Are the instruments in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in the same family as those in George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue? Elementary musicians work on their music theory and their instrumental ear as they listen to clips of famous classical pieces, and list what instruments they hear, what tempo they can discern, and how the piece makes them feel.

Concepts

instruments, brass instruments, string instruments, classical music, orchestras, music appreciation

Show More Show Less

Additional Tags

visual and performing arts

Show More Show Less

Instructional Ideas

• Use as a homework assignment in a music appreciation class
• Play the clips for class members and have them answer in pairs or groups

Classroom Considerations

• Requires prior knowledge about instrument families
• Learners need access to the Internet to access the audio clips

Pros

• Reviews important music theory concepts
• Simple and straightforward for all skill levels

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.K.4 SL.K.5 SL.1.4 SL.1.5 SL.2.5 SL.3.4