You can then find recordings of the two instruments and listen for the differences in sound. You may like to consider the following topics:

What does each of the instruments sound like?
Can you think of any factors in either instrument that may influence the way the music sounds?
Which instruments sound do you prefer?
Do you think Handel would have liked the piano?
Recently musicians have been seeking to perform baroque music on instruments from the era. Why do you think they would do that?

One of Handel’s best known works is the oratorio The Messiah. Imagine that you are in the audience of that first performance of the Messiah. On the way out, you are stopped to be interviewed by the local television news (…just use your imagination!). What do you tell them about it? Choose someone to be the interviewer, with a brief introduction and video record the responses of the “audience” members.

After reviewing the differences between the piano and the harpsichord, listen to recordings of each of these instruments and then discuss the actual differences in sound. Here are some starting points for your class discussion:

How would you describe the sound of each instrument?
Can you think of any factors in either instrument that may influence the way the music sounds?
Which instruments sound do you prefer?
Do you think Handel would have liked the piano?
In recent years, there has been a lot of interest in playing baroque and classical music on original instruments. Why do you think this is so?

One of Handel’s best known works is the oratorio The Messiah. Pretend that you are watching the very first performance ever of this piece. Imagine that after the performance you are stopped by a reporter for the local television news. What would you say? You could choose one student to be the reported, and videotape interviews with “audience” members.

These were just a few ideas you could use if creating a music lesson plan about this subject.

There is an old saying that says something like “failing to prepare is preparing to fail” Once you have a bit of experience under your belt however, then preparing lesson plans does not have to be as complicated as it was when you first start teaching.

For those who are just starting out, here are a few guidelines for creating compelling music lesson plans.

1. Think about the age group of the students you are teaching

A very good starting point when you are preparing a lesson is to think about the maturity of the children you are teaching. What do they like, and what do they hate? What sort of music do they listen to on a regular basis? What are the other cultural factors that affect them at this age? Are they at an age where they are extremely hesitant to do anything in-front of their peers?

These are the questions that you need to think about when preparing a music lesson plan. Ready made lesson plans that you might buy or find online that are created in a rigid format usually don’t work. Each individual class and student needs to have the lesson plan tailored to their individual needs. Once a teacher has been teaching for a number of years they are able to do this adaptation in an instant, referencing the lesson plans that are in their head, and adapting as they go. When you are just starting however a good starting plan is to spend a few minutes researching the age group, and learning how they think and interact with each other.

2. Have much more than you thought you would planned

You might prepare a lesson with approximately ten points to cover. Sometimes you’ll only get up to the fourth one and the bell will ring for the end of the lesson. Another day, perhaps even with the same lesson and a different class you’ll get through all ten activities and there will still be another 15 minutes to go! You just don’t know for sure, and that is why its always a good idea to have a backup plan. If you have a few minutes its a good idea to have a game or a fun work sheet copied and ready, just in case you need it.

3. Include a mixture of activities in your music lesson plan.

Most music lessons are often segregated into set activities: One lesson for the week will be theory, one practical, one history and one aural (or something like that). Often this is unavoidable due to practical concerns and the length of the school lessons, however why not try and mix them around a bit. You could spend half a lesson on theory, then pull out the instruments for the second half of the lesson. It’ll be interesting for the students and keep them guessing.

4. Start simple – simpler than you might think!

if you’re working on something a little complicate, you may want to have a backup which is a very simplified version – just in case! This is particularly needed if working with young students. For example if you’re introducing a new piece of music in a practical lesson you may wish to plan for the scenario of it being way too hard for the students. Its not always the best idea to start at the very top! If you can start with a section that you’ll know they will do easily, then come back to the more challenging sections.

5. The feedback is there for you, if you listen for it!

Students are often extremely subtle in the way they give feedback to teachers. Students (particularly teenagers) will never say “Mrs Jones I thought you did a brilliant job today, you gave us a lesson that was lots of fun and we learned heaps.” Perhaps you might have a dream that your student says that – but its not going to happen in real life! What you will see is your students more happy to be in your classes than in other classes, and happy to laugh with you and eager to come to class. Students when they enjoy music will also put a priority on band or orchestra ahead of other things. When you start to see this you’ll know that your music lesson planning is going well.

You could have the students make their own drums. Do this as a demonstration with student participation, or, if you have the resources, let each student make a drum. You’ll simply need a large empty can, some rubber or chamois for the drum head, a large rubber band to hold it on, and a small stick to play it with.

The can can be placed upright on the drumhead material. Mark a circle that is 2-3 inches (5-7 cm) greater in diameter than the can. Cut out the circle; stretch it tightly over the open end of the can, and secure it with the rubber band. The pencil or stick can then be used to play our rhythms

Some cultures in Africa use “talking drums” to mimic spoken language. Have the students break out into small groups and take turns playing a message to their peers with a drum, handclaps, or other makeshift percussion instrument. Make up a game to see if anyone else in the group can understand the content of the message.

Call and response rhythms: With drums, handclaps, or makeshift percussion instruments, play a series of rhythms and let students repeat those rhythms together.

