Guitar Syllabus

East High School Guitar Syllabus 2015-2016

Teacher: Mrs. Dorothy Pino, Office: Room 340, first practice room

Email: Dorothy_pino@dpsk12.org, dorothypino@gmail.com

Website: dorothypino.blogspot.com

Period/Classroom: 7th Period, Room 153

Office Hours: Monday – Friday 7:00AM-7:25AM; Thursday 1:30-2:15pm

Textbooks:  Hal Leonard method books, popular songs (found on ultimate-guitar.com), folk songs, spirituals, and various theory texts.

Materials: Instrument, pencil, binder paper/notebook, music folder, music books, cleaning supplies, and maintenance supplies

Expectations

Students will be expected to:

•Arrive on time to class each day with the appropriate materials

•Treat their instruments, materials, classmates, and teacher with respect

•Complete all assignments on time, be prepared for class, and work to the best of their ability

•Have a positive attitude and participate fully in classroom activities

•Be safe, respectful, and responsible – this includes cleaning the classroom after each session.

•Raise their hands with questions about the content or come in during office hours for extra help.

Consequences

If students do not adhere to the expectations there will be consequences including (but not limited to):

•Parent phone calls for disrespectful behavior, referrals for repeat offenders, or removal from the course for severe and detrimental behavior

•Reduction in grade if academic standards are not being met, assignments are not completed, preparation for tests is not evident, or students have excessive tardiness and lack of participation.

Objectives

Students, throughout the course of the year, will learn how to:

•Read music in treble clef

•Sit and stand with appropriate posture while performing

•Respect “the podium” by responding appropriately to the conductor’s directions

•Prepare music for performance, starting at a beginning level and working their way to a proficient level

•Play all 12 major scales and 5 pentatonic minor scales

•Play the chromatic scale

•Play music in unison and in divided parts

•Listen for balance across the ensemble

•Tune their instruments by listening to a pitch and by referring to electronic tuners

•Differentiate between different styles and time periods of music

•Use expression in music, including dynamics, phrasing, articulation, tempo contrast, and timbre

•Analyze a musical performance and give appropriate feedback about the music, including what improvements could be made and what went well with a piece of music

•Compose for guitar/voice using basic chords such as I-IV-V-vi, cadences, melodies, and harmonies.

•Improvise to basic harmonic patterns and the 12-Bar Blues

•Sight-read at a proficient level by the end of the year

•Follow the conductor’s cues and signals while performing music

•Interpret musical symbols correctly and appropriately

•Master their instruments and move onto the next level of musicianship

•Learn basics of music theory and discuss this in class and write on paper

Goals:

We are going to work through the Hal Leonard Guitar Method Book, Theory and History worksheets, popular songs, and song writing by the end of the semester. We will accumulate skills in the following areas: music reading, rhythmic dictation, basic scale memorization, chord recognition, song writing, and critically examining performances.

Expectations

Students will be expected to:

·         Arrive on time to class each day with all the appropriate materials (you will lose points for coming to school without an instrument and music)

·         Treat their instruments, materials, classmates, and teacher with respect

·         Complete all assignments on time, be prepared for class, and work to the best of their ability

·         Have a positive attitude and participate fully in classroom activities

·         Be safe, respectful, and responsible

·         Raise their hands with questions about the content or come in during office hours for extra help.

Consequences

If students do not adhere to the expectations there will be consequences including (but not limited to):

·         Parent phone calls/emails for disrespectful behavior, referrals for repeat offenders, or removal from the course for severe and detrimental behavior

·         Reduction in grade if academic standards are not being met, assignments are not completed, preparation for tests is not evident, or students have excessive tardiness and lack of participation.

Procedures:

Start and Finish: Each day, students will enter the classroom and immediately start setting up their “playing station” by getting a music stand, chair, music, setting up their instrument, and warming up.

Podium Respect: In the music world, the conductor is the leader of the ensemble. In this class you will be learning how to respect a conductor so that you will be prepared to continue into higher levels of musicianship. In order to master this skill, you will respond to the conductor, Mrs. Pino, in the following ways:

●        Mrs. Pino steps on the podium or to the center of the room, and all students will stop talking/playing, straighten their posture, and quietly look to Mrs. Pino for further instructions.

●        When she raises her conducting baton, instruments will go to the ready playing position.

●        When her baton is lowered, instruments will be brought down to resting position.

