Learning Musical Alphabets and Staff Notation Music JSS 1 First Term Lesson Notes Week 4

Lesson Plan: Musical Alphabets and Musical Staff

Subject: Music
Class: JSS 1
Term: First Term
Week: 4
Age: 11-12 years
Topic: Musical Alphabets and Musical Staff
Sub-topic: Understanding the Musical Staff and Its Letters
Duration: 40 minutes

Behavioral Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Define musical staff.
2. Identify the letters used in music (musical alphabets).
3. Explain how notes are placed on the musical staff.
4. Give examples of how musical notes appear on the staff.

Keywords

• Musical staff
• Treble clef
• Bass clef
• Musical alphabets
• Notes
• Lines and spaces

Set Induction

The teacher shows students a musical staff drawn on the board and asks if anyone has seen something similar in their music books or during music lessons. The teacher introduces the concept of the musical staff and musical alphabets.

Entry Behaviour

Students are already familiar with basic music terms from previous lessons (e.g., kinds of music and the elements of music).

Learning Resources and Materials

• Visual representation of a musical staff (drawn on the board or printed)
• Musical instruments (optional for sound demonstration)
• Music theory charts

Building Background/Connection to Prior Knowledge

The teacher links the lesson to previous topics, explaining how the musical staff is used to write down and organize music notes, which are part of the elements of music learned earlier.

Embedded Core Skills

• Observation skills
• Critical thinking
• Listening skills
• Pattern recognition

Reference Books

• Lagos State Scheme of Work
• Basic Music Theory for Beginners
• Music Notes and Notation Workbook

Instructional Materials

• Staff board for illustration
• Chart of the musical alphabet
• Musical instrument to demonstrate note sounds

Content: Musical Alphabets and Musical Staff

1. Meaning of Musical Staff:
   The musical staff is a set of five horizontal lines and four spaces on which musical notes are written. It is the foundation for reading and writing music. Notes are placed on the lines or in the spaces to represent different pitches.
2. Letters of the Musical Staff (Musical Alphabets):
   The musical alphabet consists of seven letters:
   • A, B, C, D, E, F, G

   These letters are repeated in sequence and represent the notes used in music. They are placed on the lines and spaces of the staff.

3. Lines and Spaces of the Treble Clef:
   In the treble clef, the lines and spaces represent specific notes:

   Lines of the Treble Clef (from bottom to top):

   • E, G, B, D, F
     (Mnemonic: Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit)

   Spaces of the Treble Clef (from bottom to top):

   • F, A, C, E
     (Mnemonic: FACE)
4. Examples of Musical Staff:
   • The treble clef staff is commonly used for higher-pitched instruments like the piano, violin, or flute.
   • The bass clef staff is used for lower-pitched instruments like the cello, bass guitar, and tuba.

   Example of notes placed on the staff:

   • A note on the second line of the treble clef is a G.
   • A note in the first space is an F.
   • A note on the top line is an F.

15 Fill-in-the-Blank Questions with Options

1. The musical staff consists of ____ lines and ____ spaces.
   a) 4, 5
   b) 5, 4
   c) 6, 5
   d) 7, 3
2. The letters of the musical alphabet are _____.
   a) A, B, C, D, E, F, G
   b) A, B, C, D, F, G, H
   c) A, B, C, D, E, F, H
   d) A, B, C, D, F, G, I
3. A note on the first line of the treble clef is _____.
   a) E
   b) G
   c) B
   d) F
4. The lines of the treble clef spell out _____.
   a) FACE
   b) Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit
   c) All Cows Eat Grass
   d) F A C E
5. The spaces of the treble clef spell _____.
   a) F A C E
   b) Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit
   c) G B D F A
   d) A B C D E
6. The treble clef is used for ____-pitched instruments.
   a) low
   b) high
   c) middle
   d) drum
7. The bass clef is used for ____-pitched instruments.
   a) high
   b) low
   c) medium
   d) all
8. A note on the second line of the treble clef is _____.
   a) E
   b) G
   c) D
   d) F
9. The fifth line of the treble clef is the note _____.
   a) F
   b) E
   c) B
   d) D
10. The space between the first and second lines of the treble clef is _____.
    a) C
    b) E
    c) G
    d) F
11. The letter after G in the musical alphabet is _____.
    a) H
    b) A
    c) B
    d) C
12. A note on the third line of the treble clef is _____.
    a) B
    b) C
    c) D
    d) F
13. The first space in the treble clef is the note _____.
    a) F
    b) A
    c) G
    d) C
14. A note placed on the fourth space of the treble clef is the letter _____.
    a) A
    b) F
    c) E
    d) D
15. The musical alphabet has _____ letters.
    a) 6
    b) 7
    c) 8
    d) 9

15 FAQs with Answers

1. What is the musical staff?
   The musical staff is a set of five lines and four spaces where musical notes are written.
2. What letters are used in music?
   The musical alphabet uses the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.
3. What is the treble clef?
   The treble clef is a symbol that shows which notes are written on the staff for higher-pitched instruments.
4. What are the notes on the lines of the treble clef?
   The notes are E, G, B, D, and F (Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit).
5. What are the notes in the spaces of the treble clef?
   The notes are F, A, C, and E (FACE).
6. Which instruments use the treble clef?
   Instruments like the piano (right hand), flute, and violin use the treble clef.
7. What is the bass clef?
   The bass clef is a symbol for lower-pitched instruments like the bass guitar and tuba.
8. What is a note on the second line of the treble clef?
   The note is G.
9. How many letters are in the musical alphabet?
   There are seven letters in the musical alphabet.
10. What is the first line of the treble clef?
    The first line is E.
11. What note is in the first space of the treble clef?
    The first space is F.
12. What is the top line note of the treble clef?
    The top line note is F.
13. How are notes placed on the staff?
    Notes are placed either on the lines or in the spaces of the staff.
14. What is the difference between treble clef and bass clef?
    The treble clef is for high-pitched instruments, while the bass clef is for low-pitched instruments.
15. What happens after the letter G in music?
    After G, the musical alphabet starts again at A.

Teacher’s Activities

• Draw the musical staff on the board and label the lines and spaces.
• Explain the musical alphabets and where they are placed on the staff.
• Play or show examples of musical notes on the staff, demonstrating how they sound.

Learners’ Activities

• Draw the musical staff in their notebooks.
• Label the notes on the lines and spaces of the treble clef.
• Participate in identifying the notes on a sample musical staff.

Evaluation Questions

1. Define the musical staff.
2. Name the lines of the treble clef.
3. Name the spaces of the treble clef.
4. What are the letters of the musical alphabet?
5. How many lines are on a musical staff?
6. Which clef is used for high-pitched instruments?
7. What note is on the third line of the treble clef?
8. What note is in the first space of the treble clef?
9. What clef is used for low-pitched instruments?
10. What comes after G in the musical alphabet?

Conclusion

The teacher summarizes the lesson by revisiting the musical staff, musical alphabets, and clefs. Students ask questions for clarification, and the teacher provides feedback and marks their work.