Music Standards and Benchmarks Covered in
Grade 4 CRB
1. Singing alone and with others a varied repertoire of music
4.1.1 Students sing accurately and with good breath control throughout their singing ranges, alone and in small and large ensembles
4.1.2 Students sing with expression and technical accuracy a repertoire of vocal literature with a difficulty of 2 on a scale of 1 to 6, including some songs from memory.
4.1.3 Students sing music representing diverse genres and cultures, with expression appropriate for the work being performed.
4.1.4 Students sing music written in two and three parts.
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
4.2.1 Students perform on at least one instrument (band or orchestra instrument, keyboard, fretted, of electronic instrument) accurately and independently, alone and in small and large ensembles, with good posture, good playing position, and good breath, bow or stick control.
4.2.2 Students perform with expression and technical accuracy on at least one string, wind, percussion or classroom instrument a repertoire of instrumental literature with a level of difficulty of 2 on a scale of 1 to 6.
4.2.3 Students perform music representing diverse genres and cultures, with expression appropriate for the work being performed.
3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments
4.3.1 Students improvise simple harmonic accompaniments
4.3.2 Students improvise melodic embellishments and simple rhythmic and melodic variations
4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines
4.4.1 Students compose short pieces within specified guidelines (e.g., a particular style, form, instrumentation, compositional technique) demonstrating how the elements of music are used to achieve unity and variety, tension and release, and balance
4.4.2 Students arrange simple pieces for voices or instruments other than those for which the pieces were written
4.4.3 Students use a variety of traditional and nontraditional sound sources and electronic media when composing and arranging
5. Reading and notating music
4.5.1 Students read whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and dotted notes and rests in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8, 3/8, and alla breve meter signatures
4.5.2 Students read at sight simple melodies in the treble and bass clefs
4.5.3 Students identify and define standard notation symbols for pitch, rhythm, dynamics, tempo, articulation, and expression
4.5.4 Students use standard notation to record their musical ideas and the musical ideas of others
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
4.6.1 Students describe specific music events (entry of instrument, change of meter, repeats, etc.) in a given aural example, using appropriate terminology
4.6.2 Students analyze the uses of elements of music in aural examples representing diverse genres and cultures
4.6.3 Students demonstrate knowledge of the basic principles of meter, rhythm, tonality, intervals, chords and harmonic progressions in their analyses of music
7. Evaluating music and music performances
4.7.1 Students develop criteria for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of music performances and compositions and apply the criteria in their personal listening and performing
4.7.2 Students evaluate the quality and effectiveness of their own and others’ performances, compositions, arrangements, and improvisations by applying specific criteria appropriate for the style of the music and offer constructive suggestions for improvement
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
4.8.1 Students compare in two or more arts how the characteristic materials of each art (that is, sound in music, visual stimuli in visual arts, movement in dance, human interrelationships in theater) can be used to transform similar events, scenes, emotions, or ideas into works of art
4.8.2 Students describe ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in the school are interrelated with those of music
9. Understanding music in relationship to history and culture
4.9.1 Students describe distinguishing characteristics of representative music genres and styles from a variety of cultures
4.9.2 Students classify by genre and style (and, if applicable, by historical period, composer, and title) a varied body of exemplary (that is, high quality and characteristic) musical works and explain the characteristics that cause each work to be considered exemplary
4.9.3 Students compare, in several cultures of the world, functions music serves, roles of musicians (e.g., lead guitarist in a rock band, composer of advertisement jingles, singer in a Beijing opera), and conditions under which music is typically performed