TEACHING MUSIC IN ELEMENTARY GRADES
Prelim Module
Definition of Music
- An artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured
and continuous manner
- Music plays a very important part in our culture. When thinking about everyday life, music is present in
a variety of social and education activities. Music helps the body and the mind work together. Exposing
children to music during early development helps them learn the sounds and meanings of words.
Dancing to music helps children build skills while allowing them to practice selfexpression. For infants,
toddlers, children with special need music helps strengthen memory skills.
3-5 years
- How music should be accommodated for infants and toddlers Very early in their life, children will start
to identify rhythm and even move to the beats of music. After all, music is mean to touch our souls,
besides that music provides cognitive benefits that support children's early development. Music
increases toddler's sensory development exposing child to different types of music can help create more
pathways between the cells in their brains.
Toddlers
- Music can help toddlers develop their vocabulary. Even though at first child may not understand the
words in a son, they do develop their understanding by identifying the storytelling in a song.
Infants
- A 2016 study at the university of Southern California's Brain and Creativity Institute found that musical
experience in childhood accelerate brain development, particularly in the areas of language acquisition
and reading skills. Children of all ages express themselves through music. Even young infants sway, or
move their hands in response to music. Infants recognize the melody of a song long before they
understand the words. Quiet, background music can be soothing for infants, especially at sleep time.
Music helps infants to grow. Recent studies shown that music affects the physical, emotional, and
intellectual development of babies and children and strengthens cognitive and sensory development
Children with special needs and cultural differences
A nonprofit group is using music to break through barriers in the lives of children with special needs. Kids
are forging new friendships and learning a thing or two about life along the way. . Music has the capacity
to providea positive outlet for creative expression for children with special needs. In fact, research from
the American. Music Therapy Association suggests a positive connection between music and cognitive
functioning. There is even evidence supporting the encouraging changes that music can have on
behavior, verbal skills, and selfexpression.
Special needs and cultural differences
- Music helps children with special needs by offering a multi-sensory experience, making music engages
almost every neurological system. Using music for special needs children offers a positive way to
motivate behavior. By using communicatinga question non- verbally, the child is motivated to respond.
Materials in music
Roles Piano:
- its role and development in the nineteenth century. It provides an easy visual aid to assimilate musical
concepts. The piano also plays an important role in the development of young people. Violin has played
an extremely prominent role in all orchestral music. The violet section plays much of the melody in every
piece of classical orchestral music. Guitar: the role of the guitar in both classical and popular music are
incredibly versatile, making it one of the most exciting and rewarding instruments to learn. There are
two types of guitar roles: lead and rhythm.
Skills and abilities do children develop from experience of having daily access to music
- According to researchers, the early years childhood are critical to learn to unscramble the tones of
music and to build up a mental organization system to memorize the music. This means that, like
language development, toddlers develop their musical skills through imitating and memorizing rhythms
and tone of songs such as clapping to beat and singing in tune. Without this ability children would not be
able to develop their musical skills.
Teacher's role in Music
- A music teacher is someone who teachers people how ton plays an instrument or gives singing and
voice lessons. Music is the fabric of our society, and music can shape abilities and character.
- Teaching of music can greatly contribute to children's intellectual development as well. Children can
develop their math and pattern-recognition skills with then help of musical education. Music builds
imagination and intellectual curiosity
4 Milestones in two different developmental domains
- Milestone In Music, LLC, is an award-winning provider of early childhood music education for corporate
and private childcare programs. Music has the ability to develop areas of a child's interaction, physical
coordination, concentration, memory, psychological and intellectual perception.
• In music, we have four basic areas of musical development: Rhythm, pulse, pitch and listening.