●        Whenever Mrs. Pino is working with another group of students, use this time to write in notes in your music, silently practice tricky fingerings, and/or quietly help a neighbor with a question about the music. Make the most of every second in class by using it to improve your musicianship.

●        Remember, there is a time for work and a time for fun. We will be having both this year!

During Class: Throughout class, students will be given opportunities to ask questions about the music and to participate in class discussions. Students will be expected to raise their hand and wait to be called on if they have a relevant question. Students are asked to refrain from making rude comments as this hinders the learning environment and classroom safety. 

Bathroom Breaks: Mrs. Pino understands that restroom emergencies happen, so students will be allowed to go to the bathroom only 4 times each quarter during class before it affects their participation grade (if you’re regularly missing class, it’s hard to participate). Only 1 student may be out of the class at any given time. Students will be expected to return within 3 minutes after they leave the classroom to use the restroom. If for some reason the particular emergency requires more time, let me know in advance. In order to cut down on class disruptions, to ask for permission to use the restroom, all you have to do is lift your student planner, already filled out. I will give you a head nod if you can go at that time. If I need you to wait a minute, I’ll signal for you to hold on with my hand. Lift your planner again in a few minutes to receive permission to go.

Pencils: Every student should be equipped with two pencils every class period. There will be a pencil jar for emergencies, but it is best if every student come prepared to class with their own pencils. Please, no pens in class! Writing in PEN in music is a BIG NO-NO. Please, Please, Please... only use pencil in music class. If you make mistakes writing in notes, it will be easy to change. Also, when working with sheet music, we can erase markings before returning it so the next person has clean music.

Materials: Every class period, please bring your instrument, music books and sheet music, pencils, and keep a few pieces of binder paper in your music folder so that you can take notes if necessary in class. Keep in mind that all music that is not personally purchased by you is the property of East High or Mrs. Pino, and it should be returned in good condition when it is no longer needed for class. If music is not returned after use, it will be billed to your student account.

Tests: In order to help Mrs. Pino help you in your learning, she will have routine assessments/tests. Every other Block Day, students will be asked to prepare specific songs/pieces or scales for performance. Sometimes students will get to choose between a range of songs, and other times, they will be given precise examples to play. Please make sure you are prepared to play these by yourself, with a friend, and/or as an instrument section.

Performance Quizzes: These will occur on block days throughout the semester.

Sectionals: You will be working in small groups regularly throughout the year. Please use this time to work with your peers on the assigned task. You will be held accountable for this time each class period.

Grades:

Grades will be calculated in a few ways. On the following page, you will find a breakdown of what you will be graded on in our class. Your grade will be broken down into the following categories: 

Music Effort - Participation and Effort (30%)

·         Practice (10%), 

·         engagement in class and good attitude (10%), 

·         on time and does not exceed bathroom break allowance (5%), 

·         comes prepared for class with all necessary materials (5%)

Musical Expression and Theory- Performance Ability/Improvement and Assessments(40%)

·         Student shows great improvement throughout the year and performs at an appropriate level for each stage of learning (20%), 

·         performs well and prepares for assessments (15%) 

·         comes in for help during office hours when struggling (5%), 

Music Performance - Concert Attendance (20%)

·         Student is present/on time at all required concerts in the appropriate attire (all black “Concert Blacks” for most concerts, unless otherwise indicated) and checks in with Mrs. Pino prior to each concert

·         Student brings all required materials to the concert (music, instrument, reeds, oil, stands, etc)

Music Analysis and Composition - Music Assignments (10%)

·         Composition and improvisation assignments, Dictation, Peer Evaluations, Self-Evaluations

·         Homework, including take home quizzes

Semester Finals will be worth 10% of your overall grade (30% for each of the three 6 week periods plus 10% = 100%)

Concerts: Attendance is mandatory. Please set aside these dates on your calendars. We are going to write these in our student planners and/or phone calendars right now as a class.

TBD - Veterans’ Home Concert Field Trip during school hours in November

November 11 – Instrumental Pizza Dinner, Commons, 5pm-9pm

December 1, 3, 4, 7- CD Recording Project Field Trip during school hours (we will only go on one of these days), CEC, all day

January 19 - Pops Concert, 7pm in Auditorium

March 22 – Original Composition Concert, 5pm in Auditorium

May 4-5 - Spring Concert for instrumental department, 6:30pm, auditorium, one of these days

May 19 –Arts Walk, more details to come, 5:30- 8pm.

*Optional Pep Band Opportunities* (Extra credit available)