7th and 8th Grade Beginner Strings Lesson

Achieving Good Quality Sound with Long Tones using a Drone and Tuner

Objective:
1) Students will be able to play long tones with a smooth sound using a Tuner or Drone
National Standards
1. Perform music, alone or with others, with expression, technical accuracy, and appropriate
interpretation.

Sunshine State Standards

MU.68.C.2.2 : Critique, using correct music vocabulary, changes in ones own or others musical
performance resulting from practice or rehearsal.

Materials:
String Instruments
Video board/projector
Speaker attached to Tuner/ Drone
Toilet Paper Roll

Pre-Assessment: Graded on playing 4 different notes

Numerical score 1-superior, 2-excellent, 3-good, 4-fair, 5-poor

Accommodations:
Student with disabled hand will be given a violin made for left handed students to better hold the
instrument and perform accurately.
Procedure:
1. Greet the students by standing on the podium and waiting for their attention, inform them to only
grab their bows from their cases to warm up with toilet paper roll. (Demonstrate how)
2. Have the students warm up arms by using the Toilet Paper Roll to demonstrate proper usage of the
bow arm.
3. Talk briefly about how much bow hair they need to achieve a good tone. Also remind WASP from
previous lesson. (Weight, Angle, Speed, Placement/Pressure)
4. Using sight reading factory on the display board, have the students sight read different rhythms. Play
through as a group by singing and demonstrating proper bow directions and then call on individuals to
assess their reading ability.
5. Once students have shown decent mastery of the rhythms, move forward to the idea of bowing long
tones on the instrument.
6. Once the students are comfortable with bowing, have them practice bow distribution division for 4, 8,
12, 16 counts and so on one bow stroke (Down bow). Explain to them that these are long tones. Do
the same for the opposite bowing. (Up)
7. Be prepared with a few videos that represent bad sound and a few that showcase excellent quality
sound on a string instrument.
8. Reflect with the students about each set of sounds. Why did the first one sound bad? Why do the
good examples sound good?
Why is it important to listen to people who have great sound on their instrument?
9. Be prepared to lead the discussion with the students toward high level concepts of sound
and tone production.
Assessment:
Can the students execute good tone on their stringed instrument?
Do students understand how to make articulations through their bowed instrument? Do the students
understand basic rhythms and can they play them in time?
Can the students recognize how to construct an ideal sound on their instrument?
Post-Assessment: Graded on playing 4 different notes
Numerical score 1-superior, 2-excellent, 3-good, 4-fair, 5-poor