Music Tip Monday #9 -

One of the reasons music is an appealing art form is that people can engage in it at any age.

It is never too late to start making music.

When planning music learning for a primary (elementary) class, the teacher often faces the challenge of teaching the basic music concepts in an engaging way. For example, what happens if an upper primary class has had limited or no prior exposure to music learning?

The fundamental concepts must be taught for the learning to be meaningful and sequential, but the pre-adolescent child can be impatient with learning the basics of, say, beat and rhythm.

Many teachers successfully apply this rule: Keep the concept simple but the activity age-appropriate.

Here are some examples:

You need to teach the concept of maintaining a steady 4 beat pattern.

In the pre-primary classroom the children stamp to the 4 beats – left right left right – repeat the sequence.

In the middle primary classroom the children form pairs and face each other to mirror a 4 beat sequence – slap own thighs, clap hands, ‘high five’ the partner with both hands, clap hands again – repeat the sequence.

In the upper primary classroom the children try a more complex cross-patterning sequence – extend left arm and tap left shoulder with right hand, tap left wrist with right hand, use left hand to reach across to grab right shoulder, extend right arm – repeat the sequence.

What activities have you found successful in teaching fundamental music concepts?