Pythagoras Music Lessons

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COLLABORATION LESSON PLAN

OCTOBER 26, 2015

Maths & Music Using Pythagoras to Compose Music

Lesson One - 3 4 5 Making a musical triangle. 1. The students begin with answering a simple Pythagoras problem on the board (3,4,5) - or paper. 2. The students are introduced to the ideas of Pythagorean Triples and are presented with a few more examples (some correct some incorrect). 3. The students are broken into groups of 3 to choose a triple to which they will compose with. (Numbers like 12 are split into 1, 2 etc). 4. The teacher demonstrates how to create with a triple on the app MADPAD and the students are given one iPad per group to create and video their own performances. 5. A Pen Drumming video is used as inspiration http://bit.ly/1B9famW 6. Students get to create and present their performances on Pythagorean Triples using the iPads. 7. Pythagoras’ theory of the planets and natural music is discussed by a Video Clip and singing some Pentatonic Music http://bit.ly/1K3pZPI

iPad Integration

iPads are used to test and give feedback on ideas.

Pythagoras

Is used to create 3 different musical ideas with different patterns that lock into each other.

“Students create using MADPAD in groups of 3 like Pythagorean Triples”
 https://www.mathsisfun.com/pythagoras.html http://www.pythagorasmusic.com

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PYTHAGORAS

SCALES

SING

Solve a triangle problem and create three patterns with MADPAD.

Learn about Pythagoras’ division of 3rd's to create scales and patterns.

Did you know that the pentatonic scale is a universally sounding scale?

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Composing

Through creating musical ideas using mathematics students build skills in applying knowledge from multiple disciplines.


COLLABORATION LESSON PLAN

OCTOBER 30, 2015

Maths & Music Using Pythagoras to Compose Music

Lesson Two - Patterns
 1. The students begin with singing a Pentatonic scale like Bobby McFerrin: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne6tB2KiZuk 2. The students are re-introduced to the ideas of Pythagorean Triples and invited to pick their own again. 3. The students are broken into groups of 3 to choose a triple to which they will compose with. 4. The teacher demonstrates how to create with a triple on the app GarageBand and Piano first. Each layer is based upon Do Re Mi So La. 5. Two musical examples are played: Imagine Dragons' It's Time & Ligeti's Ricercata VII. 6. Students are then given time to create their own layers using the iPads in groups of three. 7. The students can represent a Pythagorean triple in notes, rhythms or chords and then they can add drums or recorded beats. 8. Final creations are saved and sent to teacher for reflection of learning.

“Students compose in Garageband by playing in ideas made from Pythagoras' formula”

iPad Integration

iPads are used to test and give feedback on ideas.

GarageBand IOS

The iPad has many instruments that can also play chords instead of just notes for patterns.

Composing

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PENTATONIC

PATTERNS

GARAGEBAND

Pentatonic Music is only 5 notes - but you can do a lot with 5 notes.

Creating with patterns (and Pythagorean Patterns) is easy with Garageband.

Listen and record 3 new layers from a chosen scale to create a composition.

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Through creating musical layers students quickly involve each other in the creative process - using Math!





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