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Arranging
Patriotic Music for Instruments
High School Band and Orchestra
Objective
•
Students
will arrange a short piano composition for a group of four to
six instruments of their choice.
National
Standard
4C:
Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines: Students
compose and arrange music for voices and various acoustic and
electronic instruments, demonstrating knowledge of the ranges
and traditional usages of the sound sources.
Materials
•
A
variety of short, simple piano arrangements of “The Star-Spangled
Banner” or other patriotic music in the public domain.
•
Manuscript
paper
Prior
Knowledge and Experiences
•
Students
can identify the performing range and key transpositions of various
instruments.
Procedures
1.
Explain to students that in this lesson, they will arrange a short
piano composition for instruments. Have each student select a
short piano composition from the materials provided.
2.
Lead students in a brief discussion of how they might choose a
specific group of four to six instruments that will be most appropriate
for the character of the composition. [Note: Ask students
to select instruments from those that are in their band so that
groups of students will be able to play their arrangements.]
3.
Tell students that they should transpose each part or musical
line from the selected piano composition for a particular instrument.
Have them consider how their selected instruments are traditionally
used and how that use can help them determine which part of the
original composition will be arranged for each instrument.
4.
Ask students to begin by arranging the first four to eight measures
of their selected compositions.
5.
After students have completed their four-to-eight measure arrangements,
select several arrangements and assign groups of students to play
them for the class.
6.
Have student groups play the selected arrangements for the class.
If the class if familiar with a particular composition, ask whether
they can identify it from the student arrangement. Also, ask the
class to listen for correct transpositions for each instrument,
whether the instruments chosen are suitable for the ranges of
the parts, and whether they think the instruments selected are
suitable for the character of the original composition. In a discussion
following each performance, discuss their responses to these questions.
For each arrangement, have them consider the student arranger’s
success in preserving or enhancing the expressive effect of the
music.
7.
Bring student arrangers into the discussion, asking them to consider
changes they would make in completing their arrangements.
Indicators
of Success
•
Students
arrange the simple piano compositions for groups of four to six
instruments.
•
Students
select instruments for their arrangements that are suitable for
the character of the original compositions.
•
Students
identify which instruments in their selected group of instruments
are most appropriate in range and traditional use for each part
of the original composition.
•
Students
make correct transpositions for instruments used in their arrangements.
Follow-up
•
Have
students complete their arrangements and ask student groups to
perform them for the class. Ask the class to discuss the effect
of each arrangement, exploring questions such as the following:
Is the arrangement musically and stylistically as strong as, or
stronger than, the original composition? Has the original composition
been enhanced? How is the arrangement different from the original
composition other than in the instrumentation? Does the arrangement
stay true to the original? Ask student arrangers whether they
achieved the desired effects.
•
Have
groups of students perform student arrangements in a concert.
From Strategies for Teaching High School Band. Compiled
and edited by Edward J. Kvet and John E. Williamson. Copyright 1998.
MENC, Reston, VA.
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