Middle School Instrumental Music (Grade 8)

Student Learnings: What students should know and be able to do

Performance Skill

• Increase playing range with attention to proper tonal concepts.
• Refine and apply vibrato (flute and saxophone).
• Understand tone color shading.
• Refine pitch discrimination to adjust intonation in an ensemble.

Reading Skills and Practice Habits

• Develop internal sense of pulse.
• Correctly name, finger and tap notes, locate bell notes in rhythm while tapping the foot.

Mallets

• Demonstrate a four mallet roll.

Rudiments

• Student will execute written musical direction.
• Execute advanced PAS rudiments.
• Execute multiple bounce rolls.

Timpani

• Accurately play accent patterns with appropriate stick heights.
• Know the fundamental ranges of the timpani.

Other

• Accomplish basic tuning changes on timpani.
• Play concert Db Major accurately.
• Recognize minor and blues scale.
• Be able to improvise.
• Identify the style of literature performed (jazz, non-traditional, contemporary.)

Key Signatures

• Understand and demonstrate knowledge of key signatures.