Tennessee 12th Grade Music Theory Standards

Standard 4.0 Composing

Students will compose or arrange music within specified guidelines.

Harmonies and Chord Filling
In his exercise students will each be given time on a computer with the program Finale installed on it. The teacher beforehand will create a basic soprano melody with a bass harmony. The student is then tasked with creating harmonies out of the tenor and alto voices.

Scaffolds
The teacher will give instructions that the student is to create a tenor and alto harmony for the exercise. The exercise will be no longer than four measures. The teacher will also instruct that students that they are to fill out the harmonies with simple major triads.
Authentic Instruction

Learner Autonomy- This exercise will help the students get a good understanding of how simple harmonies work as well as working on simple chord structures. This is especially important for the growth of the young musician.
Active Learning- This will give the student a hands on chance to work with a well known music program and allow them the chance to work with composing.
Holistic, Challenging, and Complex Activities- This exercise challenges the students to branch out and actually create their own harmonies. This exercise challenges them to not only use a music program to create music but also their own creativity in the harmonies they create.