What would YOU like your lo to learn in Music at primary school?

[ratfly]

After coming back from maternity leave, I am now the school music teacher. I am really excited - I want to get the kids to read music and try out different instruments - but also wondering how I can broaden the music curriculum a bit..

Given that I cannot do 1:1 music tuition at school, what would YOU like your dc to learn about music in school?

Teach them how to read musics, rhythym, percussion, singing and then the dreaded recorder, plus an introduction to other instruments, guitar, keyboard/piano, etc to hopefully give them a taste for something further.

FWIW I tried to teach DS1 piano when he had only just started School and I found that as he didn't know his letters it was really difficult and we gave up after a couple of 'lessons' however I am not a music teacher.

I think that teaching them to sing is probably the most important thing.

and to sing, not wail and yodle on and off the note a la X factor contestants. In other words pick a bloody note and stick to it!

my children went to a pre-school music class where they learnt to sing in tune and do basic rhythm - first hand clapping, then drumming. They were also introduced to what the notes looked like and the idea that some were longer than others. She was a great teacher and I wish everyone could have done that at school.

At school they sang, did recorder and were able to try keyboards. If you paid they could try other instuments and there was a hire scheme for some instruments. When they got to 10 the county laid on a free opportunity to try some instruments.

Clapping and drumming are great starts. "drums" don't have to be expensive, thay can be boxes and wooden spoons!

" I can almost guarantee that you were not tone deaf."

My mum is - dreadfully embarassing when she was singing hymns at our end of terms concerts/assembly at music school

There are a few people who can not hear pitch. Often a way to help is to use sirening to find the note. It can take ages with some but sometimes helps.

See MrsJohnCusack has answer - but here is the web site Kodaly

you aren't tone deaf unless you speak in a monotone.

I think children should learn to sing in tune, and should learn to listen analytically to music - i.e. 'what instruments can you hear?', 'is it fast or slow, loud or quiet?', 'can you describe the music - happy, sad, scary etc'. Learn some basic aural tests - singing back short melodies, learning to clap the beat. Learn about different instruments. Learn about different world music. You can do quite a nice gamelan project, with the children split up into groups, each takes a different repeating pattern, build up to playing them together, Royal Festival Hall do a gamelan workshop where you do the real thing, but on a real gamelan (group of percussion instruments).

Singing in rounds - I do a good one which goes down the alphabet like this - start on C above middle C, then go (each dash means go down a note in the scale, so EFG will be on a B)

ABCD-EFG
HIJK-LMNOP
QRST-U and V
WXY-Z

does that make sense? The rhythm is 4 crotchets on ABCD, 2 crotchets, minim on EFG
HIJK - 4 crotchets, LMNOP - 4 quavers, 1 minim
QRST - 4 crotchets, UandV - 2 crotchets, 1 minim,
WXY - 2 quavers and crotchet for 'dou-ble-u', 2 crotchets for XY, minim for Z, minim rest, back to the beginning.

I then get them to do a clap after Z, on the third beat of the bar. Then get them going in 4 parts - part 2 starts when part1 is on line 2 etc. THe clap is really cool, because when all the parts are going, it travels along the line, so they have a visual idea of what's happening as well as aural, and it can get them back into time if they've lost it.

Also Frere Jacques, London's burning are good for getting them to hold a line.

my DS attends a group at the weekend. They sing a few songs, (Disney ones last term I'm still walking around singing "whose the leader of the pack that's made for you and me?)

They learn/sing the Do Ra Mi etc(complete with hand signals/gestures)

They are part of our local Music Co-operative and they get to try out different instruments 1 term was drums, 1 term brass , next term is strings.
(DS is now the proud player of a trombone and there was me telling him the drums were too loud to learn at home LOL)

The teacher uses all the correct terms and note names etc and repetition is the key as I'm sure you know.

My DS has a class recorder lesson at school and they play simple tunes like 3 blind mice etc

Have fun.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I have loads to think about now - and I thought I would be running out of ideas!

I particularly like the idea of singing rounds, and in tune (practising sustained notes perhaps), and, of course, teaching basic rhythm and notation. Also, just lots of singing so they have a good repertoire of songs. I think I will ditch the music scheme of work for Key stage 2

I agree that no-one is tone deaf - I think that they just ahvent been taught to sing in tune.

And thanks tortoiseshell for the round - I will try it out on the piano first so I know what it sounds like.

Mrs Weasley - what is the music co-operative? Sounds good if you get to borrow instruments.

For anyone trying to teach young ones to read music who might not be able to read words yet see this. Its a piano course designed especially for children - particularly 4 to 7s but I guess could be used for any musical instrument. Involves lots of singing too so is good fun!

We are using this with 5 year old (who can read) and 4 year old (who cannot but recognises letters) to introduce them to the piano as they are both keen to learn. Only do in short bursts a couple of times a week and then let them plonk around the rest of the time! Some of the exercises get them to just bash around on the keyboard pretending to be different animals.

LOL. So there is hope for me after all? Even though the dogs start howling when I sing?

Actually, I've just bought DD a DVD which is supposed to teach children how to sing in tune. It's called Ton Ton & Song. Anyone heard of it? Is it any good?

The Chicken Tikka collection is a nice little book of vocal warm ups for children. Also I am a big fan of Songscape and Voiceworks.

Make sure that all children get a chance with instruments, the shy ones too. I never got to play the xylophone or glockenspiel at primary and it still bugs me It was always the same children with the loudest voices...