Literacy Cards

8/7/2019 Literacy Cards

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Writing-in Solfege

When filling in solfege syllables on a piece

students are working on, have the students

write Do and So at the beginning of each line ofthe staff to use as reference points.

1. Eye


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1. Eye

Appropriate for Upper-Middle or High School

students. This idea came from an ear-training

tutorial designed for music students at the

Western Michigan University to prepare

outside of class.

This idea would be very useful in a choral

classroom setting when the teacher might ask

the students to write in the solfege for their

parts in their music, both as a pitch

recognition exercise and as a tool to help

them learn their melodies.

This is a great exercise because it gives

students visual reference points, and helpsthem build an understanding of pitch

relationships. c

Code, David Loberg. Solfege Syllables. Aural Comprehension Guide. 2007.

Western Michigan University. 23 Apr. 2009


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When sharps you see,

The last is ti!

2. Eye


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2. Eye

Appropriate for Upper-Middle or early High

School students. This idea came from a

website which markets do-it-yourself eartraining and music reading software, books,

aural tutorials, and other resources.

Although it is a little bit corny, I thought this

would be a great visual to hang in the

classroom, so that that students have aconstant reminder of how to find do in any

given time signature. If students know the

relationship between ti and do, they can

always locate the tonic note.

Particularly as a pair of posters with the card

which follows this, I thought this was a really

cute and clever way to teach students to find

the tonic note, or do, in an unfamiliar piece

of music.

Ewer, Gary. Key Signatures." Gary Ewers Easy Music Theory. 1999-2005. 23 Apr. 2009


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When flats there are,

The last is fa!

3. Eye


6/20

3. Eye



website which markets do-it-yourself eartraining and music reading software, books,


Although it is a little bit corny, I thought this

would be a great visual to hang in the

classroom, so that that students have aconstant reminder of how to find do in any

given time signature. If students know the

relationship between fa and do, they can

always locate the tonic note.

Particularly as a pair of posters with the card

before this, I thought this was a really cute

and clever way to teach students to find the

tonic note, or do, in an unfamiliar piece of

music.



7/20

FatherCharles Goes Down And Ends

Battle

Order of the Sharps:

4. Eye


8/20




website which markets do-it-yourself ear

training and music reading software, books,aural tutorials, and other resources.

Also a bit corny, this is another great visual to

hang in the classroom. I thought the saying

was very clever, especially when put together

with its partner, which follows. It is the kindof tool which can be explained at the

beginning of the year, and memorized by

students for the rest of the year and for years

to come.

Having this posted in a classroom andfrequently asking students to identify key

signatures or sharp signs in unfamiliar music

is a great way to build literacy.

4. Eye


9/20

http://www.musictheory.halifax.ns.ca/9key_sig

natures.html

Order of the Flats:

Battle Ends, And Down Goes Charles

Father!

5. Eye


10/20


5. Eye



website which markets do-it-yourself ear

training and music reading software, books,


Also a bit corny, this is another great visual to

hang in the classroom. I thought the saying

was very clever, especially when put together

with its partner, which precedes it. It is thekind of tool which can be explained at the

beginning of the year, and memorized by

students for the rest of the year and for years

to come.

Having this posted in a classroom andfrequently asking students to identify key

signatures or flat signs in unfamiliar music is a

great way to build literacy.


11/20

A = 440 Hz

= 60'

1. Ear

Finding References

At the very beginning of each class, have the students

sing an A= 440, while clapping quarter note rhythms at

metronome marking = 60. Over the weeks, the

students will gradually memorize the pitch and thetempo, and no longer need any kind of external

reference in order to find them. The students will then

have their own internal reference from which to find

all other pitches and tempos they may need.


12/20

1. EarAppropriate for High School Students. This idea came

from an ear-training tutorial designed for music students

at the Western Michigan University to prepare outside of

class.

This exercises creates both a pitch memory and a pulse

memory for your students. Once students have

memorized A=440, they will be much more able to find a

close approximation of their starting pitch for any song

they choose to sing in your classroom or on their own.

