Lesson Plan: Harmonizing J.S. Bach with a Google Doodle
In this lesson, students will:
Learn about J.S. Bach.
Watch video and respond to a performance by Yo Yo Ma.
Create a melody using Google doodle, then allow Google's A.I. feature to harmonize it.
Download the MIDI file of the harmonization.
Open the MIDI file in Flat for Education and edit/add to it.
from Classics for Kids: https://www.classicsforkids.com/composer/johann-sebastian-bach/
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, where his father was a town musician. Bach came from a very musical family. By the time Johann was 10, both his parents had died, so he was brought up by his older brother, who was a church organist. Johann became a very good organist, too.
Johann Sebastian Bach held three major jobs in his life: first he worked for a duke, then for a prince, and finally, he became director of music at the St. Thomas Church and School in Leipzig, Germany. Even though his job in Leipzig kept him very busy, in his spare time, Bach conducted a group of musicians who liked to get together to perform at a local coffee house.
During his lifetime, people thought of Bach as just an ordinary working musician. No one really knew much about his music until 100 years after his death, when another composer, Felix Mendelssohn, conducted a performance of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion.
Bach is now seen as one of the greatest geniuses in music history. He wrote all kinds of music — for organ and other keyboard instruments, orchestras, choirs, and concertos for many different instrumental combinations.
Watch/listen to this performance by Yo Yo Ma.
You will need to write a response to the music. Notice what you hear: slow/fast, loud/quiet, smooth/bumpy.
Notice how the music makes you feel and the kinds of thoughts/imagery it brings to mind. Consider listening with your eyes closed (NOT watching the video).
Bach Cello Suite Response Assignment
In 250 words or less, describe the music you heard. You can use full sentences, short phrases, or a list of describing words including feelings, colors, shapes, etc.
If you are having trouble coming up with ideas, restart the video and listen with your eyes closed.
Explore this Google Doodle about J.S. Bach.
Follow the instructions to click into the staff and create your own melody.
Google will use A.I. (artificial intelligence) and machine learning to create harmonies in the style of Bach.
There's a button to "redo"-- click it and Google will give you a different harmony for the melody you created. When you get one you really like, GO ON TO STEP 4.
Use the MIDI button on the left side of the screen to DOWNLOAD the music that you created and Google harmonized.
MIDI files are very small, but also very powerful! They allow different devices and programs to share music because they contain computer code. It's actually instructions for how to perform each note!
Open your MIDI file in Flat for Education and add to it/change it.
Open Flat for Education
Create a new score. Choose the "Start by importing XML or MIDI files" option.
Select the saved "bachpiece.mid" file that you downloaded.
Remember to click the "save" cloud as you work.
Edit, change, or add on to your music.