Syllabus: Guitar Ensemble Yorktown High School Teacher: Matthew Rinker Location: Room 174

Transcription

1 Syllabus: Guitar Ensemble Yorktown High School Teacher: Matthew Rinker Location: Room 174 Contact Information: Phone/voic = (703) Mailbox #98275 APS = matthew.rinker@apsva.us Office = Room 187 Course Description: In this course students will learn, demonstrate and practice the skills associated with playing the guitar at an intermediate to advanced level. Students will develop these skills in a positive supportive environment while also developing general musicianship skills and behaviors associated with good practice and rehearsal technique. Large Ensemble performance is a large part of this course. This course will also provide solo and small ensemble performing experiences. County Curriculum: This course follows the APS guitar curriculum published in 2008 and is aligned with all state requirements. State Requirements: The Virginia state SOLs for instrumental music are broken into four levels. This course will focus on the Intermediate Level skills identified as II.1 thru II.24. Skills defined as Advanced or Artist Level may also be introduced dependent upon student readiness and mastery of prerequisite skills. Beginning Level skills (IB.1 thru IB.24) will be reviewed as necessary. Materials Used Include: Austin Classical Guitar Society website (guitarcurriculum.com) materials Primary Text(s): Second Year Guitar, Hands on Training (H.O.T.) by N. Marsters; Differentiated Class Guitar Materials by M. Rinker, Guitar Ensemble compositions grade 2 5 (various composers). Secondary Text(s): Will Schmidt s Superbook, Levitt s Berklee Series Vol. 1, Mel Bay s Finger Board Harmony, Howard Roberts Guitar Manual: Sight Reading. Supplies Needed: 1 pocket folder specifically for this class, pencils. Optional Supplies: Though students in this course will be assigned one of the YHS guitars for use during class, it is highly recommended that each student own a guitar for practice at home. A list of music stores and recommended instruments will be provided. Students may also purchase their own method book for use at home (primary text listed above) if desired. Books can be ordered through classguitar.com

2 Yearly Plan Overview First Quarter (Focus on correct hand and body position and building chord vocabulary) Parts and care of instrument (SOL IB.17 and II.17) Tuning Treble clef notes (2 nd Position) Right hand technique finger-style free and rest stoke (SOL IB.2 and II.2) Rhythmic notation (SOL IB.21 and II.21) Body and hand position (SOL IB.1) Right hand technique finger-style and pick (SOL IB.2 and II.2) Harmony (chords) I-IV-V progressions in all keys using movable forms Creating accompaniments using a lead sheet Natural Notes in 2 nd position C Major scale in 2 nd Position Reading music (standard notation) in positions as appropriate for each student (SOL IB.21, II.21) Second Quarter (Focus on reading standard notation applied to guitar playing) (SOL II.21) Ensemble music - Winter Concert Preparation Conducting gestures, rehearsal practices (SOL II.11) WINTER CONCERT PERFORMANCE and Evaluation Tuesday 7PM Playing i,m,a rasqueados with simple chords Accidentals in positions Chromatic scale (2 movable fingerings) Third Quarter (Focus on rehearsal of large ensemble music Spring Festival - M.A.G.E.F.) Circle of fifths Major scales in G, D, A and F in 2nd position (and their relative natural minors) Intro. To Segovia Scale fingerings (in familiar keys) Chord review Scales in other positions Creating a guitar 3 part guitar ensemble arrangement from a lead sheet Fourth Quarter (Continued focus on rehearsal of large ensemble music Spring Concert) 12 bar blues progression Giuliani right hand studies Improvisation (pentatonic scales and blues scales added to vocabulary) Reading simultaneities (chords from standard notation) Chord inversions Jazz chords w/ 7 th and upper extensions SPRING CONCERT PERFOMANCE and Evaluation Tuesday 7PM

3 Assessment 40% of the student s grade will be determined by their effort and class participation. Grades will be given daily for coming to class prepared (with notebook and pencil), setting up for class with a foot stool, instrument, music stand and method book (or appropriate materials posted on board); cleaning up at the end of class and using class practice time to practice what is assigned on a given day. The participation grade also reflects the students ability to work in a team/ensemble with other students. This aspect of the course is referred to as rehearsal etiquette. Each unit will contain many small proficiency and/or performance quizzes on individual objectives. There will be one major test grade given each quarter. These quarter tests may be either written tests or grades given for participation in mandatory concert performances (see planned assessment schedule for details Note: Students in Guitar Ensemble will meet with the instructor to develop a personalized plan for their study of the guitar based on their abilities and interests. The assessment schedule below may be changed substantially in some cases depending on the student s personalized plan). Students are expected to practice outside of class as necessary to attain mastery of the proficiencies tested (a maximum average of minutes per day). This will constitute homework and will be assessed by skill mastery tested on proficiency quizzes. Homework will not be graded separately. Proficiency quizzes may be retaken to improve the grade earned or taken late as a make-up in cases of absence. However the make-up must be completed prior to the ending of the quarter in which the quiz was given. Proficiency quiz grades become final on the last day of each quarter. It is up to the student to schedule a make-up with the teacher. Grades for concert performance attendance may not be made up. Missing a performance without a valid written excuse (prior to the performance when possible) will result in a zero for that test grade. Students with valid excuses will be given a written make-up assignment to be due at the beginning of the next class meeting following the concert. Most Rehearsals for this ensemble will take place during class time and as such, class attendance is very important. Any additional rehearsals will be announced well in advance (at least three weeks prior to the rehearsal). A. Excused Absence from Rehearsal Except in cases of extreme emergency, illness, and religious observance, Guitar Ensemble members will NOT be excused from rehearsals. In cases of illness, students are asked to Mr. Rinker at matthew.rinker@apsva.us prior to the rehearsal. A detailed and completed absence form is due within two days of the absence. The absence will be unexcused if no form is handed in. Forms can be obtained by request and will be available on Blackboard. Any conflicts that will occur during the year must be brought to the director s attention at least two weeks before rehearsal. Personal conflicts will be reviewed by the director (and principal if necessary) as they arise. Forms for such requests are available by request and on Blackboard. All material covered at the rehearsal must be made up. The student must make an appointment with Mr. Rinker within one week. Absences due to work and vacations during the school year will not be excused. Legitimate absences may include: religious observations, medical emergences, PSAT, SAT, ACT, illness. Others (including senior college visits) must be brought to the attention of the director for approval. B. Unexcused Absence from Rehearsal

