Elements of Music

What should we be teaching in our music classes? Here are the DESK standards for music in the Davis School District. click here

These standards are the State Music Core boiled down into a small nutshell. Click here to see the state music core for Elementary Music

In my own words, both the core and the DESK standards are asking us to teach the elements of music in a developmentally appropriate way.

I've had several teachers express the following scenario and question:
I see Shannon or you model teaching a song. I go back to my classes to recreate what I've seen, and what was modeled as taking an entire class period only takes five minutes. What did I do wrong? How do I resolve this problem?

The most universal solution I can give you teachers is to think of the song you are teaching as a tool for teaching the elements of music, rather than just a song the children are learning. Choose a skill that will help teach an element, and use that to extend and deepen the teaching of your song.

Here's a handy document to help guide that process: Click here for the original document and other fabulous resources

There are a few difference between the desk standards and the above document, but they are saying the same thing in the end. 

DESK	Document Above
Melody and harmony	Pitch
Rhythm/meter	Duration
Expressive Qualities	Dynamics

Let's go through an actual scenario now. I'll use an example I saw Sharlene Greenfield at Woods Cross model fabulously. She was using Have You Seen The Ghost of Tom as her tool. 

• The students sung through the song first. (Skill: singing, Elements: Pitch, specifically melody)
• Once the students were familiar with the song, they explored it using expressive qualities, or dynamics. Sharlene conducted them singing and they followed fabulously, doing it differently each time they sung it. Here's a recording of one time through: *click here*
• Next, this teacher had the students sing the song in a round. (Element: Pitch, specifically harmony)  

To accomplish all of these skills, the students also had to keep a steady beat and perform a rhythm (element: Duration). The song also is also a minor song, which falls into the element category of pitch.

What are some other ways, using the elements of music, that this song could be a tool?

• Form: analyze the form of the song. (discuss phrases, quesions and answer, etc.)
• Timbre: 
• sing the song in a witch voice. 
• Add instruments to the song that lend to the meaning and feeling. 
• Duration: 
• notate the rhythm song (you can notate the melody as well) 
• Tap the beat. 
• Move using strong and weak beats (meter). Ex: pat, clap, clap, clap

Take a look at the skills box now. Every single one of the skills in bold has been used to explore the different elements of music, all using this song.

One last idea to ponder: How many times do you have to hear a song before you have learned it? If you sing it just twice, are you ready to sing the song as a solo? If you know the song well enough in a group, are you ready to sing it in parts? 

We often feel redundant using the same song over and over as teachers, but everybody learns through repitition. We give repetition meaning by exlporing the elements of music. We can also lend meaning using the words to song. Meaning creates deeper learning.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have questions!