Further, you could continue to add to these pitch

memories by memorizes a few other notes as well. Once

the students can find a quarter note at 60, they will also

be able to find a good approximation of any tempo

markings they encounter.

I like this activity because I think it encourages a sense of

unity and achievement within the choir as they improve

their pitch and pulse memories. It is also a good way to

focus the class each day.

Code, David Loberg. Warm-Up Exercises. Aural Comprehension Guide.

2007. Western Michigan University. 23 Apr. 2009


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2. Ear

Error Detection

As an ear-training and critical listening activity,

test students on a familiar passage of music.

First, play the passage correctly, then play the

passage with deliberate errors (designate ahead

of time if they will be melodic, rhythmic, or both,

and start with only one or two errors for

inexperienced students.) Hopefully, students will

know their music well enough to catch the errors!


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2. Ear

Code, David Loberg. Error Detection. Aural Comprehension Guide. 2007.

Western Michigan University. 23 Apr. 2009

Appropriate for High School Students. This idea came

from an ear-training tutorial designed for music students

at the Western Michigan University to prepare outside ofclass.

This would be a good exercise to use after students have

learned an entire piece and are very comfortale with their

parts. It is an activity I might do as preparation for part-

testing, as part of a music-reading lesson, or even for funand critical listening as a way to change the way students

listen to the song.

I like this activity because it really empowers the student

to catch the tricky moves of the teacher, to know their

own parts, and to take on the role that the teacher usuallyplays catching mistakes!


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3. Ear

Establishing a Key

do re mi do re ti do


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3. Ear

Appropriate for High School or Middle School students.

This idea came from the ChoralNet Website, in theResources section under Sight-singing.

The teacher who volunteered this exercise has his

students sing the exercise in the key of any piece they

work on in class. The exercise establishes the key of the

piece in the students ears, and it is especially helpful forsight-singing and a capella work.

Although the author of this exercise does not specify it, I

think it would be very beneficial to play chords under the

exercise so that the students get a wider range of pitches

and a more solidified sense of tonality in their ears.

Sherwood, Tom. Favorite Sight Reading Tips." Choral Net. 2009.

24 April 2009


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4. Ear

The Perfect Fourth

Here comes the bride

So do do do


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4. Ear

Appropriate for High School or Middle School students. This idea

came from the ChoralNet Website, in the Resources section

under Sight-reading and Sight-singing.

This is a trick the author of the article uses to help her students

remember the perfect fourth. Using a song her students have had

in their ears since childhood gives them an easy reference point

to use when sight-reading or practicing material or intervals.

I think this is a great visual to have posted around the classroom,

so that students have an easy way to remember what a perfect

fourth sounds like at any time during their choral work and music

reading. If a student is having trouble singing do to sol, all he

or she has to do is look up on the wall and remember an interval

thats been imprinted on his or her tonal memory for years. There

may still be physical issues involved if the student is not able to

match the pitches, but understanding how the interval sounds is

a very important part of the process.

Wilber, Brenda. More Interval Songs (Beyond My Bonnie)." Choral Net.

2009. 24 April 2009


19/20

5. Ear

Perfect Octave

Some - where ov - er the rain - bow

Do do ti sol la ti do


20/20

5. Ear

Wilber, Brenda. More Interval Songs (Beyond My Bonnie)." Choral Net.

2009. 24 April 2009

Appropriate for High School or Middle School students. This idea

came from the ChoralNet Website, in the Resources section

under Sight-reading and Sight-singing.

This is a trick the author of the article uses to help her students

remember the perfect octave. Using a song her students have

had in their ears since childhood gives them an easy reference

point to use when sight-reading or practicing material or

intervals.

I think this is a great visual to have posted around the classroom,

so that students have an easy way to remember what a perfect

fourth sounds like at any time during their choral work and music

reading. If a student is having trouble singing do to do, all he

or she has to do is look up on the wall and remember an interval

thats been imprinted on his or her tonal memory for years. There

may still be physical issues involved if the student is not able to

match the pitches, but understanding how the interval sounds is

a very important part of the process.

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