Lesson Note On Transcription: Familiar Melodies Into Solfa Notation For SS1 (SSS 1)

Class: Senior Secondary School 1 (SS1, SS 1, SSS1, SSS 1)
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 2
Age: 15 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: Music
Curriculum Theme: Music
Previous Lesson: Solfa Notation: Scale Degrees and Common Octaves.
Topic: Transcription.
Subject Matter: Recognising familiar melodies, transcription of a musical phrase into solfa notation, accurate solfa writing practice.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain:

Define transcription in music.
Identify familiar melodies by ear.
State the steps involved in transcribing a musical phrase into solfa notation.

Affective Domain:

Appreciate the importance of transcription in musical literacy.
Develop an interest in accurately writing solfa notation.

Psychomotor Domain:

Transcribe a simple familiar melody phrase into solfa notation.
Write solfa notation accurately on paper.

Participate actively in group listening and identification activities.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

9 Years Basic Education Curriculum for Music.
State Unified Scheme of Work for Senior Secondary School Music.
Okonkwo, A. (2018). Comprehensive Music for Senior Secondary Schools. Spectrum Books Limited.

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

Melody phrase sheets (with simple, familiar tunes).
Solfa writing guide/chart.
Example solfa charts.
Whiteboard/chalkboard and markers/chalk.
Musical instrument (e.g., keyboard, recorder) or audio player for playing melodies.

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps pupils to convert heard music into written form, which is a fundamental skill in music. It enables them to better understand musical structure and develop their ability to read and write music, making them more musically literate.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils are assumed to have prior knowledge of basic solfa notations (doh, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, doh’) and their corresponding hand signs.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Transcription

Definition of Transcription

Transcription in music is the process of writing down music that has been heard. It involves converting a melody or musical piece from an auditory form (sound) into a written musical notation, such as solfa notation or staff notation.

Steps in Transcribing a Melody to Solfa Notation

The following are the steps to transcribe a melody into solfa notation:

Listen carefully to the melody multiple times to get familiar with it.
Identify the tonic (doh) of the melody, which is the home note.
Determine the time signature and key if possible, though for simple melodies, focus on relative pitches.
Break the melody into smaller phrases or sections.
Sing or hum each phrase and identify the solfa names for each note based on its pitch relative to the tonic.
Write down the solfa names for each note, paying attention to rhythm and phrasing.
Review and cross-check the written solfa notation by singing it and comparing it with the original melody.

Importance of Transcription

Transcription is important for several reasons:

It helps in understanding the structure and arrangement of musical pieces.
It improves a musician’s ear training and ability to recognise pitches.
It allows for the preservation and study of oral musical traditions.
It enables musicians to learn and reproduce music without relying solely on memory.
It is a foundational skill for composition and arrangement.

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 reviews the previous lesson briefly. The teacher then plays a very familiar short melody (e.g., a national anthem phrase or a popular folk song) and asks pupils to identify it. The teacher introduces the topic of transcription, explaining that today they will learn to write down such melodies.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, recall the previous lesson, identify the played melody, and listen attentively to the introduction of the new topic.
Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and prepared for the lesson on transcription.

Step 2: Definition of Transcription

Time: 7 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Definition
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher defines transcription in music, explaining it as the process of converting a heard melody into written musical notation. The teacher writes the definition on the board.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, take notes, and ask questions for clarification.
Learning Point: Pupils understand the meaning of musical transcription.

Step 3: Identifying Familiar Melodies

Time: 8 minutes
Teaching Skill: Auditory Recognition
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher plays or sings a few more short, familiar melody phrases. For each phrase, the teacher asks pupils to identify the tune and try to sing it back using solfa syllables.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the melodies, identify them, and attempt to sing them back using solfa syllables.
Learning Point: Pupils practice identifying pitches and melodies by ear.

Step 4: Explaining Steps for Transcription

Time: 8 minutes
Teaching Skill: Instruction/Explanation
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the systematic steps involved in transcribing a melody to solfa notation, going through each point listed in the board summary. The teacher emphasizes careful listening and identifying the “doh”.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen carefully, take notes on the steps, and ask questions where necessary.
Learning Point: Pupils learn the methodical approach to transcribing music.

Step 5: Demonstration of Transcription

Time: 7 minutes
Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Modelling
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher takes a very simple, short, familiar melody (e.g., “Mary Had a Little Lamb” or “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”) and demonstrates the transcription process step-by-step on the board, playing each phrase and writing the solfa notation.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the teacher’s demonstration, following the process on the board and in their notes.
Learning Point: Pupils see a practical application of the transcription steps.

Step 6: Guided Practice

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Guided Practice
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher provides pupils with a short, new, but simple melody phrase (on a sheet or by playing/singing). The teacher guides the pupils to transcribe it into solfa notation, offering assistance and correcting errors as they work.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils attempt to transcribe the given melody phrase into solfa notation in their notebooks, seeking help from the teacher when needed.
Learning Point: Pupils apply the learned steps to transcribe a melody independently.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

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

What is transcription in music?
Mention two steps involved in transcribing a melody into solfa notation.
Why is it important to transcribe music?
Transcribe the following short melody phrase into solfa: (Teacher plays/sings a very short, simple phrase).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Summarization/Homework
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarizes the key points of the lesson on transcription and assigns homework: pupils are to find a simple familiar tune and try to transcribe its first phrase into solfa notation. The teacher dismisses the class.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary, note down the homework, and prepare for dismissal.
Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their learning and are given an opportunity for further practice.

Lesson Keywords

Transcription – The process of writing down music that has been heard into musical notation.
Solfa Notation – A system of naming musical notes using syllables like ‘doh, re, mi’.
Melody – A sequence of single notes that is musically satisfying.
Pitch – The perceived highness or lowness of a musical sound.

Differentiation

For pupils who grasp the concept quickly, the teacher can provide more complex or longer melody phrases for transcription. For pupils who require more support, the teacher can work with them individually, providing simpler phrases and more direct guidance, or allowing them to work in pairs.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Ensure the familiar melodies chosen are truly well-known to the pupils to build confidence. Encourage active listening throughout the lesson. Provide clear and legible examples on the board. Patience is key, especially during the guided practice session, as transcription requires careful ear training and precision.