Curriculum Guide/Scale Fu

 MUSIC IN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS CURRICULUM GUIDE
(Fulfills all 10 of the National Music Education Standards)

 

BEGINNING BAND:

EMPHASIS OUTCOME
Care of Instrument
1. Cleanliness. 1. Development of proper care
2. Lubrication 2. Proper mechanical operation of instrument.
Holding Instrument
1. Finger and hand position. Continuous growth and development of muscular facility.
2. Angle of instrument.
Tone Production
1. Proper embouchure. Development of characteristic sound
Use of tongue.
Breathing.
Inhalation through mouth.
Using diaphragm for support.
Exhalation with continuous airstream.
Posture.
Music Reading/Listening
1. Letter names of staff. 1. Cultivate sensitivity to pitch, melodic line, dynamics, tone quality, phrasing, and rhythm.
2. Letter names of notes. 2. Development of eye coordination.
3. Meter, key signatures. 3. Listening, analyzing, and describing music.
4. Note values. 4. Evaluate music and music performance.
5. Fingering.
5. Dynamics.
Group Attitudes
Awareness of each individual’s responsibility to the group Progress through teamwork.
Attendance
Conduct
Preparation of music

 

INTERMEDIATE BAND/ADVANCED BAND (2ND THROUGH 4TH YEAR)
Same as Beginning Band, with these additions:

EMPHASIS OUTCOME
Care of Instrument 3. Awareness of sound due to reeds, mouthpiece, and quality of instrument
Music Reading Greater emphasis on dynamics, phrasing,
and key signatures.
Development to the point where simple
standard literature can be played

EXPECTED OUTCOMES RELATED TO TEN ASPECTS OF INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC TRAINING (BASED ON NATIONAL STANDARDS)
(Four-Year Plan)

Breath Control
1st Year: Understanding of correct breathing procedure. Introduced to phrasing. Able to play forte, mezzo forte, and piano.
2nd Year: Able to start a tone at fortissimo and decrescendo to pianissimo; and able to start a tone at fortissimo, decrescendo to pianissimo and crescendo to fortissimo.
3rd Year: Increase mastery of dynamics and phrasing.
4th Year: Able to start a tone at fortissimo, decrescendo to pianissimo and crescendo to fortissimo throughout the range of the instrument.

Chromatic Scale

1st Year: Recognize sharps, flats, and naturals. Introduce enharmonics.
2nd Year: Recognize and play chromatic scale one octave.
3rd Year: Recognize and play chromatic scale two octaves at quarter note = 120 mm
4th Year: Recognize and play chromatic scales starting at varying levels in eighth notes at 80 mm throughout the range of the instrument

Scales

1st Year: Play from memory one octave scale in key of Bb concert, with arpeggio.
2nd Year: Play from memory one-octave scales in concert keys of Bb & Eb, with
arpeggios. Able to play F and Ab concert scales.
3rd. Year: Play from memory scales above, plus C and Db, with arpeggios. Able to
play relative minors for those major scales learned.
4th Year: Able to play major and minor scales from memory above, with arpeggios.

Articulation

1st Year: Understanding correct attacks and release.
Able to play natural attack and slur.
2nd Year: Understanding correct attacks and releases.
Able to play accent, staccato, legato, and simple duple articulation patterns.
3rd Year: Able to play natural attack, slur, staccato, legato, accent,
forte-piano, duple articulation patterns, and slur additional
variety of combined articulations in varying rhythms and tempi.
4th Year: Continue the above.

Rhythm

1st Year: Recognize and play note values in “quarter” time.
Be able to recognize, describe, and play whole, half,
quarter, eighth, and doted quarter notes (including writing in the counting.)
2nd Year: Recognize and play varied rhythm patterns in “quarter”
and alla breve time, including sixteenth notes in quarter time,
and be able to recognize, describe, and play rhythm patterns (including writing in the counting.)
3rd Year: Able to recognize, describe, and play rhythm patterns,
(including writing in the counting) in “eight” time.
Continue the above.
Be able to recognize dictated rhythms in proper notation, indicating understanding of rhythms.
4th Year: Be able to play, write, and count all different rhythms.

