Unit Plan 30 (Grade 6 Band): Refining Technique

Focus: Improve articulation consistency, tone clarity, and endurance through focused warm-ups, feedback, and rehearsal strategies.

Grade Level: 6

Subject Area: Band (Performing • Practicing/Rehearsing • Responding)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students zoom in on how they play rather than what they play, refining tone, articulation, and endurance so that their sound stays clear from the first measure to the last. Through long-tone work, articulation drills, and short “stamina etudes,” they learn to maintain characteristic tone while playing with consistent length and style of notes. Students use peer and teacher feedback to adjust posture, embouchure, hand position, and stick/mallet control, tracking small improvements in a rehearsal log. By the end, they can describe what good technique feels and sounds like—and can keep it going for longer phrases and rehearsals.

Essential Questions

• What does refined technique sound and look like on my instrument?
• How do posture, breathing, embouchure, and hand position affect tone clarity and articulation?
• What habits help me build endurance so my playing stays strong through longer pieces and rehearsals?
• How can feedback from teachers, peers, and recordings help me improve my technique over time?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate consistent posture, embouchure/breathing, hand position, and stick/mallet control while playing warm-ups and short excerpts.
2. Produce a clear, characteristic tone at soft, medium, and loud dynamics without forcing or losing control.
3. Perform simple articulation patterns (legato, staccato, accented) with consistent length and clarity at a steady tempo.
4. Use teacher/peer feedback and/or recordings to identify one area of technique to improve and adjust their playing accordingly.
5. Describe and show at least one way their endurance, tone, or articulation improved over the week, using a brief written or verbal reflection.

Standards Alignment — 6th Grade Band (custom, NAfME-style)

• BD:Pr4.6a — Demonstrate consistent instrument-specific technique (posture, embouchure/breathing, hand position, stick/mallet control) that supports a characteristic tone.
  • Example: Students maintain steady airflow and correct hand position while playing a full warm-up.
• BD:Pr5.6b — Respond to teacher and peer feedback to improve tone, rhythm accuracy, and expressive performance over time.
  • Example: Students adjust articulation after feedback and note improvement in a rehearsal log.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can keep good posture, breathing, and hand position while I play full warm-ups and excerpts.
• I can play with a clear tone that does not crack or spread when I change dynamics.
• I can keep my articulation (tonguing/sticking) consistent in length and style at a steady tempo.
• I can listen to feedback, make a change, and hear or feel a difference in my tone or articulation.
• I can explain one way my technique or endurance improved during this unit.