Fourth Grade Music - Collaboration on Improvisation and Recording

Introduction: Students will bring in classroom (5) iPads. As they come in, they will look for their recorder number,
which will already be in a group of 4 or 5 on the floor, signifying their collaboration group. Once they have found their
recorder, they will begin practicing all three parts of Lost My Gold Ring in canon (round) so as to experience playing
in harmony again.
Prior Knowledge:
Recorders:

Note names and lengths

Songs one thru eight of recorder curriculum, introducing notes Low D up to High C
Improvisation skills including using neighbor tones and ending on Do.

Limited Garageband use (able to switch to Pentatonic scale)

Video recording
Note name practice and pitch matching activities with both voice and recorder

iPads:

Objective: Students will be able to create, record, share and critique a composition of their own creation while working
collaboratively in a group of 4 to 5 peers. (NE FA 5.4.1.b)

Materials:

Music room iPad (1)

Classroom iPads (5)
Recorders
5 sheets of Staff Paper (with time signature and bar lines already drawn in)
Recorder Books

Time: 1 hour (2, 30 minute blocks)

Process:
1. iPad Student will hand Mrs. Schafer the classroom iPads while class is entering room. Recorders will be
pre-arranged in to assigned group spaced throughout the room. Students will find their recorder number and sit
with their group in their assigned spot.
2. Also at the group spot will be 3 recorder music books. Students will be instructed to open their recorder
books to Lost My Gold Ring. Students will then practice all three parts in unison, with Mrs. Schafer.
3. Mrs. Schafer will instruct students to please split the three parts up among themselves, with at least 1
student on each part. As a class, we will play through the song several times like this, asking students to please
switch parts when it seems they are mastering one part.
4. Allow students to work as individual groups, starting the song in canon (round) with each other. One
student may start, then when they move on to section 2, the next student will start at section 1, and so on around
the group. Only play through each section once, and stop at the end of the third section.

Improvisation and Recording - 4/2015

5. Once student feel comfortable with performing in canon, introduce the idea of HARMONY playing/hearing more than one complimentary note at once. Discuss instruments that can and can NOT play
harmonies by themselves. Can a recorder play a harmony? - NO Can a piano? - YES
6. Pass out iPads - designate Captains of the teams who are in charge of iPads. Ask captains to open
iPads and bring up GarageBand.
7. Remind students how to create a new song in GarageBand, and ask them to switch the keyboard scale to
Pentatonic, the setting to G Major and to put the G3 key directly under the Scroll button. This will allow
them to most closely mimic the sounds of the B, A, G, E, and D of the G pentatonic scale on the recorder.
Remind students to use G3, the two keys above and the two keys below only.
8. Ask the Captain to hand the iPad to the person to their left, and to pick up their recorder. iPad player is to
come up with 1 measure (or 4 beats) of notes for the Recorder player to then repeat back to them. Then the iPad
will be passed. Continue until all in the group have had a chance to play both iPad and recorder.
9. Have group Captain push button marked Sustain, thus turning on the sustain function. Captain can
then choose one note to play in GarageBand, allowing it to sustain for 4 beats. They will do this 4 times, for a
total of 16 beats without stopping.
10. Students in group will improvise notes on recorder over top. (Students in group should make note of
volume - it may be necessary to have recorder players play one at a time.) Pass iPad around until all in the group
have had a chance to play at LEAST 4 measure (16 beats) worth of sustained notes, more if recorder players are
playing separately.
11. Ask students to review HARMONY and how we used it in class today. Put recorders away and line up to
leave. //END DAY 1
DAY 2
1. iPad Student will hand Mrs. Schafer the classroom iPads while class is entering room. Recorders will be
pre-arranged in to assigned group spaced throughout the room. Students will find their recorder number and sit
with their group in their assigned spot. Prepared staff paper will now be waiting for them at their groups. (Groups
will remain the same) Mrs. Schafer will pass out the iPads.
2. Ask students to warm-up by using the Sustain feature in GarageBand and giving each student the
chance to play a 16 beat (4 note, 4 beats each) pattern for their group to improvise over.
3. Once students have warmed up, bring their attention to the staff paper, each prepared with 4 measures in
4/4 time. Ask students to make sure there are enough sheets for everyone, plus one.
4. As a group, students need to decide on an accompaniment (background) melody using the Sustain
button on GarageBand, and write it out. Their options are half notes (2 beats) or whole notes (4 beats), and they
must begin and end on do (G3). Bring their attention to the repeat sign at the end of the 4 measure, indicating
that they will be playing through the melody twice.
5. Ask students to write out the accompaniment melody on the staff paper.
6. Once all are written and checked, bring students attention to the record button, reminding them that they
will get 4 beats of prep before recording starts. The Captain will be in charge of recording the accompaniment
melody from the keyboard, while the group will play it on recorder. Allow as many attempts as necessary to
correctly record the written accompaniment.
7. Once the accompaniment track is recorded, ask students to push the Track button at the top, thus
allowing them to see multiple tracks at the same time. They should currently only see the piano (accompaniment
track). Ask each student to retrieve their own piece of staff paper.
8. Press play on the recording track. It will loop constantly. Ask students to improvise a 4 measure, 16 beat
melody over top of the accompaniment track until they find something they like. They are allowed to use the 5
notes already identified, and add in quarter (1 note per beat) and eighth (2 notes per beat) notes.

Improvisation and Recording - 4/2015

9. Once students have found a melody they like enough to keep, they may write it down on their individual
sheet of staff paper.
10. Have students in group look over each others melodies. If correct, bring them to Mrs. Schafer to double
check.
11. IF TIME - Once melodies have been checked, allow students to start recording their recorder tracks over
the accompaniment track by pushing the + button at the bottom of the track section on the left hand side.
Again, they will be playing through their creation twice, for a total of 8 measures.
12. Record all recorder parts (4 or 5, one for each student) over top the Piano (accompaniment) track.
13. Have students Share song with me via email.

Standards:

NE Fine Arts Standards: Music, Grade 3-5

FA 5.4.1 - Students will compose, arrange, improvise, read and perform music with
melodies and accompaniments.
FA 5.4.1.c - Present an improvisation arrangement or composition.
Identify the use of selected elements of music.
ISTE Standards - Teachers
1. Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity
a. Promote, support and model creative and innovative thinking and
inventiveness
2. Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments
a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital
tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.
ISTE Standards - Students
1. Creativity and Innovation
b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
2. Communications and Collaboration (With possibility of sharing with peers and
online)

Assessment:

Improvisation and Recording - 4/2015

 Mrs. Schafer will be walking around the room during the warm-up, noting students struggling with Lost
My Gold Ring and helping when possible. (Informal assessment)
Also walking around during GarageBand improvisations and subsequent recorder improvisation. Fix and
adjust where necessary (Informal Assessment)
Assess accompaniment composition. Correct and return until complete. (Formal Group Assessment)
Only us G3, A, B, E, D - written on correct lines of staff
Only use half or whole notes - correct number of notes per measure and song
Melody begins and ends on G3
Assess individual compositions. Correct and return until complete. (Formal Individual Assessment)
Only us G3, A, B, E, D - written on correct lines of staff
Only use quarter, eighth, half or whole notes - correct number of notes per measure and
song
Melody begins and ends on G3
Extension:
Play each creation for the class - Allow for critiques and suggestions as well as compliments
Extend the length of the composition - make use of all 8 measures instead of using 4 and repeating them
Use other instruments to add accompaniment - percussion, voice, etc.
Share recordings and pictures of compositions to classroom youTube or twitter/facebook account so
parents can see/be amazed!

Improvisation and Recording - 4/2015