Unit Plan 16 (Grade 6 Orchestra): Interpretation Tools—Bowing, Tone, Dynamics
Demonstrate how bowing, dynamics, and tone shape string interpretation by performing contrasting styles and comparing recordings using clear music vocabulary.
Focus: Demonstrate how bowing style, dynamics, and tone shape interpretation in string music.
Grade Level: 6
Subject Area: Orchestra (Interpretation • Tone Production • Listening/Analysis)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, Grade 6 orchestra students explore how bowing, dynamics, and tone turn notes into musical expression. They experiment with legato, staccato, lighter vs. heavier bow weight, playing near the fingerboard vs. near the bridge, and adjusting dynamic shaping within phrases. Students also compare two performances of the same piece or excerpt, listening for differences in tempo, dynamics, articulation, tone quality, and ensemble unity, and then connect those choices to expressive meaning and style.
Essential Questions
- How do bowing style and articulation (e.g., legato vs. staccato) change the character of a musical phrase?
- In what ways do dynamics and tone color help tell a musical story or show emotion?
- How can we use listening comparisons to notice and describe differences in interpretation between performances?
- What choices can I make with bowing, tone, and dynamics to match a desired style or mood in our orchestra music?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Demonstrate contrasting bowing styles (e.g., legato vs. staccato) and explain how each affects character and style.
- Use dynamics (crescendo, decrescendo, contrast between soft and loud) and tone color (bow placement, bow weight, contact point) to shape phrases.
- Perform a short excerpt two different ways, changing bowing, tone, and dynamics to show different interpretations.
- Compare two recordings of the same string piece, identifying differences in tempo, dynamics, articulation/bowing, tone quality, and ensemble unity.
- Use musical vocabulary to justify which interpretation better fits a given style description (e.g., “warm and singing,” “energetic and bold”).
Standards Alignment — Grade 6 Orchestra (custom, NAfME-style)
- OR:Pr4.6c — Explain and demonstrate how dynamics, tempo, articulation/bowing, phrasing, and tone affect interpretation in string music.
- Example: Students perform a phrase with staccato vs. legato bowing and explain how character changes.
- OR:Re8.6a — Compare two performances of the same string work, noting differences in tempo, dynamics, articulation/bowing, tone quality, and ensemble unity.
- Example: Students compare two recordings and explain which has better ensemble togetherness and why.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can show and explain the difference between legato and staccato (or other bowing styles) in a phrase.
- I can use dynamics and tone color to make a phrase sound gentle, bold, or mysterious and explain my choices.
- I can perform a short excerpt in two different styles and tell what I changed in bowing, tone, and dynamics.
- I can listen to two performances of the same piece and describe how they are different in tempo, dynamics, articulation, tone, and togetherness.
- I can explain which interpretation I prefer (or which best matches a style description) using music vocabulary.