Posture and Embouchure

1st Year: Demonstrate formation of a good embouchure and good sitting and standing position.
2nd Year: Correct posture and correct embouchure as applied to range of instrument.
3rd Year: Continue the above.
4th Year: Continue the above.

Theory/Ear Training

1st Year: Be able to recognize whole and half steps. Be able to distinguish major from minor scales and hear right and wrong intervals in major scales. Be able to recognize various key signatures. Recognize key of instrument and know definition of concert key.
2nd Year: Be able to recognize seconds, thirds, fifths, and octaves. Be able to recognize key signatures and names of these keys: Bb, Eb, F, and Ab.
3rd Year: Continue the above. Introduced to transposition on individual instrument, recognizing difference between various instruments and concert key.
4th Year: Be able to transpose concert notes to written notes of each individual’s instrument.

Scale-Fu

Scale-Fu Music in Catholic Schools Band Scales-For-Us
(Click here for pdf version)

As with the martial arts, individuals must progress through skills on their instruments. Achieving higher levels of skill leads to mastery on the instrument and a feeling of success. Just as new martial arts students gain accomplishment being a “white belt,” they know that this is only the beginning. They are challenged to work toward greater expertise. In a similar way we challenge all MCS band students to achieve the discipline of learning skills to become accomplished musicians on their instruments. One goal for our students is for each of them to strive to continuously learn and become better players.

 

LEVEL REQUIREMENTS

Play scales with arpeggios (notes of a chord played one note at a time) Scales can be found on page 42 of Red and Blue Books. Alternate chromatic scale is on separate Chromatic Scale sheet and on page 68 in Blue Book

 

White: Memorize order of sharps and flats ( b’s = B E A D G C F #’s = F C G D A E B) Play from memory a one-octave Bb Concert major scale at about = 90 mm (metronome marking)

 

Red: Recognize “intervals” (Blue Book, #20) Recognize the circle of 4th/5ths. Know how order of flats & sharps relate to Circle of 4ths/5ths Know Keys and Key Signatures Play Chromatic Scale (at least one octave) Play memorized concert Bb major scale at = 120 mm Play from memory F, Eb, and Ab (concert) major scales

 

Blue: Play Chromatic scale from memory (using alternate fingerings for woodwinds, clarinets = 2 octaves) Play F, Bb, Eb, Ab plus C, G, D, and A (written) major scales Play “Red Level” scales at = 120 mm Play d, g, and c (concert) minor scales in all 3 forms - natural, harmonic, melodic Play Bb, Eb, and F Blues scales

 

Green: Play Chromatic Scale as per 8th Grade All-State Sheet Play Ab, Eb, Bb, F, C, G, D, A, and E major scales Play each (natural, harmonic, and melodic) relative minor scale for the above major scales.

 

Black: Play from memory all 15 major & minor scales Play from memory chromatic scale as per 8th Grade All-State sheet Demonstrate and explain a Blues Scale and a Pentatonic Scale

Relationships to other arts and disciplines:

Understanding relationships between music, other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.


Understanding music in relation to history and culture.
All Four Years: Band method books, full band music, small group pieces, and solos are
used. Music materials will be diverse and will reflect all acceptable styles, types,
cultures, and historical times. Related background information, explanations, analogies,
and general awareness of culture, historical significance, and correspondence to all
disciplines will be included.
Create Music: Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
Composing and arranging music with specific guidelines.
1st Year: Students will play simple songs “by ear” and will have composing opportunities.
2nd-4th Years: Increased and longer examples
Singing
All Four Years: Students will sing to enhance correct listening and playing skills.
Revised, 5/23/2002