Kindergarten students are learning to distinguish between the extremes of high and low pitches by moving their body. As we swoop up or down with our voices, we move our arms to match the contour of the sound that we make. As well, students vibrate as tall as they can or shiver down low on the floor in response to very high or low sounds on the piano.
Students in Grade One began their exploration of melody by distinguishing between four different ways to use our voice:
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| Singing Voice, Whisper Voice, Shouting Voice and Singing Voice. |
We learned that our Singing Voice has high and low sounds, and that we can record those sounds using black dots called "notes" above or below a line.
Then we used these high and low sounds to manipulate "Teddy Bear", a very special stuffy who loves to do tricks, but unfortunately only understands us when we use a singing voice. Every student has also had a chance to use the Singing Puppies, puppets who love to sing about what we're wearing or what foods we like to eat.
Students in Grades Two and Three have learned that these notes are called So and Mi, and have been using these pitches to identify mystery melodies that they hear. This week, students also began transcribing those pitches on a one-line staff, and will soon be ready to compose their own melodies and play them on the xylophone.
As we develop our understanding of this new melodic language, students are challenged to master different ways of communicating their understanding:
Can you hear it?
Can you write it?
Can you show it with movement or hand signs?
Can you sing it?
Can you play it on an instrument?
As students expand their toolbox to include different ways of representing melody, they develop a deeper and richer understanding of this fundamental element of music, setting them on the path of being an independent and successful musician!
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