Show students and discuss the differences between tuned and untuned percussion instruments. Name some instruments and ask students to identify them as either tuned or untuned.

Explain the difference between a membranophone and an idiophone. Students could identify them as one or the other when you name them.

Have students make percussion instrument flash cards, from artwork provided here at the Fun Music Company website. Ask them to cut out the pictures and affix them to index cards; write the instrument names on the backs of the cards.

There is nothing like the old saying “If you don’t prepare, then prepare to fail”. However, once you are a little more experienced then preparing lesson plans becomes a lot easier.

For those who are just starting out, here are a few guidelines for creating compelling music lesson plans.

1. Consider the students age group and situation

A very good starting point when you are preparing a lesson is to think about the age of the children you are teaching. What are their likes and dislikes? What sort of music do they listen to on a regular basis? What are the other cultural factors that affect them at this age? Are they at an age where they are extremely hesitant to do anything in-front of their peers?

Whenever you create a music lesson plan, in your head or on paper these are the things that you need to consider. This is why ready made, fit all situations lesson plan usually doesn’t work. Lesson plans need to be tailored to the needs of the students in each individual class. When a teacher has been in the classroom for a few years they are usually able to do these adaptations on the spot, and may seem to not have to prepare at all. When you are just starting however a good starting plan is to spend a few minutes researching the age group, and learning how they think and interact with each other.

2. Have much more than you thought you would planned

Often you’ll prepare a lesson with (say) ten activities. Sometimes you’ll only get up to the fourth one and the bell will ring for the end of the lesson. If you were to do the same lesson with a different class you might go through all ten points and there will still be another 20 minutes left! Its always an excellent idea to have a backup plan just in case you need more than you anticipate. If you have a few minutes its a good idea to have a game or a music theory worksheet copied and ready, just in case you need it.

3. Include a mixture of activities.

In many schools the curriculum is planned for set lessons for the week: one lesson will practical, one theory etc. Often this is unavoidable due to practical concerns and the length of the school lessons, however why not try and mix them around a bit. You could spend half a lesson on theory, then pull out the instruments for the second half of the lesson. It’ll be interesting for the students and keep them guessing.

4. Think simple – then expand

if you’re working on something a little complicate, you may want to have a backup which is a very simplified version – just in case! This is particularly needed if working with young students. For example if you’re introducing a new piece of music in a practical lesson you may wish to plan for the scenario of it being way too hard for the students. Start with a section that you know the students will be able to play, then come back and deal with the harder sections.

5. The feedback is there for you, if you listen for it!

Students will give you feedback – even if it is extremely subtle. Students (particularly teenagers) will never say “Mrs Jones I thought you did a brilliant job today, you gave us a lesson that was lots of fun and we learned heaps.” Perhaps you might have a dream that your student says that – but its not going to happen in real life! What you will see is your students more happy to be in your classes than in other classes, and happy to laugh with you and eager to come to class. Students when they enjoy music will also put a priority on band or orchestra ahead of other things. When you start to see this you’ll know that your music lesson planning is going well.

A popular instrument these days is the Saxophone. It has uses from Jazz to Classical and Rock music. Saxophones are often featured in “big band” music.”Big Band” music often features the saxophone. Two alto saxophones, two tenors and one baritone typically make up the saxophone section Any of the saxophonists may double on other woodwind instruments

Here are a few ideas for learning the names of the saxophone family. Divide students into groups of four. Distribute any remainders into other groups to make a few groups of five. Within each group students can then arrange themselves by height, and then make cards or labels for a saxophone corresponding to their size – baritone, tenor, alto and soprano saxophone (continuing on to bass saxophone for groups of five). In other words, the shortest student will be the soprano saxophone, the next smallest the alto saxophone, and so on.

Repeat the exercise with other attributes – birthday, shoe size, length of hair, etc.

To combine this with a music theory activity you could create some flashcards with single pitches on them, and ask them to match them to appropriate saxophones.

For an extra challenge and a quieter classroom, have the students complete some of these tasks without speaking.

Suggested Listening:Duke Ellington, Three Suites album. Sony / BMG Custom Marketing Group 723866. This Contains a big-band jazz arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s beloved Nutcracker Suite.

You can arrange the classroom like an orchestra.  Place the names of instruments on the the students desks, or affix name stickers to individual students.  Allow students to be different instruments on different days.

Discuss different types of musical groups (e.g., concert band, marching band, jazz band, rock band, choir).  What are the similarities and differences between the orchestra and these other groups?

Discuss the relationship between the traditional sections of the orchestra and the Hornbostel-Sachs instrument classifications.  (Strings are chordophones; woodwinds and brass are aerophones; some percussion instruments are membranophones, others are idiophones.)

Here is an idea for a Long-term assignment: construct an instrument that demonstrates two or more of the Hornbostel-Sachs categories.

Discuss the science of musical instruments – the connection between vibration and sound

Then you could do a Guided Listening Activity featuring The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten, without narration. If you have assigned students to different instruments to the children’s seating positions above, they may stand or perform some action when their instrument is heard.  This is a relatively lengthy composition (over 17 minutes) so you may want to do different sections on different days.

For more information on music lesson plans please contact the Fun Music Company