Ideas for teaching about the composers

Here are a few simple ideas for teaching a music lesson about the great composers in a general music class:


1. Have some fun music trivia ready about the composers

Things like this:

Who wrote the majority of his music while deaf?

Who wrote an amazing 104 Symphonies in his short Career?

Who was once arrested for tampering with a national anthem?

these sort of trivia tid-bits are sure to keep your class engaged and interested in music history and learning about the great composers.

2. Get the recordings out and listen.

Its only by listening to real music that you really get a picture of what the composer was on about. Students will be obviously bored if you make them sit through long symphonies, however if you choose short segments and get them interested by picking out themes that they may already know you’ll be off to a good start. Choose something that has been used in a TV commercial, or a movie soundtrack, which is a good start. Look for examples of classical themes used in pop music also (think “Whiter shade of pale” for example). These sort of things will really help you to inspire the students.

3. Do some work (fun)sheets

After a little listening and some talking about the composer, make sure you use a fun style worksheet that allows the student to concrete what they have learned about the subject into their brain. Doing some worksheets on the topic will allow the student to do just that!

4. Follow up with playing or theory lessons relating to these lessons

You’ll find that students will quickly and easily get their theory lessons going if they are allowed to relate their music history lessons with music theory lessons. Why not use the music that you use in the history lessons also in the theory lesson, as you analyze and discuss the harmony. It will be fascinating for the students to watch not only how the historical context of the composer developed, but how it related to music theory, and how that theory has developed into today's musical styles.


This is just a few ideas on getting students to understand and enjoy music history lessons with your Music History Lesson Plans. Plus, check the resources out on this squidoo page all about teaching music history for more information.