Nov. 7, 2007 - Kodaly Method for the Christian Homeschool -- Lesson Plans Four
Kodaly Methods for the Christian Homeschool
Week Four - 45 Minutes Class Time
Introduction to Music (~10 Minutes)
Listen to a Gregorian chant.
{Choose a recording you already own, or find one at the library. Have the music playing as children arrive and encourage the children to reflect quietly on the music and listen for rhythm (steady beat). If you need to purchase something, you can purchase one song from ITunes for 99 cents.}
“Did you hear the steady beat?” (Answer may very well be no. One of the characteristics of Gregorian chant is the lack of a steady beat!)
“Who remembers what the highest calling of any musician is?” Great Job! Praise of God our Maker is the highest calling of any musician. Let’s speak Psalm 92:1-3 in rhythm with a steady beat this week.
Review these verses at the start of each class.
1 It is good to praise the LORD
and make music to your name, O Most High,
2 to proclaim your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,
3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
and the melody of the harp.
Now Review the verses again, but this time using rhythm syllables instead of the words. Go through this a couple of times.
KODALY CONCEPT: The Kodaly method focuses teaching the steady beat through speaking rhythms, rhythm syllables, and the listen/repeat pattern. The Kodaly method includes listening to the master composers at the earliest ages with a listening ear.
Rhythm Training (~10 Minutes)
1. Review “Peas Porridge Hot”.
2. Now speak the poem using the Kodaly rhythm syllables of Ta for quarters and Ti for eighth notes; practicing once or twice with the syllables. Here is a link regarding the rhythm syllables: http://www.classicsforkids.com/teachers/training/rchart.asp
3. Have the students speak the true words again, this time marching in place to the steady beat.
KODALY CONCEPT: The Kodaly method teaches the “steady beat” as a first skill in music training and uses rhythm syllables to teach rhythm.
Warm Up (~2.5 Minutes)
“Feel The Buzz” Have your children put their index finger over the vocal chords as you did last week. “Today we are going to warm up our voices a bit by singing what is called a pentatonic scale. Can you say that?”
Hum together up and down a scale with finger on vocal chords a few times. Alternate to open syllables such as Ahh. This is only a slight warm up; and introduces the pentatonic scale. Don’t forget to use the hand signs for So and Mi!
KODALY CONCEPT: The Kodaly Method uses the pentatonic scale for warm up and hand sign practice.
Sign Training (~5 Minutes)
Review the Hand Signs for So and Mi; and have the students alternate for several minutes between the notes.
Composing a Chant Using So and Mi
Have the students collaborate to write a Gregorian style chant that praises God using So and Mi as the main notes. Depending on the ages of your class, you will be heavily involved in the process. First choose a text together, perhaps a familiar Bible verse. Have each student take turns adding the next note and sing along as you go. We used a keyboard, and students took turns suggesting whether we go up or down. Gregorian chant is a little more complicated of course; but this is really just composition fun; not Music History/theory for advanced students.
KODALY CONCEPT: The Kodaly method teaches that hand signs facilitate accurate pitch and encourages simple composition at the earliest ages.
Singing (~15 Minutes)
Battle Hymn of the Republic (Protestant Hymn)
Review and sing.
My Faith Looks up to Thee
Review and sing.
I’ve Been Working on the Railroad (Folk Song)
Review this song for fun; marching in place. ☺.
KODALY CONCEPTS: The Kodaly Method uses the music of the people to encourage participation, promote National pride, and provide a common ground. Using familiar music aids in ease of learning the hand signs. The Kodaly Method promotes rhythm awareness through large muscle movement.
Music Theory (~10 Minutes)
Who remembers the musical alphabet? (Call on a student to name the musical alphabet.) Great Job __________!
Show A on the Musical Staff and listen to an A from the piano or pitch fork. Ask, “Who remembers the name of this note?”
Show C on the Musical Staff and listen to a C on the piano or sing it using the A as a reference. Say “This is C; and C is very close to A on the Musical Staff.”
Now Show B on the Musical Staff; listen and sing a B.
Finally alternate between the notes, singing along as you place different notes on the staff.
Each week we will review and add a new letter on the staff.
KODALY CONCEPT: Teaching theory is to begin early, and starts simply with the introduction of the staff through visual presentation and active participation.
The bottom line is; We try not to insist on parent-led learning or gravitate toward child-led learning. We try instead to focus on God-led learning and ask for His input and perspective on every aspect of our home school. That way, when others fuss about what Dan and I are doing and make me second guess our decisions -- I can go back to our decision process and find God's fingerprints, reminding me that this is His way.