4 Any student receiving an unexcused absence without prior notification (2 weeks) from rehearsal will have his/her Rehearsal Attendance grade lowered 25%. Any student receiving an unexcused absence from rehearsal with prior notification (2 weeks) will have his/her Rehearsal Attendance grade lowered 10%. Two or more unexcused absences without prior notification will be reviewed by the director and may result in exclusion from performances. C. Tardy to Rehearsal Attendance will be taken at the beginning of all rehearsals. If a student is late three times his/her Rehearsal Attendance grade will be lowered 10%. Every tardy received after the first three will lower the grade an additional 10%. D. Excused Absence from Performance Except in cases of extreme emergency, illness, or religious observance, Guitar Ensemble members will not be excused from performances. In cases of illness, students are asked to Mr. Rinker matthew.rinker@apsva.us no less than five hours prior to the start of the report time. A detailed and completed absence form is due within two days of the absence. The absence will be unexcused if no form is handed in. Forms can be obtained by request and will be available on Blackboard. Personal conflicts will be reviewed by the director (and principal if necessary) as they arise. Forms for such requests are available by request and will be available on Blackboard. Absences due to work and vacations will not be excused. Legitimate absences may include: religious observations, medical emergences, PSAT, SAT, illness. Others must be brought to the attention of the director for approval. Request for performance absence must be submitted at least one month before performance. E. Unexcused Absence from Performance If a student has an unexcused absence from a performance without notification, their grade for that performance will be a zero. An unexcused absence from a performance with at least one month notification will result in the grade for that performance being lowered 50%. Only in cases of extreme emergency or personal illness will a person be excused from a performance. Excused absences must be approved by the director. Any absence that is not brought to the director s attention (unless an emergency) for approval prior (1 month) to the performance will be considered unexcused. Grading Class Participation (formative) = 40% (This includes preparedness and proper rehearsal etiquette) Proficiency Quizzes (summative) = 30% Major Performances/Tests (summative) = 30% APS GRADING SCALE Letter Grade Percentages Quality Points AP & IB Quality Points A 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, B+ 87, 88, B 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, C+ 77, 78, C 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, D+ 67, 68, D 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, E Student grades reflect student achievement and not student behavior. Quarterly grades will round up when the percentage is.5 or higher. In addition to achievement, work habits as noted in the report card comments will be evaluated for each course using the following symbols: + - Surpasses Expectations # - Meets Expectations ^ - Approaching Expectations N - Needs Improvement Following APS policy, the final grade will be calculated using the quality points and not percentages, letter grades, number or point systems.

5 Planned Assessment Schedule There will be one major test grade given per quarter. The 4 th quarter test grade will be a participation grade for performance in the Spring Concert. The 2 nd and 3 rd quarter test grades may be from a written exam or may come from concert performance grades for performances in the winter. The 1 st quarter exam will be a written exam. The instructor reserves the right to change the sequence or content of any assessment with reasonable notice to students. Proficiency Quizzes 1. Parts of the Guitar (review and teach) 2. Correct Body and Hand Position (review and teach) 3. Right and Left Hand Symbols and String Names and Numbers (review and teach) 4. Demonstration of Good Tone Quality Free Strokes with i, m & a 5. Demonstration of Good Tone Quality Rest Strokes with i and m 6. Demonstration of Good Left Hand Technique (notes in 1 st position) 7. Memorizing 2 nd Position Diatonic Scale 8. 2 Octave C Major & A Natural Minor Scales in 5 th position (rest stroke) 9. D Major Chord Progression (w/ movable chords and/or inversions) 10. Lead Sheet Accompaniment w/ D progression (w/ movable chords and/or inversions) 11. Reading on Strings 1 3 (5 th position) 12. A & G Chord Progressions (w/ movable chords and/or inversions) 13. Reading on Strings 4 6 (5 th position) 14. E & C Chord Progressions (w/ movable chords and/or inversions) 15. Reading Incorporating Accidentals (5 th position) Octave G Major & 1 octave E Natural Minor Scales (2 nd Pos.) 17. Accompaniments using Arpeggio Patterns (p,i,m & p,i,m,a) 18. Movable Chromatic Scale Octave C Major (Segovia fingering) Octave D Major Scale (Segovia fingering) Octave G Major Scale (Segovia fingering) Octave A Major Scale (Segovia fingering) Bar Blues 24. Right Hand Studies (Giuliani #1-6) There will be a final exam given in this course. The final exam will count for 10% of the final grade for the course. The exam will consist of a written section and a performance section. The performance section of the final exam may be completed prior to scheduled exam day. Students with a cumulative average of 90% or higher will be exempt from the final. Seniors participating in the Senior Experience will take their final prior to their Senior Experience.

6 Please sign and return the last page of this document to the instructor by 9/12 to signify that you have read and understand the content of this syllabus Guitar Ensemble Instructor: M. Rinker I have read and understand the expectations of students enrolled in this course. I understand that concert performances are a graded part of this class. Student Signature Parent/Guardian Signature Date Date