Mr.

Hutcheon

PS III 2014

Lesson Plan

Grade/Subject: Grade 10 Guitar

Unit: The Basics

Lesson Duration: 70 min.

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General Learning Outcomes:
Performing/ Listening: Develop the ability to make intellectual and aesthetic judgments based on critical listening
and analysis.
Specific Learning Outcomes:
1. Demonstrate the correct physical relationship between player and musical instrument
2. Demonstrate proper sound production

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Demonstrate proper guitar technique (body and hand position) while performing as a group ensemble as well as
during individual proficiency testing
2. Perform chord progressions that produce a quality sound which will be assessed during individual proficiency
tests

ASSESSMENTS
Observations:
Observation of students ability to tune a guitar
without a tuner
Observation of student performance of Hey Ya
Observation of student performance during
progression playing

Key Questions:
- If I want to tune the A string what string and fret do I play?
Ect.
- What time signature are most popular songs in?
- Who can remember weeks ago when we played the D
Progression? Do we remember the notes?
-What do we notice about our first finger during this
progression?

Written/Performance Assessments:
- Proficiency test #2

LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED

Resource #1: Teaching Instrumental Music in Canadian Schools
Resource #2: General Music Program of Studies
Resource #3: First Year Guitar: Hands-On Training

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

* Guitar
* Tuner
* Method Book
* Computer
* Handouts = Hey Ya & Tuning sheet

PROCEDURE
Introduction (5 min.):
Hook/Attention Grabber: As soon as students enter the classroom, have them bring guitars to you for detuning.
Tune string 6 to E. Untune all other strings
Assessment of Prior Knowledge: Thumbs up/ thumbs down if they recall how to tune the guitar without a tuner.
Expectations for Learning and Behaviour: Students are expected to participate in every activity. They are also
expected to use practice time effectively until they have completed the progression test.
Advance Organizer/Agenda: 1) Detuning 2) Hey Ya 3) Progressions (D, A, & G) 4) Practice/ Tests
Transition to Body: Get students to play the intro of Good Riddance with an unturned guitar. There reaction should
be hilarious.

Body (60 min.):

Learning Activity #1: Detuning (10 min.)
Note = Strings often break during this exercise. To minimize this, try lowering strings 5, 4, 2, 1. Go ahead areas string 3. It seldom
breaks.
- Get class to play an Em and G chord without being tuned
- Hand out tuning sheet
Review the self tuning procedure (frets 5 and 4) by talking about the hand out and by using guided questions
Ask: If I want to tune the A string what string and fret do I play? Ect.

Mr. Hutcheon

PS III 2014

Let students go to a isolated areas to practice tuning

After all students are detuned and isolated, go from one to another to assist
Have students play an Em and a G chord as a class to show the difference in sound quality when playing on a tuned
guitar.
If students finish early, get them to look at the chord progressions for Hey Ya
Assessments/Differentiation: Observation of aural ability to tune the guitar

Learning Activity #2: Hey Ya (15 min.)

Have a picture of an E chord on the projector
Have student experiment with the E major chord by doing some call and response
Chords: G-C-D-E (throughout the entire song)
Display the chords onto the projector via ultimate guitar http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/o/outkast/hey_ya_crd.htm
- Ask: what time signature are most popular songs in?
- Explain that song is an exception, in that it changes from 4/4 to 2/4 time during this song (in that there are
only 2 bears per measure)
- This 2/4 measure happens every time we play the D chord
- G = 1 bar, C = 2 bars, D = 2/4 bar, E = 2 bars (model this chord sequence to the class)
- Ask the class to play this progression together using 1 strum per beat X 3
- In order to make this patterned a little more interesting a funky, we can add our class D DU U DU
strumming pattern. Note that the D chord cannot follow this pattern thus this chord will consist of 2 down
strums Model the patterned muting the strings with the left hand then ask students to join in playing the
pattern
- Model what the pattern sounds like with the open chords and then allow the students to join in. Play through
the chord progression 3 times.
Play the recording to the music video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWgvGjAhvIw Skip video to 0:41
Assessments/Differentiation: Observation of performance

Learning Activity #3: Chord Progressions (15 min.)

Ask: Who can remember weeks ago when we played the D Progression? Do we remember the notes?
- Have the class play the D progression together. Start by playing 1 strum per 4 beats and then 2 strums and so
on.
- Have class turn to pg. 12 to learn the A progression
- The A and D should be familiar chords but the E7 will be new. Make sure they realize that this E7 is very
similar to the E used in Hey Ya.
- Practice every individual progression through repetition ex. A to D, A to E7, and D to E7
Ask: What do we notice about our first finger during this progression?
- Repeat process for the G progression.
Assessments/Differentiation: Observation of performance

Learning Activity #4: Practice/ Tests (20 min.)

- Show an example of the rubric and expectations for the next proficiency test. (Chord progressions in D, G, &
A)
- Have students practice these progressions at their own pace
- When they are ready they can call me over and complete the test
- Once they have completed their test they may practice any pop songs they like by researching the chords.
Assessments/Differentiation: Summative assessment of student proficiency

Closure (5 min.):
Consolidation/Assessment of Learning: Playing proficiency #2 will summatively indicate if the students are
accurately playing the chord progressions.
Feedback To Students: Praise the students during individual successes during group performances. Give feedback for
improvement using rubric and aurally after students have completed their proficiency tests.
Transition To Next Lesson: Please be prepared to finish your proficiency test next class. We will be doing some chord
trivia next class as well.

Mr. Hutcheon

PS III 2014