YR 11 LESSON NOTES

Term 1, 2012

WEEK 1

Lesson 1. YR 11, T1 WK1 Introduction – powerpoint from first Yr 11 lesson.  Also, in this lesson we watched performance videos of former students and discussed marking standards.Students were invited to perform to the class if they wanted to.

Lesson 2. In this lesson students used Pro Tools for the first time.  Watch the video tutorial on the Recording and Pro Tools page.  Students also got to experience www.guitargames.net for the first time.

WEEK 2

Lesson 1. In this lesson, students learned how to record their own music using Pro Tools after a short teacher demonstration of how to do it.  Skills included; creating a blank session, adding instrument & audio tracks, adding instrument plugins, recording from a Midi Keyboard, Microphone or Guitar, adding guitar effect plugins.  Watch the tutorial video on the Recording Page.

Lesson 2. In this lesson, students viewed a presentation on hearing protection.  We used a sound level meter to test various instruments to see how loud they were and discussed various options for hearing protection.  The powerpoint for this presentation is here: Hearing Protection Lesson Notes.  Students then had free time to continue creating music in Pro Tools following on from the previous lesson.

WEEK 3

Lesson 1. In this lesson, the Term1 Performance assignment was handed out; it is available for download on the Task Sheet page.  Students discussed ways to prepare for performance (Physical, Mental, Musical & Professional preparation), view the full list here.  Students then watched a video of an L.A. film soundtrack recording session and discussed ways that these musicians may have prepared themselves for session playing.  Lastly, students used prac time to determine how ready they felt they were ‘right now’ to perform if they had to.  Students were encouraged to video tape or record themselves performing and self evaluate.

Lesson 2. In this lesson, students openly discussed things that they thought were either good or bad about learning music theory, the full list is here.  I mentioned that I would use this list to make an effort to teach the “good” kind of music theory.  Next, students took a brief music theory quiz so that I could gauge their current level.  Lastly, students had goal oriented prac time.

WEEK 4.

Lesson 1. Today, the lesson aimed to slowly “ease” students into practical music theory.  Students viewed an interview with band Saosin, a guitar clinic with Joe Satriani, and a quote from Yngwie Malmsteen showing reasons why music theory knowledge is important for musicians.  I then did a practical demonstration on guitar of how to use different scales to create different moods or sounds.  Students were then encouraged to choose a scale, learn it on their instrument, learn a lick using that scale, then attempt to improvise with the scale or compose something with it.  This was a real world, practical application of music theory.

Lesson 2. To begin this lesson, students were shown the list of things they hated about music theory collected in Week 3, Lesson 2.  After having a good laugh about all the nasty comments, we made the observation that these negative comments weren’t really about hating music theory, but at the frustration of “not getting” music theory.  I promised to do my best as a teacher to help students “get it” with practical, relevant and useful theory.
Students then did an activity on www.guitargames.net and www.musictheory.net to learn/revise the names of the notes on their instrument.  Afterwards, students had prac time to prepare for their music draft performance next week.