Assignment # 8

Teaching Music through Playing Classroom Instruments (10 pts)

1.Classroom instruments function in a variety of ways. Please list some instruments that play (1) melodies, (2) harmony, and (3) rhythm.

1. Melodies – piano, electric keyboard, melody bells, step bells, resonator bells, xylophone, recorder

2. Harmony – autoharp, Q-chord, guitar, resonator bells,

3. Rhythm – rhythm sticks, claves, woodblock, maracas, sand blocks, guiro, cymbals

(1) Melodic instruments—A melodic instrument is any instrument that can produce melody.
List melodic instruments: piano electronic keyboards, melody balls, step bells, resonator bells, xylophone, glockenspiel, metallophone, handbells, tone chimes, and recorder.

(2) Harmonic instruments—A harmonic instrument can play harmonies or drones as accompaniments to songs.

List harmonic instruments: autosharp, q-chord, guitar.

(3) Rhythmic instruments (percussion instruments)—Rhythmic instruments can play the rhythmic accompaniments to songs. They are divided into woods, metals, and skins.

List rhythmic instruments: rhythm sticks, claves, woodblock, maracas, sand blocks and the guiro.

2.What musical concepts could students gain through playing instruments?

· The ability to choose appropriate instruments for such musical concepts as:
o Steady beat
o Difference in dynamics
o Musical form
o Pitch and Melody

· The ability to discriminate and select appropriate rhythm instruments for various types of music.

· An awareness of the expressive potential of different instruments.

· The ability to select and play instruments that can add to the expressiveness of music through accompaniment.


3. Playing instrumental accompaniments adds interests and variety to many songs and contributes toward perceptual and motor skills. The choice and use of appropriate instruments in musical experiences can enrich the study of history, geography, culture and people, poetry, feelings and moods, and holidays. Please select one topic from above categories and design an activity using musical instruments.

o Musical Concept
- C Major Scale

o Non Musical Concept
- Introduce a Christmas Holiday Song

o Skills
- Use of right and left hand to play the melody to Christmas song.

o Non Musical Skills
- Memorizing the lyrics to the Christmas song.