Microteaching: Brass Flexibility
LESSON PLAN
Microteaching #1: Fundamentals of Brass Performance Teaching
Musical Concept to be taught: Flexibility
Instructional Goal: The students will complete a set of exercises, learn techniques for improving flexibility, and be better prepared to play exercises 38 and 57 in the method book.
Materials Used in the lesson:
The students’ instruments (provided by the students)
The students’ method books (provided by the students)
Flexibility exercise sheet (provided by the teacher)
National Standards covered in this lesson:
1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
2. Content Standard: Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
5. Content Standard: Reading and notating music
TEACHING PROCEDURE:
Introduction:
Good afternoon, class. Today we will be learning some techniques to work on flexibility. We will then apply our newfound flexibility and play some exercises out of the Standard of Excellence books.
Step-By-Step Procedure/Process:
What do we mean when we say flexibility? In particular, flexibility on brass
instruments…
[Refer to partials, intervals, difficulty moving from one to another, etc.]
(Speaking to the non-brass players here…) What do you think might be
something we could do, or play, to increase our flexibility?
[Lip slurs, exercises of the sort on the sheet, right! Pass it out…]
Everyone take a look at this sheet I’m passing out… These exercises are all going to help us with our flexibility.
Now, you must understand the two components to achieving flexibility. First, your lips, your embouchure, must be able to change correctly and precisely for each and every note. These exercises will help you find these notes and center the pitches. However, that’s not all there is to it. Air is perhaps the single most important factor in playing a brass instrument… therefore, if you are not moving sufficient air, then a flexible embouchure will still be limited in what it can do.
So… these exercises must be played with a big, full sound, to really get our air moving. Also, focus on finding and centering the pitches, so that your lips can become accustomed to where the pitches are and what they feel like.
Play #1, and play #2 (unless time is short) but skip #3, for now, encourage to do on their own.
Play #4 but skip #5, for now, encourage to do on their own.
Play #6 only if time permits.
Diagnose problems as we go, as necessary.
Go to the book…
#38 – large intervals… if tons of time, have them sing it
#57 also
Review/Closure Statement:
Today we learned about the importance of having flexibility as a brass player. I have given you all music with warm-ups and flexibility exercises on them. Please use these as you practice to help build flexibility and strength. Any questions? … Okay, thanks, have a great day!
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