Lesson Plan 3

Name: Mark Donohue Date:

Grade: 10 Class Type: General Music

1. Measurable Objective(s): Students will be able to identify and compose a 12-bar 1-4-5 chord
progression blues piece.

2. Required Prior Knowledge and Skills: Basic music theory as well as the history of the blues,
how to use garage band with MIDI and loops.

3. Review Needed: no review needed. Introduction to modern blues and the 1-4-5 12 bar
progression with listening examples.

4. Materials, Repertoire, Equipment needed: White board, markers, speaker system, 1:1 laptops
with garage band, MIDI controllers, paper and pencil

5. Agenda:
1- Listening to Stevie Ray Vahn’s “look at little sister”
2- 1-4-5 12 bar progression
3- Analyzing Gary Clark Jr. “Don’t Owe You a Thang”
4- Final Unit Project Introduction

6. Lesson Sequence (be sure to list time in the pacing section) Pacing

A. Brief Opening: Class begins with everyone seated listening to Stevie Ray Vahn’s 5 mins
“look at little sister”. Analyzing the instruments and sound (What comes to mind?)
when listening and engaged in the style,

B. Learning Activities:
1. Open class discussion on the listening song, what instruments were used? what
was different from the blues music we previously listened too? 1. 5 mins

2. Introduction lesson on 12 bar blues. With presenting 12 bars on the whiteboard 2. 15 mins
and then filling in the 1-4-5 chords where the students hear it in the listening
example.

3. When the students successfully filled out the 12 bars with the correct form, I will 3. 5 mins
introduce the Unit project, a 12-bar blues 1-4-5 progression garage band
composition and hand out the rubric with it.

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4. Students will then use their computers and MIDI keyboards to begin their final 4. 20 mins
unit projects

C. Assessment: Informal in the analyzation and ear training with the 1-4-5
progression writing on the board. Formal assessment will come after the final
projects are finished.

D. Closing/Wrap-up: No closing, just working on final projects until class is over.

E. Assignment: Students may work on their projects if they wish to at home.

But, enough time will be supplied in class the next time it meets.

7. Accommodations: Special needs students may be given a template of a 1-4-5 progression and
just asked to put looped drums and create a melody using only white keys.

8. Teacher Reflection/Self-Evaluation:

9. National Standards: Creating, Responding, Connecting to music

10. State Standards: Students will play instruments, alone and with others, to perform a varied
repertoire of music. Students will improvise, compose, and arrange music. Students will describe and
analyze their own music and the music of others using appropriate music vocabulary. When
appropriate, students will connect their analysis to interpretation and evaluation.

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 12 Bar Blues Project

4 3 2 1
Uses all 12-bars
including a 2 bar
intro (14-bars
total)
Correctly uses the
1, 4, and 5 chords
in any key
Includes a
diatonic melody
Includes a moving
bass line
Quantizes the
whole piece

Remember the intro and be anything you choose!

Extra credit-12 bars with a solo

(remember to go back into original 12 bar melody after the solo, ABA form!)