Fifth Grade Form Lesson Plan

Music Concept
12 bar blues consist of three four "bar" phrases. (form)

Music
Lost Your Head Blues by Bessie Smith

Objective
To identify aurally and visually the song phrases and demonstrate this recognition
through singing and body movements.

TEKS
§117.118. Music, Grade 5
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Foundations: music literacy. The student describes and analyzes the musical
sound. The student is expected to:
(D) identify and label small and large musical forms such as abac, AB,
and ABA; rondo; and theme and variations presented aurally in simple
songs and larger works.
(5) Historical and cultural relevance. The student examines music in relation to
history and cultures. The student is expected to:
(A) perform a varied repertoire of songs, movement, and musical games
representative of diverse cultures such as historical folk songs of Texas
and America and European and African cultures in America;

Materials
Rhythm sticks, woodblock, tambourine

Open Key Terms: Phrase, beat "twelve-bar "blues

Step 1: Who has ever heard of the term, feeling blue? Does anyone know what feeling
blue means? Call on a student to answer? Right, feeling blues means that you are sad or
down? Does anyone know what blues music is? Call on a student to answer. What do you
think it sounds like? Discuss whether blues is fast or slow. Discuss if the lyrics/words of
blues music sound like. Let's listen to some blues music, and I want you to tap the steady
beat on your lap, but I also want you to listen to the words. Try and tell me what the
artist is singing about once were done. Play the first verse of "Lost Your Head Blues."
 Step 2: Discuss with the students what they heard in the first verse of the song. As them
which lines of the first verse were the same and which were different. (Lines 1 and 2 are
the same and line 3 is different.) Now in blues music this is what we call a 12 bar phrase.
It is called a 12-bar phrase be cause there is 12 bars of music before it repeats. So as you
heard there were 3 lines. Lines 1 and 2 were the same and line 3 was different. Lines 1
and 2 are both called "A" and line three is called "B." So the form for 12 bar blues is
AAB. If you look you will see that each line has 4 measures and there are three lines
there is 12 measures or "bars" total.

Indicator of success
Step 3: Show them the phrase chart. If you look at the chart you will see three phrases.
Each line whether straight or wavy is part of the steady beat. Now were going to split
into groups. Split the class into three groups. Group one is going to tap the steady beat
with their rhythm sticks the entire time. Group two is going to tap the wood blocks the
first eight beats of each phrase. So, group two will tap on te straight lines. Group three
will tap their tambourine on the last eight beats of each phrase So group three will tap
on the wavy lines.

Close
Step 4: When they finish with this exercise go back to the chart on the board. Draw
boxes around each measure. Now class if you look at the board, there are boxes around
each measure. Can you guys count and tell me how many boxes there total? There are 12.
In jazz blues music this is why we call it a twelve bar blues.

Assess
Observe if the students can successfully play with the steady beat and at the correct time
with in the 12 bar phrases.

Adapt
1. In sure that everyone understand what blues means because in some languages blues
can mean a color or something different.
2. Have multiple copies of the phrase chart for the students to look at in conjunction
with the example on the board.

Extend
1. If time allows, have the students switch instruments.
2. Discuss the history of jazz music and why blues was so popular in the 1920-1940's.
3. Discuss that Bessie Smith was one of the first female jazz vocalist.
4. Incorporate different jazz songs and examples of 12 bars blues.