An essential part of many state and NASM curricula, improvisation can be an extremely engaging and rewarding activity for your class if approached in a sequential, organized manner. Below is a lesson plan for a fun Flamenco improvisation activity. Intended for level 4 students, you may adjust the lesson for less advanced students by using 3 note chords, or for more advanced students by moving the ostinato (a persistently repeated musical phrase) to upper positions or different octaves. This lesson can be taught entirely by rote or by using the notated music. Teacher and student should feel free to change ostinato rhythms and notes, or create new rasgueado patterns with the chord progression.
CHORD PROGRESSION
Students will:
1. Sit in good position
2. Place left hand finger 1 on string 2 C, finger 3 on string 3 fret 2 A, finger 2 on string 4 fret 2 E. (A minor chord), fingers arched to the tip
3. Place right hand thumb on string 5
4. Roll the full first position A minor chord with thumb listening for the last note, open first string E to sound on the beat and together.
5. Play quarter note down strum A minor chords together in 3/4
6. Move all left hand fingers in the A minor chord from strings 2, 3, and 4 to strings 3, 4, and 5 retaining the same chord shape creating E major.
7. Place right hand thumb on string 6 and strum down together.
8. Scoot chord shape up one fret to create F/E chord.
9. Listen to the teacher play the chord progression with dynamics
10. Play repeated chord progression together with crescendo/decrescendo
OSTINATO LEAD
Students will:
1. Sit in good position with right hand thumb on string 5 and i on string 3
2. Listen to teacher play ostinato #1
3. Finger along in the left hand while the teacher performs ostinato #1
4. Play ostinato #1 alternating i and m
5. Play ostinato #1 repeated while the teacher plays the chord progression
6. Split into two groups, half playing chords and half playing ostinatos
7. Repeat steps 1-6 with ostinato #2
8. Individual students perform lead while teacher plays chords. Student will decide the order of the ostinatos while he plays. Ex. 1-2-2-1
9. Split into pairs
10. Write their own ostinato part using notes in the A minor scale exploring different rhythms while their partner plays the chord progression
11. Duos perform flamenco improvisation choosing the order of ostinatos 1-3
12. Class performs improvisation, changing soloists every 4X through chord progression.