Alisha Reeve MUSE 258 Citation Sound Connections: A Comprehensive Approach to Teaching Music Literacy 2010 Chapter 6: Developing

Tonal Literacy Don P. Ester Summary Working with the Staff o Tonal unlike rhythm is bound by the staff o Tonal patterns are not revealed by the lines and spaces, syllables are key to this step o Moveable do prepares students for clef and key signatures because of its moveable nature o Do-clef only tells where do is located o Advantages of using the do-clef Facilitates incorporation of the staff before introduction of key signatures and clef signs Allows for easy reading without confusion of key signatures and note names Using Visual Media o Visual is just as important as aural Visual is the skill thats allows for audiation of what is writeen on the page o Connection between sound and symbols is the basis of this skill o Visual distractions should be kept to a minimum during reading The Tonal Wand o Used to isolate the essence of pitch notation o Invention of the author o Should move up and down as well as left to write to show the way music is read The Overhead Projector and Overlay Transparencies o First and best way to introduce notation o Used for layering of overlays o Allows for moveable do, visually o Four overlays Blank Staff Do clef Tonic triad practice Tonal patterns New patterns should be integrated into echoing and hand sign exercises

Reading Tonal Patterns o New Tonal Patterns Seqence Tonal wand to introduce the staff and then the tonic triad guid Use the tonal pattern transparency, move do at least once Replace with do-clef and do more exercises Beginning reading and notating are to be group oriented an simple Early success leads to enjoyment of reading Assessment is informal in later lessons Do not sing with the students during echoing Facilitates following rather than reading Already learned patterns should be the bulk of the lesson Progressing Through the Tonal Content Sequence o Sequence is outlined in the chapter o Success is the only thing that warrants moving ahead o Internalizing the symbols is paramount o Reading should happen at slower tempos o For advanced students start covering the notes they are reading and encourage them to look ahead o Introducing Ledger Lines Slide the tonic triad guide so that at least one note is no longer on the staff Draw a ledger line, explain that lines can be added Introduce after learning the staff and the major pentatonic chord, but before level 3 scales o Introducing the Scale Definition Sequential arrangement of the eight tonal syllables Octave can also be learned at this point o Introducing Clef Signs, Letter Names and Accidentals Use the overlays to introduce the various clefs Show their location on the staff Connect the piano keys to note names Black keys are ignored Perfect time to introduce accidentals Ignore double flat and double sharp Introduce the idea of half and whole steps o Introducing Key Signatures Clef signs can be used as a lead in Key signatures should be introduced as a code to find do on the staff Begin with C major Master major first and then the minor

o Introducing Interval Names Exercises are provided for this task o Introducing Chromatic Alterations Cannot start until there is a background with singing chromatic syllables Useful Overlays Passing upper and lower neighbors Harmonic minor and chromatic scale are also useful o Introducing Modulation Can be quite complicated Adjustments are not needed between major and minor Exercises are in the chapter to facilitate this section o Introducing Additional Modes Also hard to grasp First to introduce should be Dorian and Mixolydian as they are most often heard and recognizable in Jazz music o Multipart Reading Provide the opportunity to read in two parts with the known patterns and syllables No other special strategies are required Applying Tonal Reading Skills to Performance Literature o Can start once students are able to identify patterns that they know in their literature o Has practical applications Notating Tonal Patterns o Must first have a mastery of tonic triad patterns o Three Stages Direct presentation by teacher Audible echo translation Audiated echo translation o Notation can be gradually expanded to included each of the other topics discussed in this chapter Composing Tonal Patterns o Writing down of music that is audiated or improvised o Students should be encouraged to write small compositions

Reflection This chapter really delves into the nitty gritty of this teaching approach. I really liked finally get to see more of the learning sequence and how many of the topics are introduced. I think that this is a great way to move into music theory and history. Everything can become intertwined in the approach and all nine national standards can easily be covered weekly if not daily. This chapter will be very useful when it comes time to actually teach this approach. It is a great resource for lesson

plans. It also is organized in the way that makes the most sense pedagogically so that the learners get the most out of the program.