In this lesson, students learn to carefully listen to and analyze music

Title – Jazz Improvisation
By – Amy Sladowski
Primary Subject – Music
Grade Level – 7-9

How to Carefully Listen To & Analyze Music

Objective: Students will learn to carefully listen and analyze music based on instrumentation, rhythms, pitch, intensity, timbre, and texture.

Homework the Night Before:

1.  Bring in pillows and blankets (this is optional but it does allow the students to feel more “relaxed” when they listen to the music).

2.  Bring in your favorite song on a CD. Be sure that the song is school-appropriate.

Before Lesson Begins:

1.  Move all desks to the side of the room and have students make themselves comfortable with pillows and blankets.

First Listen

1.  Listen for how the song is constructed

2.  How does the song get from one verse to another?

Second Listen: This may need more than one listen.

1.  Where does the melody line go up or down?

2.  Be able to sing the melody in your head.

3.  Where are there variations on the melody line?

Third Listen

1.  How do bass lines relate to melody?

2.  Memorize the bass part

3.  What is the time signature?

Fourth Listen

1.  What are all other instruments doing in the song?

Repeat these steps for one more song.

After the Listening Activity:

1.  Have students get back a piece of paper and a pencil along with something to lean on.

2.  Play another song and have the students analyze the work and write down things they hear that they may not have been listening for before out listening activity.

3.  At the end of the time, ask each student how many things they heard. Encourage the lists to be as long as possible.

4.  Ask the following questions:
a.  How did the music make you feel? Why?

b.  What was the mood of the music? Why?

c.  Think of one word that describes the music. Why did you choose this particular word?

d.  Does the music make you think of a certain person, place or thing? Why?

e.  What did you picture in your mind while listening to the music? Why?

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