Class: Senior Secondary School 1 (SS1, SS 1, SSS1, SSS 1)
Term: 1st Term
Week: 1
Age: 15 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: Music
Curriculum Theme: Music
Previous Lesson: .
Topic: Notation: Staff and Tonic Solfa
Subject Matter: lines and spaces on the stave, treble clef, bass clef, tonic solfa notation, writing a short melody in C major

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain:

Identify the lines and spaces on the musical staff.
Explain the functions of the treble and bass clefs.
Describe what tonic solfa notation represents.

Affective Domain:

Appreciate the importance of music notation in communicating musical ideas.
Show interest in learning to read and write music.

Psychomotor Domain:

Draw the treble and bass clefs correctly.
Write notes on the musical staff using appropriate clefs.
Convert simple melodies from staff notation to tonic solfa notation.
Write a short melody of not more than 4 bars on the treble staff and in tonic solfa notation.

Collaborate with peers in identifying and notating musical symbols.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

Nigerian Senior Secondary Education Curriculum for Music.
State Unified Scheme of Work for Senior Secondary School Music.
Anyanwu, E. (2010). Comprehensive Music for Senior Secondary Schools. University Press PLC.
Links for Reference materials:

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

Staff notation charts
Clef charts (treble and bass)
Tonic solfa charts
Sample melodies

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps pupils understand the basic language of music, which is notation. Learning staff and tonic solfa notation enables pupils to read, write, and communicate musical ideas, fostering a deeper engagement with music beyond just listening.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils are assumed to have basic knowledge of musical sounds and perhaps some exposure to simple songs.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Notation: Staff and Tonic Solfa

The Musical Staff

The musical staff (or stave) is a set of five horizontal lines and four spaces used to write musical notes. Each line and space represents a specific musical pitch.

The lines of the treble staff are:

E (Every)
G (Good)
B (Boy)
D (Deserves)
F (Favour)

The spaces of the treble staff are:

F (F)
A (A)
C (C)
E (E)

Musical Clefs

A clef is a symbol placed at the beginning of the staff to indicate the pitch of the notes. It assigns a specific pitch to one of the lines on the staff, from which the pitches of all other lines and spaces are determined.

The two main clefs commonly used are:

Treble Clef (G Clef): This clef is used for higher-pitched instruments and voices. It circles the second line from the bottom, indicating that this line is G above middle C.
Bass Clef (F Clef): This clef is used for lower-pitched instruments and voices. Its two dots surround the fourth line from the bottom, indicating that this line is F below middle C.

Tonic Solfa Notation

Tonic solfa is a system of music notation that uses syllables to represent the notes of a musical scale. It is a relative system, meaning the syllables refer to the position of a note within a given key, rather than an absolute pitch.

The seven main tonic solfa syllables are:

Do (d)
Re (r)
Mi (m)
Fa (f)
Sol (s)
La (l)
Ti (t)

These syllables can be written with various indications for octave (e.g., d’ for higher Do, d for middle Do, .d for lower Do) and duration.

Writing a Short Melody in C Major

To write a short melody in C major using staff and tonic solfa notation, one needs to:

Understand the C major scale (C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C or d-r-m-f-s-l-t-d’).
Choose a clef (e.g., treble clef).
Select a time signature (e.g., 4/4).
Arrange a sequence of notes (pitches) and durations (rhythms) that form a coherent musical phrase.
Ensure the melody does not exceed the chosen number of bars (e.g., 4 bars).

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Lecture, Demonstration, Question and Answer, Visual Aids

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Set Induction
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them if they know how musicians write down their songs. The teacher then introduces the topic, “Notation: Staff and Tonic Solfa,” explaining that it is the system used to write and read music.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s questions and listen attentively to the introduction of the topic.
Learning Point: Pupils are introduced to the concept of music notation.

Step 2: The Musical Staff

Time: 8 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays a staff notation chart and explains what the staff is. The teacher points out the five lines and four spaces, demonstrating how to identify the names of the lines (EGBDF) and spaces (FACE) in the treble clef using mnemonic devices.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the chart, listen to the explanations, and practice identifying the lines and spaces of the staff.
Learning Point: Pupils learn to identify and name the lines and spaces on the musical staff.

Step 3: Musical Clefs

Time: 8 minutes
Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Explanation
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the treble and bass clefs using clef charts. The teacher explains the purpose of each clef and demonstrates how to draw them correctly on the staff. The teacher also shows how the clefs determine the pitch names of the lines and spaces.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the clef charts, draw the clefs in their notebooks, and understand their functions.
Learning Point: Pupils understand the role of clefs and can draw the treble and bass clefs.

Step 4: Tonic Solfa Notation

Time: 7 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Illustration
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces tonic solfa notation, explaining it as a system of syllables for notes in a scale. The teacher displays a tonic solfa chart and lists the seven main syllables (Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti), explaining their relative nature.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, observe the chart, and repeat the tonic solfa syllables.
Learning Point: Pupils learn the basic syllables of tonic solfa notation.

Step 5: Connecting Staff and Tonic Solfa

Time: 7 minutes
Teaching Skill: Illustration/Application
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher uses sample melodies on charts to demonstrate how notes on the staff correspond to tonic solfa syllables in the key of C major. For example, showing C as Do, D as Re, etc. The teacher guides pupils to read simple melodies in both notations.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils practice reading simple melodies, converting notes from staff to tonic solfa and vice versa.
Learning Point: Pupils understand the relationship between staff notation and tonic solfa notation.

Step 6: Writing a Short Melody

Time: 8 minutes
Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Application
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to compose a short melody (not more than 4 bars) in C major, first on the treble staff, and then converting it to tonic solfa notation. The teacher provides a simple rhythmic pattern to follow.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils work individually or in pairs to write their short melodies, applying the knowledge gained.
Learning Point: Pupils apply their knowledge to create a simple musical phrase in both notations.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

Define the term “musical staff.”
List the names of the lines and spaces on the treble staff.
Mention two common musical clefs and state their functions.
List the seven basic syllables of tonic solfa notation.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 2 minutes
Teaching Skill: Summarization
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarizes the key points of the lesson, reiterating the importance of staff and tonic solfa notation in music. The teacher assigns homework for pupils to write another 4-bar melody and convert it.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary and copy the assigned homework.
Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding and are given a task to practice.

Lesson Keywords

Staff – The five horizontal lines and four spaces used for writing music.
Treble Clef – A musical symbol indicating higher pitches, also known as the G clef.
Bass Clef – A musical symbol indicating lower pitches, also known as the F clef.
Tonic Solfa – A system using syllables (Do, Re, Mi, etc.) to represent musical notes.
Notation – The system of writing down music.

Differentiation

For pupils who grasp concepts quickly, the teacher can challenge them to write slightly longer melodies or explore different keys. For pupils who need more support, the teacher can provide pre-drawn staves and clefs, or simpler melodic patterns to complete, and offer one-on-one guidance.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Encourage active participation by having pupils draw clefs and write notes on the board. Use visual aids extensively to reinforce understanding of the staff and clefs. Practical application through writing simple melodies is key to solidifying the learning.