Sarah Wagner

Brass Techniques 11/21/17

Content and Achievement Standards

Playing an instrument alone and with others.

Reading, notating, and interpreting music.
Evaluating music and music performance.

Class Goals and Objectives

Develop basic pitch awareness and tonguing skills.
Identify the melody in a small brass ensemble piece.
Differentiate marcato tonguing from legato tonguing.

Materials
A copy of Carry on Wayward Son and brass instruments.

Procedures
1. Introduction.
a. P: Good afternoon, class.
2. The instructor will count off the ensemble and run Carry on Wayward Son under
tempo.
a. P: One, two, ready, (inhale).
3. The instructor will isolate and focus on the unison rhythm in the last four measures.
a. P: Sizzle the rhythm of the last four bars with me.
4. After the students can sizzle the rhythm, they will play the last four bars.
a. P: Last four bars, playing. One, two, three, (inhale).
5. The instructor will work with the low brass on the first six bars.
a. P: Treat these notes like a bass player would. You are supporting the rest of the
ensemble with strummed notes with the syllable do.
6. When the low brass plays their first six bars, the high brass will sizzle and finger.
a. P: Trumpets and horns, sizzle your line and finger along while the low brass
plays.
7. The trumpets will play their melodic line from m. 9-12.
a. P: Trumpets play your line like a singer would sing it, while the rest of the class
sizzles along.
8. The instructor will repeat the isolation process with the horns in m. 13-16.
a. P: Trumpets and horns switch jobs. All other accompaniment players are sizzling.
9. The instructor will have the entire ensemble play form m. 9-16.
a. P: Focus on the main lines in the trumpet and horns. Back off if you cannot hear
them.
10. The instructor will run Carry on Wayward Son once more at tempo.
a. (Quicker) One, two, three, (inhale).

Assessment of Goals and Objectives

Assessment of the lesson will be as a full group and as individual sections.

Follow up Lessons
Sarah Wagner
Brass Techniques 11/21/17
Future lessons will focus on legato accent tonguing by using tonguing exercises that separate the
different types of articulation. Sight reading pieces will also be used to develop students ears to
identify the melody.