Teaching Sonata Form

I love teaching form. I didn't think much of it at the beginning of my teaching career, but it has become one of my favorite areas to explore with students because there are so many opportunities for creativity, and it's one of the easiest places to incorporate almost any genre of music. Today I want to share some of my favorite 5th grade lessons on Sonata form.

I actually introduce Sonata form with the song, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". This video actually shows each of the sections on the screen which is very helpful. Afterwards we review the order of the sections they saw/ heard, and I introduce the term Sonata. I like showing them a more modern example first so they immediately understand how this form has been used in so many different genres! Once they know what Sonata form is, I show them the very beginning of this visualization of Beethoven's Piano Sonata 29. My 5th graders learn basic piano, so they get excited to see a "legit piano song". Once we listen to the first part of it I pause the video and have them look at the colored sections to see the big picture and identify the Sonata form visually (if I had more class time we would listen to the whole thing- I usually post the link in Google Classroom so they can watch the rest later on their own!). 

Once they have heard a few different examples and identified what Sonata form is, I ask students to identify the sections aurally in "Blackbird" by the Beatles. Again, I like showing students examples of how the form is used in different genres in different time periods! I have them identify the sections as they hear them by showing them the sign language sign for A and B and have them hold up their hand with the corresponding letter when they hear each section.

Once students have identified the form, I show them how the beginning of the melody in Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" is actually a mini Sonata in terms of phrase structure. I make sure to clarify that form does not really refer to phrases, and explain that we are simply using the shorter phrases to be like "sections" as a way to practice playing a Sonata in shortened form. They learn how to play the first 2 phrases on the piano, then they use the same 5 notes to create a B section phrase, which the notate in treble clef, and then perform it as a "mini Sonata".

It always surprises my students to find out how prevalent Sonata form is in different genres, and they love being able to "remix" Ode to Joy to play on piano! What lesson activities do you use to teach Sonata form? I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments. You can get all of the detailed lesson plans, materials, and slides for these lessons in the Organized Chaos 5th grade curriculum! And if you want to see my general strategies and lesson ideas for teaching form, as well as my lesson plans for teaching other specific forms including theme and variations, rondo form, etc, head to this blog post.