Musical Form - The Nutcracker

This is a lesson that I did with my 2nd graders.  Children that age love the Nutcracker Ballet by Tchaikovsky.  I used three pieces from the Nutcracker to introduce the children to the following musical terms: Introduction, A section, B section, Bridge, and Coda

Introduction:  an opening section of a piece.  I use simple language with small children.  We have sung so many songs by now that they know what an introduction is.  It is the music at the beginning of a piece of music that prepares you for the actually song or for the first musical idea.

A section:  the first musical idea that appears in a piece of music.

B section: the second musical idea that appears in a piece of music.

Bridge:   I teach the children that just as a bridge in the real world connects two pieces of land, a bridge in music connects two musical ideas.  A bridge in music always makes you feel like the music is taking you somewhere.

Coda:  a section of music that brings the piece to an end.

So here is the way I taught this lesson.  I would make cards with full size pieces of paper laminated to last with the words of these sections on them.  Then for each piece we listened to, I passed out the cards representing the parts of the music that the children would hear.  Their assignment was to listen and to come forward and stand under my hand if they thought they had the correct sign.

So imagine with me for a second here a very simple song, Twinkle Twinkle.  It is an ABA piece.  So for this song I would pass out 2 A cards and 1 B card.  Then as the music played I would hold up my hand high enough for a child to stand underneath of it when the A section began.  Hopefully a child with an A card would come stand under the hand.  I would then move to the sign and hold up my hand again just as the B section began.  Another child would come and stand under my hand.  And then repeated for the last section.

Now I ask everyone "Is this correct?"  If they all agreed we would listen again to be sure.  If they disagreed I would let me tell me what needs to change.  We would make those changes and then listen to see if they now had it right.  I never would tell them if they had it correct.  This lesson was always "explore and discover" until it was very obvious that the music matched the signs.

So here is the order and some links for the three pieces I used from the Nutcracker.  There is some variation in the pieces but I was teaching basics so didn't make an issue over any variation.

The Dance of the Reed Flutes:  Intro A~AB~A   (~ means bridge)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGwjHRfcsMQ

Chinese Dance:   Intro AABBAA Coda

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3kdY2vMO0w&feature=fvsr

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeMIzUJSpsA    (Fantasia version)

Russian Dance (Trepak):  AAAABB~AA Coda

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzSGBGWO3r4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceKPQEV9wH8    (Fantasia version)

Genie in a Bottle (Swan Lake Ballet by Tchaikovsky) Lesson 1

 Once again we have a marvelous story whose conclusion will be found in a piece of music.  I did this lesson with first and second graders.  I told the story while we listened to the music, pausing after each section.  

Here is the music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ea90L91eZk

Here is our story:

Once upon a time there was a genie who was living in a bottle.  He had been in that bottle a very long time - over a hundred years!  How do you think he felt about this?  Maybe he likes it there but maybe he doesn't.  Let's listen to the beginning of the music and see how he was feeling:  Listen to the first 30 seconds of the music then hit pause.(You can watch the timer on the youtube video)

What did you find out about the genie?  Yes, he was sad wasn't he. Can you even imagine what that was like?  Kinda like if you had to stay in your bedroom for a long time.

Now listen to the next part of the music and see if he stays sad.  Listen to the next 30 seconds, hit pause again).  Is he still sad?  What do you think is happening?  Yes, this music is hopeful and there is only one thing that makes a genie in a bottle hopeful.  What is that?  Someone is rubbing his bottle!  Let's listen once again and raise your hand when you hear the genie come out.

(This will happen in just a couple more seconds but this time talk as the music continues)  It is so exciting to hear him free at last. As you listen to the music you can just imagine how good he feels.  He is stretching his arms and legs and neck and back.  (1:04-1:35)  Then you can just see him dancing.  He is free.  He is free.  He is so happy. (1:35-1:55)  Then stop the music.

Something bad is about to happen. It is almost as if our genie has forgotten how to be free.  He is going wild and crazy and when that happens to a genie, the bottle will start to pull him back.  Let's see if we can hear the bottle start to pull.  (This starts at about 2:05.  Stop it by 2:15 so you can ask this question:  Who wins?  Let's listen.  Thumbs up the genie wins.  Thumbs down the bottle wins.  Stop when the genie goes back into the bottle.

I see a lot of thumbs up.  Our poor genie is in the bottle again.  But don't worry, he is going to try once last time to get away from that bottle.  Let's listen to the ending and see what happens.

Play through the ending.  Then the children can tell the ending.  Our poor genie has lost his chance at freedom and now he is sadly back in his bottle.

I like this version of the music.  Nothing going on at all.  Just music playing.

Genie in a Bottle (Swan Lake Ballet by Tchaikovsky) Lesson 2

This lesson is an introduction to dance via creative movement.  We have learned the story of the Genie in a Bottle and we know the music.  Now we are going to BE the genie and with creative movement tell the whole story.

I practiced this by myself until I knew it well and could make the changes in the correct places in the music.  Then when I did it with the children I just let them follow me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ea90L91eZk

1. Begin by curling up in a ball on the floor.  You are in your bottle.
2. You are up on hands and knees and start to wiggle as the genie feels somebody rubbing the bottle
3.  You burst forth from the bottle
4.  You stretch  your arms, legs, neck, etc. as you get used to being out of the bottle.
5.  Now dance around freely, floating with arms outstretched, just enjoying the freedom.
6.  The dancing becomes a bit wild and uncontrolled.
7.  Stop in one place now and put your arms out in front like something is pulling you, Then pull back and forth as you fight against the pull of the bottle.
8.  You slump down right back into the bottle.
9.  On your hands and knees you struggle one last time.
10.  End curled up just as you were at the beginning.

If you do this often enough, the children won't need to follow you any more.  They will know exactly what to do.