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Victor Stec Nov.

16, 2018

Campbell, P.S., & Scott-Kassner, C. (2013). Music in childhood: From preschool through the elementary

grades (4th ed.). Cenage Learning.

Differentiate speech and rhythmic speech. In what ways does language offer a means by which
rhythmic understanding can be developed?

Rhythmic speech, unlike normal speech, is spoken over an established pulse and can have
sounds transformed in chants of longer or shorter musical durations while likewise featuring the
possibility of some words in a group accentuated over others. As language consists of musical rhythm, it
can be used to teach children duration, accent and temporal units. Rhythmic understanding can be
particularly learnt through the chanting of different words, referencing the number of syllables present
in a word to longer or shorter rhythm durations: whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth etc. Using names
of children, fruit or animals offer perfect opportunities for chanting to a steady pulse. As children gain a
greater exposure to different elements of language, such as, rhymes, colloquialisms, poems etc. they
come into contact with various rhythmic values and nuances with which they develop a stronger sense
of rhythm.

In what order should these rhythmic concepts be presented to children and at what ages or grade
levels: accents, duration and durational patterns, syncopation, pulse, meter, polyrhythms?

While few three year olds have the capability of tapping or clapping a pulse, majority of six year
olds achieve this with great precision. Children’s capacity of maintaining pulse becomes further evident
in grade one, however some children will require supplementary training. Grade one students likewise
develop the ability with expressively using accents in language which in a way parallels musical
expression. By grade two, children are typically capable with recognising, reading and writing different
note durations and rhythmic patterns. Syncopation using eighth and quarter notes can be introduced in
third grade along with simple, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 time signatures as students begin understanding the
concept of metric groupings. Understanding polyrhythms is more of a challenge although grade three
students and above should have the rhythmic stability necessary to perform them.

Why is 6/8 called a compound meter? How does the definition apply to 12/8, 5/8 or 7/8?

Compound metre is a rhythmic pattern in which each beat of the bar is isolated into three equal
parts. In other words, each beat contains a triple pulse. Examples of compound time signatures include,
6/8, 9/8, and 12/8. Examples like 5/8 or 7/8 are asymmetric metres as although they use the triple pulse
per beat aspect of compound time, they likewise feature elements of duple time. Therefore they would
use beat patterns, such as, 3 + 2 or 2 + 3; 3 + 2 + 2 or 2 + 3 + 2 or 2 + 2 + 3.

Discuss the function of mnemonics, and compare the grammar of the more frequently found systems?
What other systems are in use?

Mnemonics are rhythmic syllables with no semantic meaning used to teach rhythm through the
oral practice, therefore, without the presence of notation or visual aids. The more frequently found
Victor Stec Nov. 16, 2018

mnemonic system used is that of word chant, similar to that of Orff-Schulwerk and Kodaly and Gordon
syllables. There likewise includes historical systems, culture-specific systems, counting systems and
systems that combine duration and drum syllable strokes which are all effectively taught around the
United States.

How does the achievement of music literacy contribute to the comprehensiveness of children’s
musical sensitivity and understanding?

It is first important to establish the definition of “music literacy” as the ability to read and write
musical notation with or without using an instrument. With the development of music literacy, children
would be positioned to succeed in transferring their knowledge of reading notation to playing
instruments. It would certainly be important to primarily focus on teaching the rhythmic aspect of
notation followed by its pitch aspect, and to combine the two soon after, as to help students
successfully perform on their instruments. The skills that accompany achieving music literacy likewise
include the ability to differentiate rhythmic and pitch characteristics of various styles of music. Students
would gain the skill to look at a piece of music and make an educated guess with respect to how the
music would sound; to which style or genre of music the piece belongs.

To what extent might rhythm be the featured activity in learning to sing a song? For example, discuss
multiple ways to underscore rhythmic components in “Zum Gali Gali” and how these strategies
enhance song learning.

In my perspective, rhythm takes precedent over all stages of learning a piece of music; this more
so being the case for songs as they incorporate voice. As I learnt in class, an effective way of introducing
a song by rote to a class is with rhythmically speaking the text, allowing the class to first get accustomed
to both the lyrics and rhythm of the work. This would ideally set the class up for success when
subsequently implementing pitch to what was initially learnt. In the instance of highlighting the teaching
of rhythm in “Zum Gali Gali”, one could use the Kodaly system with students to speak the rhythms, so
“ta, ti ti, ti ri ti ri,” during which everyone either taps/ claps an eighth or quarter note pulse. Starting
“Zum Gali Gali” in this manner would give confidence to students later when rhythmically speaking the
text and soon after incorporating pitches.

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