Harmonizing Instruments/Guitar Unit—Proficient Level, Responding to Music with Applications for Songwriting

NAfME Teaching with Primary Sources Curriculum Units for the 2014 Music Standards

This unit of instruction is designed with two purposes in mind. The primary goals of this unit are to use inquiry strategies to guide students in learning the history of the 12-bar blues form, and then have them apply that understanding to the creation of their own blues song for their instrument (guitar or ukulele). This unit is also designed to give teachers with any level of experience new tools or new ideas for guiding students through song composition in an effective fashion.

This unit is designed for students at the Proficient Level as described by the National Music Standards. This assumes that the student has had multiple years of instruction on the instrument and has attained the appropriate skill level to be successful. (See “Prerequisite Skills” for further explanation.) If the teacher has multiple proficiency levels within the class, he/she is encouraged to provide different expectations for individuals.