songs
  • 3-part songs
  • Descant
  • Bass clef
  • Accompaniment
Form
  • AB form
  • ABA form
  • Form
  • Canon
  • Composer
  • Composite forms
Expression
  • Tone Quality
  • Articulation
Other
  • Age-appropriate audience and performer etiquette
  • Age-appropriate pitch matching (G3-G5)
  • Historical periods

Essential Questions

EU: Response to music is informed by analyzing context (social, cultural, and historical) and how creators and performers manipulate the elements of music.
EQ: How does understanding the structure and context of music inform a response?

Skills Examples

Performing
  • Sight-read rhythm patterns commonly found in middle-level literature.
  • Sight-read eight-beat, stepwise, and unison melodic patterns.
  • Analyze a musical score to determine formal components such as D.C. al Fine, D.S. al Coda, etc.
Creating
  • Develop criteria to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of music performances and compositions including their own.
Reading/ Writing
  • Identify stylistic elements of a piece of music based on markings in the score.
  • Follow a musical score that contains formal components such as D.C. al Fine, D.S. al Coda, etc.
Responding/ Evaluating
  • Identify the names of the lines and spaces in the bass clef.
  • Identify accidentals, including flats, sharps, and naturals.
  • Reflect on a variety of live or recorded music performances.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.

Phase

After/Explain/Elaborate
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

Students will 

  • Explore the impact of tempo on music expressiveness
  • Explore the impact of dynamics on music expressiveness
  • Acquire skills and vocabulary to effectively communicate about the elements of tempo and dynamics in music performance

Activity Details

Opening Strategy

  • the teacher will play or sing a melody that captures the students' attention
  • the teacher will play or sing the same melody by modifying the tempo and/or dynamic
  • the students will discuss their responses to the modifications
  • the teacher will review six tempo markings (i.e., largo, andante, moderato, allegro, vivace, and prestissimo)
  • the teacher will review six dynamic levels (i.e., pianissimo, piano, mezzo piano, mezzo forte, forte, and fortissimo)
  • the teacher will ask the students if they have ever played a game with dice such as Yahtzee
  • the teacher will direct the students to the Roll a Die website
  • the teacher will demonstrate how tempo or dynamic levels can be assigned to the numbers on the die and how rolling the dice can be used to select tempo and dynamic levels

Core Strategy

  • the students will provide a melody to use in this lesson (The melody can be one that they composed or one that they are comfortable performing.)
  • the students will assign six tempo markings and six dynamic levels to the numbers on the die.
  • the students will access the Roll a Die website and practice rolling the die
  • the students will roll the die and apply the tempo and/or dynamic that are assigned to the number that comes up to their melody
  • the students will keep a written log of their attempts indicating (a) the roll number, (b) the tempo or dynamic selected, and (c) their impression or response to the expressive impact of the selection on the melody
  • students will repeat this process five times for tempo and five times for dynamics

Closing Strategy

  • the students will choose their favorite tempo and dynamic levels for the melody
  • the students will prepare and then perform the melody with their chosen tempo and dynamics for the class
  • the students will express their choices in a short written paragraph using vocabulary and concepts developed throughout the learning activity
Assessment Strategies

Assessment Strategies

Teachers will 

  • evaluate the students' written logs for effort, ability to follow directions, and rationales for choices
  • assess the students' performances for accuracy in tempo and dynamics (Do the tempo and dynamics chosen match the tempo and dynamics in the performance?)
  • examine the students' written paragraphs for understanding of the expressive nature of tempo and dynamics, the rationales for the students' choices, and writing mechanics such as grammar and spelling

Variation Tips

For advanced students, the teacher can introduce dynamic markings found in standard notation and also metronome markings found at the beginning of published music pieces. Students can practice adding those dynamic markings and metronome settings to their melodies.

If Internet access is not available, this activity can be used with a real die, or the students can make their own die.

Background and Preparation

Background / Preparation

This lesson was designed as the final part of a series of lessons (Composing With Dice: Rhythm and Composing With Dice: Melody) in which students start by composing rhythms, then add pitches, and finally choose the tempo and dynamics for a melody. It can, however, be used as a single lesson. In that case, the teacher must make sure that all students have melodies available to them that they can comfortably play/sing so that their attention can be directed at the tempo and dynamics rather than pitch and rhythm.

Digital Tools / Resources

Roll a Die
http://rolladie.net

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

mzelenak
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