OBJECTIVE

By the end of the lesson, students will understand the three defining elements of the canon:

1)The second voice must be the same as the first or a contrapuntal variation of the first

2)The second voice enters later than the first voice

3)The second voice must strictly follow the first voice or the variation

By the end of the lesson, students will have written their own simple two-part canon.

They will also learn a brief history of the canon, and learn the names of some well-known canons.

They will learn the techniques that can be employed in creating different kinds of canons:

Inversion

Retrograde or ìcrabî canon

Augmentation (with longer note values)

A canon in which the second voice begins at an interval different from the leader (e.g. canon at the fifth)

Etc.

They will understand these terms by the end of the lesson.

PURPOSE

Students have already learned to create simple melodies. The canon exercise is a second step in teaching composition, designed for students to begin writing two parts.

MATERIALS NEEDED

CD, computers for each student each equipped with MIDI keyboards, Sibelius and Sibelius Compass Software.

ANTICIPATORY SET

Pachelbelís Canon in D is playing as the students enter the classroom.

PROCEDURE

I will define a canon.

I will ask students one by one to begin singing, ìRow, Row Row Your Boatî to create a canon in as many parts as there are students.

I will describe different types of canons.

I will give a brief history of canons discussing their origins in Italy and France, development in the 15th century and popularity through the Baroque period.

I will identify some well-known canons, playing examples on CD (e.g. Bachís Goldberg Variations).

Students will do an activity using Sibelius Compass that will help them jump-start the composition of an original melody that will be the leading melody in their canon.

Using Sibelius software and MIDI keyboards, each student will compose an original canon with the melody created with Sibelius Compass.

CHECK FOR STUDENT UNDERSTANDING

I will look at and listen to the students compositions to check for understanding, walking around the room as they are working on the project.

After they have finished their canons, I will ask them to define some of the terms discussed, ask them questions about the brief history, and ask them to name some of the well-known canons I identified earlier in the lesson.

CLOSURE

I will ask for several students to volunteer to have their compositions played for the whole class using the MIDI keyboards and Sibelius software.

I will ask students to do research on the internet and listen to two canons. One should be orthodox, and one should have a second voice that is a deviation from the first voice. They are each asked to bring in a recording of one of these two canons for presentation during the next lesson.

EXTENSIONS

Students will compose non-orthodox canons. They will write inverse, retrograde, and additional canons with other contrapuntal variations.

Reference List

Allrefer.com. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2004, from http://reference.allrefer.com/encyclopedia/C/canon-mus.html

Fact Index. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2004, from http://www.fact-index.com/c/ca/canon__music_.html

Smith, T.A. (1996). Canons of the Goldberg Variations. Retrieved July 16, 2004, from Northern Arizona University Web site: http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~tas3/goldbergcanons.html