The three main elements of music to teach elementary students are:
Rhythm - the heartbeat of music; for example, clapping your hands or tapping your feet. Also using the beat of the drum.
Dynamics - the volume or loudness of a tone. It ranges from very loud to very soft. In researching the elements of music I learned the difference between crescendo and decrescendo; crescendo means gradually becoming louder and decrescendo means gradually becoming softer.
As a future teacher, I must consider about special needs students and how he or she will react to the loudness of an instrument which fits into standard #3: Educators understand and apply knowledge of student growth and development. Educators are knowledgeable about how children develop as learners and as social beings, and demonstrate an understanding of individual learning differences and special needs. This knowledge is used to assist educators in making decisions about curriculum, instruction, assessment and classroom management.
Melody: After hearing a piece
of music, we usually remember its melody best. melody is a series
of single tones which add up to a recognizable whole. A melody begins, moves,
and ends; it has direction, shape, and continuity. The up-and-down movement of
its pitches conveys tension and release, expectation and arrival. This is the
melodic curve, or line.
-A melody moves by small
intervals called steps or by larger ones called
leaps. A step is the interval between two adjacent tones in the
do-re-mi scale (from do to re, re to mi, etc.). Any
interval larger than a step is a leap (do to mi, for example).
Besides moving up or down by step or leap, a melody may simply repeat the same
note.
-A melodys range
is the distance between its lowest and highest tones. Range may be wide or
narrow.
-Melodies written for instruments tend to have a
wider range than those for voices, and they often contain wide leaps and rapid
notes that would be difficult to sing.
How the tones of a
melody are performed can vary its effect, too. Sometimes they are sung or played
in a smooth, connected style called legato. Or they may be
performed in a short, detached manner called
staccato.
Spiccato:
it
is a technique used only by string instruments to performe very short
notes.
-Many melodies are made
up of shorter parts called phrases.
-A resting place at the
end of a phrase is called a cadence.
Incomplete cadence:
sets up expectations; the second phrase ends
with a Complete cadence: gives an answer, a sense of
finality.
Often the highest tone of a melody will be the
climax, the emotional focal point.
-A repetition of a melodic pattern on a higher
or lower pitch is called a sequence. This is an impelling device
of varied repetition that gives a melody a strong sense of
direction.
Frequently, a melody
will serve as the starting point for a more extended piece of music and, in
stretching out, will go through all kinds of changes. This kind of melody is
called a theme.
When folksingers accompany themselves on a
guitar, they add support, depth, and richness to the melody. We call this harmonizing. Most music
in western culture is a blend of melody and harmony.
In our music group, we discussed the elements of music and chose three main elements to begin teaching children: rhythm, dynamics, and melody. During my observation week in September, my cooperating teacher and I were discussing Fine Arts lesson and she thought it would be great idea if I could sing a traditional the Witsuwit'en 'Welcome Song" to the grade 3 students as my first lesson on Monday, October21st, 2013.
PLO: Music - B1 perform rhythmic patterns and sequences from classroom repertaire.
The foundation of music begins at home. Children will have a passion for singing and playing an instrument of their choice.