• Gross motor skills: uses an alternating pattern with feet on stairs. Fine motor skills: child should have
improved hand-eye coordination which results in an ability to string beads, complete puzzles, and color
insides
FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS
FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF MUSIC
- Rhythm
- Pitch
- Timbre
- Texture
- Dynamics (Form)
Rhythm:
The organization of time in music
We listen for regular beats
We listen for accents among the beats to define meter and measure
We listen for strength of accents to determine phrase
Tempo governs the rhythm's pace or speed
Tempo may be steady or uneven (rubato)
Syncopation is accenting weak beats rather than strong
Rhythm can be dominant or subtle implicit or explicit
Time Signatures
Rhythmic notation
PITCH:
The highness or lowness of a tone in music Most instruments, including the human voice, are designed
to produce various pitches
Pitches in rhythm are called notes
A sequence of notes in music is a melody
Two or more pitches sounding together create harmony
Pitches perceived to sound good together are consonant
Pitches perceived to sound bad together are dissonant
PITCH: KEYS
Pitches are organized in musical scales, and scales define keys
In Western music we have 12 major and 12 minor keys Within each key, there are positions: some at rest
and some in tension
Positions within keys are:
- Tonic
- Supertonic
- Mediant
- Sub-Dominant
- Dominant
- Sub-Mediant,
- and Leading Tone
Key Signatures Modes:
- Ionian
- Dorian
- Phrygian
- Lydian
- Mixolydian
- Aeolian
- Locrian
Music's Pitch Code
Clefs anchor the note locations on the staff
This is how performers know what note is supposed to be produced.
TIMBRE
Timbre: The characteristics of the sound itself We often use terms from the visual arts to describe
musical timbre
Timbres often hold strong associations in our minds The sound of solo or section instruments is also an
aspect of timbre.
Certain composers were so good at creating and combining tone colors, we say their "instrument" was
the orchestra.
TEXTURE
Texture: The consistency of musical sounds
Monophonic texture means only one line of music sounding alone
Homophonic means one line leads and the others support it
Multiple independent lines happening together is called polyphonic texture
FORM
Form: The structure of a musical composition
The primary elements of form are repetition, contrast, and variation
Forms range in scale from very small to very large
MUSICAL FORMS
- Musical form, the structure of a musical composition. The term is regularly used in two senses: to
denote a standard type, or genre, and to denote the procedures in a specific work. The nomenclature for
the various musical formal types may be determined by the medium of performance, the technique of
composition, or by function.
Musical forms in Baroque period
- Minuet
- Rondo
- Fugue
- Ternary forms (Aria)
- Ritornello
Musical forms in Classical period
- Minuet (Ternary)
- Theme & Variations
- Sonata
- Sonata Rondo
- Scherzo (Ternary)
Strophic Form
- Strophic form – also called verse-repeating form, chorus form, AAA song form, or one-part song form –
is a song structure in which all verses or stanzas of the text are sung to the same music. The opposite of
strophic form, with new music written for every stanza, is called through-composed.
Through composed
- Through-composed music is relatively continuous, non-sectional, or nonrepetitive music. A song is said
to be through-composed if it has different music for each stanza of the lyrics. This is in contrast to
strophic form, in which each stanza is set to the same music.
BINARY FORM
- Binary Form describes the structure of a piece of music which is divided into 2 different sections. The 2
sections are usually labelled A and B
The key concept to grasp is that there is some sort of contrast between the A section and the B section.
This contrast is usually (though not always) created by a key change. There are 2 main types of Binary
Form you will come across.
SIMPLE BINARY FORM
- Simple Binary Form refers to the basic Binary Form structure outlined above. There is an A section
followed by a B section in a different key (both sections are usually repeated). It usually follows the
pattern of key changes outlined below:
Examples of Simple Binary Form – A large number of Baroque dances typically had a Binary Form
structure. Examples include the sarabande, allemande, gigue, minuet, bouree and the courante. Have a
look/listen to his example:
Rounded Binary Form was very common in the Classical period of music. It was often used as the
structure for the theme in a set of theme and variations. Here is an example from Mozart’s Piano Sonata
in D major K284 3rd movement:
TERNARY FORM
- A musical structure where the piece is divided into 3 distinct sections. The 1st and last sections are
exactly the same as each other and so the form can be written A – B – A
Each of the sections sound like complete pieces of music in themselves – you could play just the A
Section of a Ternary Form piece and it would not “feel” like it must continue onto a new section. This is
because it ends on a perfect/authentic.
