8. Verbal Association – Minor –
Inference/Creativity/Improvisation – the students are instructed that they will be improvising minor patterns in this game. The teacher sings, using solfeggio syllables the “minor tonality tune up” such as La ti do re mi fa mi do La si La, (example 4) or performs a chord pattern such as: i V7 i on a piano or guitar to outline the tonality. The teacher makes up a minor tonic pattern by performing it on the recorder. Instruct the students to echo the pattern on “loo”. (Always indicate a “breathing pause” to aid in audiation). Instruct the students to sing the pattern using solfeggio. (Example 4) Instruct the student to play the pattern on instruments. (If the student uses an incorrect verbal association or simply correct it, matter of fact like, in the echo). Now it is the student’s turn to “be Simon” and make up a pattern. By improvising patterns students are generalizing, using “critical thinking” in music! It also lets the teacher know if they are ready to read these patterns. A variation of this exercise or game would be for the teacher to play a “question” pattern (on the Dominant) and individual students to “answer” on the tonic. The class or a small group can also answer together. 9. Partial Synthesis – Major – Tonic –
(Generalization, Creativity/Improvisation). For this level the teacher announces:
“Today we will improvise using our Tonic major patterns. For example, if I play: (teacher plays a dominant pattern such as sol ti re) you would play (teacher plays mi –sol –Do). A few examples need to be given until students understand. Students can “answer” individually or in small groups of 2 or 3. 10. Partial Synthesis –Minor – Tonic –
(Generalization, creativity/Improvisation). For this level the teacher announces:
“Today we will improvise using our Tonic minor patterns. For example, if
I play:
(teacher plays a dominant pattern such as si ti re) you would play (teacher plays do – mi – La). A few examples need to be given until students understand. Students can “answer” individually or in small groups of 2 or 3. 11. Partial Synthesis – assessment
mode – the teacher sings or plays a group of familiar patterns on a neutral syllable. Students may echo. The teacher asks if it is Major or Minor. Repeat for a few phrases. In this mode you are determining if, indeed, the students have achieved the partial synthesis level for these patterns. (Please note that each of these objectives is designed to be implemented every other week, for five – 10 minutes a day, at the
TEMPO
beginning of class. This is assuming the class meets two times a week for thirty minutes each meeting. (During the alternate weeks the same process would be implemented using tonal content.) In addition during the rest of the period classroom activities should occur that are part of Music Learning Theory. It is at this point that the student is finally ready to “read the notes!”
12. Symbolic Association –
Discrimination, Major – Reading – At this level of discrimination learning, the students echo sing/and play from notation major tonal patterns they have already audiated (see example 1) at the aural/oral, verbal association, and partial synthesis level. Notice that the vocabulary is less at this level than at previous levels. Of course vocabulary can be added later. Some patterns may also be “inferred” in the future as well! 13. Symbolic Association –
Discrimination Learning, Minor – reading – At this level of discrimination learning, the students echo sing/and play from notation minor patterns they have already audiated (see example 2) at the aural/oral, verbal association, and partial synthesis level. Notice that the vocabulary is less at this level than at previous levels. Of course vocabulary can be added later. Some patterns may also be “inferred” in the future as well! 14. Symbolic Association –
Generalization – Major –Familiar and some unfamiliar patterns. The student is shown major tonal
patterns and told that the
tonality is major (example 1) Remember not to write in the solfeggio letters. They are also told on what line or space “doh is”. The teacher begins by singing in solfeggio the “major tonality tune up” such as: Do re mi fa sol la sol mi do ti Do, or performs a chord pattern such as I V7 I on a piano or guitar to outline the tonality (example 3) The student then sings with solfeggio syllables or a neutral syllable and/or performs them on an instrument. 15. Symbolic Association –
Generalization – Minor –Familiar and some unfamiliar patterns. The student is shown minor tonal patterns and told that the tonality is minor (example 2). Remember not to write in the solfeggio letters. The teacher shows where “do” is on the staff. The teacher begins by singing in solfeggio the “ minor tonality tune up” such as la ti do re mi fa mi do la si la, or performs a chord pattern such as: i V7 i on a piano or guitar to outline the tonality (example 4). The student then sings the patterns with
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solfeggio syllables or a neutral syllable and/ or performs them on an instrument. 16. Composite Synthesis – Major/
Minor tonality, – At this level the student is presented with notation of familiar rhythm patterns in either familiar or unfamiliar order. The student is not told what the tonality is. The student will be able to infer what the tonality is and sing/or play the tonal patterns with or without syllables and/ or perform the patterns on an instrument. The best way to understand how all of this is accomplished is to see it in action. Reading about it is crucial as well. The combination of reading the “theory” and seeing it implemented will clarify the process. There are as many ways to implement the theory, as there are teachers! While this process is lengthy and the
involved for teacher, it is fun and
creative because the teacher gets to change, devise, revise and create. There are literally thousands of possibilities. For the student it is highly enabling. It facilitates audiation. Audiaiton allows for generalization and critical thinking taking place in music. The student is equipped to understand, read, write, improvise and compose music. If you wish to learn more I highly
recommend looking at the web site: GIML. org. Please join the NJ chapter of GIML to become more involved with Music Learning Theory in NJ. Anyone wishing to join the New Jersey chapter of GIML please go to the website
GIML.org and join the National
organization. Be sure to click on “none” for Chapter
Affiliation as the NJ Chapter is new and is not currently listed. This way the organization will know by your address that you wish to be part of the NJ Chapter. After doing So please e –mail:
jperry@woboe.org
or
joeljperry@comcast.net. Please email me if you have any questions or concerns regarding MLT.
*Foot note 1 – p. 113, The Ways
Children Learn Music, by Eric Bluestine, Gia Publications, Chicago, 2000
& JANUARY 2014
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