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Woodwinds

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Mastery Learning
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Spiral Learning

Week 1

Introduce and informally assess
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  • Enter the room
  • Sit in a chair
  • Feel the beat
  • Musical Alphabet with line pass offs​

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  • Counting and Rhythm Rockers
  • Staff Attributes
  • Breathing chant
  • Instrument parts diagram
  • Embouchure
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WEEK 2

Always review previous weeks information
  • Layer head joint, mouthpiece/barrel, mouthpiece/neck, double reed (“small instrument”)
    • Apply knowledge on instrument parts
    • Always use a mirror
    • Teacher vs. Student Placement
    • No articulation yet
    • Note length games 4, 8, 12, 16
  • Continue with rhythms
    • Begin line pass offs​​

Assessment
  • Review previous week(s) – informal assessment
  • Rhythm Rockers
  • Theory
  • Breathing Chant quiz
  • Staff Attributes quiz
  • Embouchure
  • Tone (Football Game)
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WEEK 3

  • Finger dexterity on a pencil
  • Continue with tone production
    • Match pitch (Clarinet F#, Saxophone G#)
    • Instant air starts
  • Introduce articulation (Flute and Double Reed)
    • Rhythm Rockers on the small instrument
  • Continue with Music Theory
    • Note name sheets
    • Staff Wars
      • Students at the smart board
    • MusicTheory.net
      • Set range
      • Timed activities
  • Small parts of the instrument pages (Head joint, mp/barrel, etc)
    • Focus on flute high’s and low’s
  • Talk about assembling the instrument

Assessment
  • Review previous week(s) – informal
  • Rhythm Rockers
  • Theory
  • Instrument parts
  • Theory Quizzes
  • Note name sheets
  • Musictheory.net
  • Playing rhythm rockers
  • Small part of instrument playing
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WEEK 4

  • Assemble the instrument
    • Test before they take it home
    • Teach their parents
    • Set up practice area (practice guide website link)
      • Chair
      • Stand
      • Pencil
      • Metronome
      • No distractions, etc.
  • Open sounds on instrument
    • Do the same exercises as small part of instrument
    • Start instrument Basics
    • Continue playing on the small instrument separately​

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  • One hand position at a time on the instrument
    • Flute: Add right hand
      • Watch RH carefully
        • Thumb placement
        • Not same for everyone
    • Flute optional fingers 4,5,6 with & without
    • Double Reed, Clarinet, Saxophone: Add left hand
  • Begin adding other hand
    • Show how to teach that hand
    • Add fingerings from Basics
Assessment
  • Review previous week(s) – informal
  • Rhythm Rockers
  • Theory
  • Instrument assembly
  • Practice room set-up
  • Playing tests
    • How to efficiently facilitate
  • Hand placement & playing posture
  • Fingering tests - written
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WEEK 5

  • Playing as much as possible
  • Rhythm Rockers and Music Theory is ongoing
    • Constant individual assessment
  • How many notes do we know?
    • Flute:
      • Head joint highs and lows
      • Chromatic C#, C, B, Bb, A, Ab, G, F first two octaves
      • Octave slurs
    • Oboe:
      • C, Bb, A, G, Right F in the staff
      • F#, F, E octave slurs
    • Bassoon:
      • F, E, D, C, Bb, A, G, F in the staff
      • F#, F, E octave slurs
    • Clarinet:
      • Mouthpiece and Barrel F#
      • Upper joint G, F, E, D, C, possible chromatics as well
    • Saxophone
      • Mouthpiece and Neck G#
      • B, A, G, F, E in the staff
      • Chromatic G, F#, F octave slurs

  • Start using method/song book
    • Play simple songs
    • Make recordings of their practice and put on Google classroom
  • Recitals/performance opportunities to feel comfortable playing in front of other people
  • Assessment
    • Previous week(s) – informal
    • Rhythm Rockers
    • Theory
    • Fingerings
    • Playing tests

WEEK 6

  • Continue working chromatically regarding learning new notes
  • Monitor tone quality
  • Playing songs out of the book
  • Begin to add specialty exercises (slow to fast)
    • Finger Ninjas (isolate tricky finger patterns, such as flute C to D)
    • Harmonics, Octave Slurs, etc.
    • Tetra chords
    • Finger Wiggles (monitor hand position in developing speed patterns)
    • Articulations
    • Technique (combine finger technique with articulations)
  • Assessment
    • Previous week(s)
    • Rhythm Rockers
    • Theory
    • Playing Tests
    • Tetra chords
    • Fingering tests

~WEEK 8

  • Fall concert
    • 5 note full band music
    • Section songs for demonstration

End of the first semester

  • Most woodwind classes will know the fingerings for full range and will have played these notes, but may not be proficient
  • Will have played all tetra chords in a one octave range; some may play the tetra-chords in multiple octaves
  • One octave scales
  • Chromatic scale (partial range)
  • Playing music using rhythms learned from Rhythm Rockers
  • Instrument specific solos and ensembles
  • Rhythmically: dotted quarter notes, sixteenth notes, possibly triplets and compound rhythms
  • Winter concert with more challenging music

Sample Beginner Band Instrument and Supply Lists

Argyle Middle School

Shadow Ridge Middle School
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