The B Section is usually written in a key that is closely related to the key of the A Section
The B section also usually has a different mood to the A Section. If the A Section is upbeat and lively then
the B Section will often be more subdued.
Have a look/listen to this famous example of Ternary Form – “Alla Hornpipe” by Handel from The Water
Music.
COMPOUND TERNARY FORM
- This is when each of the sections (A-B-A) are subdivided into a clear Ternary Form structure as in the
diagram below. Examples of Compound Ternary Form include trios and minuets.
MINUET FORM
- A classical minuet movement typically contains a main minuet, followed by a trio, _followed by a _da
capo repeat of the main minuet (usually performed without taking the repeats). The movement, then,
has a large-scale ABA’ form: minuet–trio–minuet da capo.
- Both the main minuet and the trio tend to be small ternary structures. Like the minuet/trio movement
itself, the small ternary form follows an ABA’ structure. However, the small ternary structure found in the
typical main minuet is of the rounded binary type. That is, while there are three distinct modules—A, B,
and A’—they are grouped into two larger sections, each of which is repeated.
- The first part in the two-part structure is the first reprise, and the second part is the second reprise, so
called because they each repeat. The first reprise contains the A module of the minuet; the second
contains the B and the A’ modules.
- Each section of the minuet’s (or the trio’s) small ternary form has its own formal function attached to it.
The formal function exhibited in the A section is called exposition function; the B section contrasting
middle function ; and the A’ section recapitulation function.
Exposition
- At the least, the exposition module of the minuet typically contains a primary theme: tight- knit
(period, sentence, or hybrid), ending with a PAC, or occasionally a HC. It is common, however, for an
exposition to have more complex structure, projecting not just primary theme, but secondary thematic
function, transition, and closing. Not all of these functions are necessarily present.
Primary Theme
- Expositions always have a primary themes. A prototypical primary theme is (1) tight-knit and (2) ends
with a PAC or HC in the tonic key. When an exposition does not modulate, it is understood to exclusively
express primary theme function.
Secondary Theme
- But if the exposition modulates, the functions of transition, and secondary theme may appear as well.
At minimum a secondary theme will close with cadential confirmation (usually a PAC) of the subordinate
key. Often, it is looser than the main theme—perhaps expanded or contracted
Transition
- If a phrase contains a [pivot chord modulation][[Link]] linking the main key to the
subordinate key, that phrase is understood to express transition function. (If a new phrase begins
immediately in the subordinate key through [direct modulation] [[Link]], there is no transition
function.)
Closing Section
- Sometimes the secondary theme closes with a PAC and is followed by a closing section
Contrasting Middle
- A contrasting middle section is significantly looser than the exposition. Though it may contain some
kind of thematic structure (sentence, primarily), it often does not. Sequences and remote tonal areas are
quite typical of the digression section. When doing analysis, your goal should be to identify the
melodic/motivic material and understand the tonal structure.
Recapitulation
- The definitive characteristics of a minuet’s recapitulation function are (1) the return of the basic idea
from the A section at its beginning, (2) the return of the home key at its beginning, and (3) a final PAC in
the home key. A recapitulation typically copies the thematic and phrase-structural features of the
exposition, but altering the secondary theme so as to end in tonic. Commonly, the recapitulation
expands the exposition’s closing phrase.
TRIO
- Like the minuet, a trio is typically a rounded or simple binary form. It’s primary job is to establish
melodic and harmonic contrast. While contrasting tonally with the main minuet is a central feature of
the Trio, Trio’s often simply projection modal contrast. When the tonic stays the same, a major-key main
minuet might be contrasted with a Trio marked minore. (The corresponding situation for a minor-key
main minuet is a maggiore Trio.)
TEACHING STRATEGIES IN TEACHING MUSIC TO CHILDREN
- Each teaching method has a system, an underlying philosophy with clearly defined objectives and
[Link] methods have been in use for a long time, so they are time-tested and proven to have
success. One thing that all these methods have in common is that they teach children to not just be
listeners, but encourage children to be the creators and producers of music. These methods engage the
child in active participation.
