Hungarian Dance No. 5 (Brahms) | Free Music Lesson Plan (Musical Form)

Music Lesson Plan

Step 1
Ask students, "Who knows this song? Raise your hand if you think you recognize it." Play a recording or piano arrangement of Brahms' Lullaby.

Step 2
Ask students, "What is it?" and "Who wrote it?"

Step 3
Tell students, "The piece I just played was written by German composer Johannes Brahms." Show them a picture of the composer.

Step 4
Share a few historical facts or fun facts about Johannes Brahms. Here are two favorites that you won't want to miss:

In 1889, American inventor Thomas Edison visited Brahms in Vienna and invited him to perform for an experimental recording. Brahms played an abbreviated version of Hungarian Dance No. 1 on the piano. This performance is one of the earliest recordings by a major composer.

Brahms was so focused on his composing that he sometimes neglected his appearance. He often forgot to attach his suspenders and would have to hold his pants up while conducting to keep them from falling down.

Step 5
Tell students, "Today we'll be learning about musical form while listening to Johannes Brahms' Hungarian Dance No. 5. Musical form has to do with the way a piece of music is put together."

Let's listen to Hungarian Dance No. 5. "Each time a new section begins, I’ll assign a letter to it: A, B, C, or D. If you hear a part you’ve heard before, raise your hand."

Step 6
Start the recording.

Form:
A A B B C D A B Codetta

Step 7
Tell students, "Now that we know the form, let's add baseball moves to each section of the music."

Step 8
Ask students to stand up, spread out around the room, and face you.

Step 9
Tell students, "The A section is the warm-up. You can copy what I'm doing or do your own thing." Students can jog in place, stretch, or do jumping jacks.

Step 10
Start the recording. Play the A section.

Step 11
Tell students, "During the B section you’ll be at bat."

Step 12
Play the B section. Students will swing the bat 3 times during each statement of this theme. Twice before the slow passage (swing on the syncopated note) and once after the slow passage (swing on the loud note immediately following the slow passage).

Step 13
Tell students, "The next section is the C section. During this section of the music you will run the bases."

Step 14
Play the C section. Ask students to run around the room in a clockwise motion.

Step 15
Tell students, "The next section is the D section. During this section of the music you will perform an instant replay of the game."

Step 16
Start the recording. Hold bat at ready position during the slow passage and then swing on the loud note immediately following the slow passage. Drop the bat and run the bases on the fast passage. Repeat.

Step 17
Perform the movements for the reprise of the A and B sections.

Step 18
Tell students, "The work ends with a codetta. The word coda is Italian for 'tail'." It refers to music that is placed at the tail-end of a piece to bring it to its conclusion. A codetta is like a coda except shorter.

Step 19
Tell students, "When you hear the three-note codetta at the very end, jump and throw your baseball hats in the air."

Step 20
Start recording. Jump up and throw baseball hats.

Step 21
Quiz students on historical or fun facts about Johannes Brahms.

Step 22
Lead your students through a guided practice of the entire piece.

Step 23
Quiz students one more time.

Step 24
Check for understanding by having your students perform all the movements to Hungarian Dance No. 5 on their own.