Unit Plan 12 (Grade 5 Orchestra): Ensemble Balance

Focus: Learn to listen across the ensemble and adjust bow speed, contact point, and volume to create better balance between melody and accompaniment.

Grade Level: 5

Subject Area: Orchestra (Performance • Technique • Listening)

Total Unit Duration: 1–2 weeks, 30-minute sessions

I. Introduction

Students explore what it means to sound good together, not just alone. Through simple call-and-response, unison pieces, and layered parts, they practice listening across the group and adjusting bow speed and volume so no one part is overpowering. Students learn to recognize when the melody should be heard clearly and when accompaniment should be softer, using teacher-guided rehearsal strategies to improve balance over time.

Essential Questions

• What does it mean for an orchestra to have good balance and blend?
• How can I use listening, bow speed, and volume to adjust my part in the ensemble?
• How do practice strategies (slow bowing, repetition, isolating measures) help us improve ensemble balance?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Describe what ensemble balance means using student-friendly language (who should be louder/softer and why).
2. Use listening and teacher-guided rehearsal strategies (slow bowing, repetition, isolating measures) to improve bow speed and volume control.
3. Adjust their playing so that the melody is clear and accompaniment parts are appropriately softer.
4. Work with a partner/section to identify spots where balance is off and try one adjustment strategy.
5. Perform a short excerpt where they intentionally adjust volume for balance and reflect on one success and one goal.

Standards Alignment — Grade 5 Orchestra (custom, NAfME-style)

• OR:Pr5.5a — Use teacher-guided rehearsal strategies (slow bowing, repetition, counting, isolating measures) to improve accuracy.
  • Example: Students practice a difficult bowing pattern slowly before increasing tempo.

Success Criteria — Student-Friendly Language

• I can explain what ensemble balance means in my own words.
• I can listen while I play and tell if my part is too loud, too soft, or just right.
• I can use at least one practice strategy (slow bowing, repetition, isolating a measure) to help my section sound more balanced.
• I can perform a short piece where the melody is clear and the background parts are softer.
• I can name one thing I did well and one thing I want to improve about balance.