ORFF METHOD
Who Created the Orff Approach? Developed by Carl Orff, a German composer, conductor and educator
whose most famous composition is the oratorio "Carmina Burana" . Carl Orff was born in Munich,
Germany on July 10, 1895. It was conceived during the 1920s and 1930s while he served as music
director of the Günther-Schule; a school of music, dance, and gymnastics that he co-founded in Munich,
with Dorothee Günther in 1924. His ideas were based on his belief in the importance of rhythm and
movement. Orff shared these ideas in a book titled Orff-Schulwerk, which was later revised and then
adapted into English as Music for Children.
What Is the Orff Method?
The Orff approach is a way of introducing and teaching children about music on a level that they can
easily comprehend. • Musical concepts are learned through singing, chanting, dance, movement, drama
and the playing of percussion instruments. Improvisation, composition and a child's natural sense of play
are encouraged. Rather than a system, Schulwerk combines instruments, singing, movement, and
speech to develop children's innate musical abilities.
There are four stages of teaching:
1. Imitation
2. Exploration
3. Improvisation
4. Composition
Imitation:
- Echoing, responding Imitation builds the student's repertoire of pitches, rhythms, meter, tempo, and
dynamics. Students absorb the fundamental music materials for their "tool box" to be used in more
complex activities in the future.
Exploration
- Students begin to understand and even apply the knowledge learned through imitation. They hear the
movement of pitches, the content of rhythms, the movement of meter, and explore the timbre of
whatever instrument or voice with which they have access. The Orff Instrumentarium provides almost
limitless possibilities for exploration.
Improvisation
- After exploration and imitation, students not only understand, but also can apply some of the possible
combinations of rhythms and pitches, form and dynamics, etc., within a musical framework.
Composition
- Composing is a pinnacle of music-making in that the composer must also analyse the musical material
s/he is working with in order to create a new piece.
What is elemental music?
■ Elemental music is never music alone but forms a unity with movement, dance and speech. It is music
that one makes oneself, in which one takes part not as a listener, but as a participant.
■ It is unsophisticated, employs no big forms and no big architectural structures, and it uses small
sequence forms, ostinato and rondo.
Orff Instrumentarium
■ Orff began by buying recorders, which were rare at the time. Since no one knew how to play them,
Dorothée Gunther created instructional books to teach recorder to children.
■ Carl Orff came across an African xylophone, and developed way to transform the xylophone into an
instrument for the children at the school to play.
■ He then developed the metal-barred metallophones from the idea of the Indonesian gamelan
orchestra and the German glockenspiels, which were small metal-plated instruments found in Germany
Thus the instrumentarium was born-the complete set of which includes bass bars, bass,
alto/tenor, and soprano metallophones, xylophones and alto and soprano glockenspiels. While each
instrument is limited in range to fewer than two octaves, all together, from bass bars to soprano
glockenspiel, the ensemble covers six octaves, creating an entire orchestra!
Orff Improvisation
Schulwerk's elemental music is based on both experimentation and improvisation, allowing children to
explore the tones, rhythms, and timbres of music from their own abilities and creative perspectives. The
easiest way to experiment on the Orff instruments is to begin with the pentatonic scale, a scale with only
five pitches.
- The pentatonic scale may be major or minor
- For a major pentatonic scale, have children remove the F and B bars from their instrument
leacing them with C, D, E, G, and A.
- This allows them to create beautiful music beginning and ending on C without having to worry
about not sounding beautiful or making mistakes.
- For the minor pentatonic scale, keep the same five pitches, but begin and end on A.
Key Concepts Learned in the Orff Process
- Using the Orff approach, students learn about rhythm, melody, harmony, texture, form and other
elements of music. Students learn these concepts by speaking, chanting, singing, dancing, movement,
acting and playing instruments.
- These learned concepts become springboards for further creative pursuits such as improvisation or
composing their own music.
"Since the beginning of time, children have not liked to study. They would much rather play, and if you
have their interests at heart, you will let them learn while they play; they will find that what they have
mastered is child's play" - Carl Orff